2.10 Cheltenham - Randox Health County Hurdle result
1st Arctic Fire 20/1
2nd L'Ami Serge 25/1
3rd Ozzie The Oscar 50/1
4th Air Horse One 10/1
5th Winter Escape 9/1
6th Ivanovich Gorbatov 5/1 fav
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Race Report
Willie Mullins' Cheltenham Festival resurgence continued as top-weight Arctic Fire won a thrilling renewal of the County Hurdle.
Held up off the pace by Paul Townend, the former Champion Hurdle runner-up produced the biggest weight-carrying performance in the race since 1960 as he came with a storming run up the stands' rail to win in a photo from L'Ami Serge.
Wakea set the tempo early on and was 15 lengths clear at the top of the hill, but as the gap narrowed approaching the final flight it was apparent that the six-year-old was a sitting duck.
Ozzie The Oscar was first to pass the front-runner but the top two in the handicap, Arctic Fire and L'Ami Serge, displayed their class to fight out the finish, with the former - running from the opposite end of the handicap - a close third.
Air Horse One continued his progression to take fourth under Noel Fehily, with Winter Escape running a massive race on his return to take fifth.
There had been an almighty pre-race plunge on favourite Ivanovich Gorbatov, winner of the Triumph Hurdle on this card a year earlier, but he paid the price for sitting too close to a searing gallop and was run out of things in the finish.
Sky Bet punters were paid out each-way bets on the 5/1 jolly, however, as he held on for sixth.
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Paul Townend: "It's some training performance to get him back after such a long absence.
"He had top weight but he had it for a reason and I went out with the mindset to ride him like the best horse and thankfully it paid off.
"Donagh (Meyler, on Wakea) had a big lead but it's very hard to do round here, you don't get that much of a lead without doing a hell of a lot.
"At that stage I had no choice but to drop in, there was nothing I could do about it."
Willie Mullins: "It's a bit of a surprise for me, I fancied our other one, Renneti, as he'd been working well at home and I thought Arctic Fire could be a social runner!
"But he's a class horse on his day, even with top weight he'd been dropped 6lb.
"He pulled so hard going down Paul dropped him right in, lucky enough he got a clear passage on the outside. It's fantastic for Paul and Nick Peacock, the owner.
"He chipped a bone when I was getting him ready for last year's Champion Hurdle and he has joint trouble all the time, he's a bit like me getting out of bed on a morning.
"Donal, who rides him at home all the time, knows him inside out and he tells me when he's right or not."
Nicky Henderson said of the narrow runner-up L'Ami Serge: "He ran a great race. We ran him in the race as soon as we knew Arctic Fire was going to go for it as we knew it would keep his weight down.
"He proved he can still do it after he ran a shocker at Fontwell in what was a funny old race. He is still a decent horse.
"Daryl Jacob gave him a wonderful ride as he needs to get there as late as possible.
"He will definitely run again this season. I think we might go to Ayr for the Scottish Champion Hurdle. It is a good handicap on a big track that will suit him. He deserves to get his head in front in one."
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