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Stage Star survives a mistake at the last to win the Paddy Power Gold Cup

Stage Star won the Paddy Power Gold Cup; report, reaction and free video replay

By Ian Ogg

Horse Racing

Sat November 18, 2023 · 1y ago

Stage Star survived a late scare to win the Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Cheltenham for Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden.

The well-backed favourite was always to the fore where he was joined by top-weight The Real Whacker on the first circuit.

Fugitif, travelling kindly in the first time cheekpieces, joined them going out for the final time and was still in there pitching coming down the hill.

Notlongtillmay, second to the winner in the Turner's Novices' Chase at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, moved well in their slipstream and looked the biggest threat to Stage Star but Cobden's mount pulled out more after the second last and was clear approaching the final fence.

He made a bad mistake at that obstacle but Cobden kept the partnership intact, gathered Stage Star together and the seven-year-old had enough in the locker to regain his momentum and gallop up the hill for an impressive success.

Four lengths adrift was Notlongtillmay and he, in turn, was eight clear of Il Ridoto - a stablemate of the winner - with half that distance back to Fugitif with Unexpected Party half a length behind him in fifth.

Harry Skelton, rider of Unexpected Party, was suspended for two days for careless riding having moved right-handed to obtain a clear run, forcing Il Ridoto onto the heels of Notlongtillmay and 'inconveniencing Il Ridoto for a number of strides at an important time in the race'.

Stage Star earned quotes for the Ryanair Chase at the in March with Sky Bet slashing his odds to 5/1 from 12/1 and Paddy Power and Betfair Sportsbook offering 4/1 from the same price.

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"I'd like to see it back," Cobden said of the blunder.

"I was going quite well and I was sort of in two minds and I wasn't properly committed to what we were doing and he's made a bit of a mistake. Actually, the peck on landing was where the actual problem was, after, going from 25 miles an hour back to a walk. It's a big ask to get a horse back going up a hill when you've only got a furlong to run.

"Incredibly tough horse, just grateful to have him and I'm grateful to ride him.

"Massive performance, he's carried a lot of weight there, on the way round I was most impressed, how he settled and jumped from fence to fence.

"He has come here without a run. His fitness was everything he has done at home but he's such an honest horse we can get him 110% for the day; no better man to target a race than Paul Nicholls."

Cobden, completing a double on the card after partnering Burdett Road to an equally impressive success, was winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup for the first time but it was the third time that Nicholls has lifted the trophy.

Harry Cobden celebrates with the Paddy Power Gold Cup

Nicholls said: “He has to go left-handed so there was no point going anywhere else with him and the Ryanair will be the aim now. He jumps left so he has to go that way and Harry said if he is in front turning in he won’t get beat. He gave that a brilliant ride. That was fantastic.

“He has definitely improved on last year’s form. He has won off 155, and he has won a tad cosily, even with a mistake like that, and that puts him right in the mix for the Ryanair and that is what will be his target. If he didn’t run before then I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.

“I’m not going to go right-handed with him, and that limits us a little bit where we go, but that is not a worry.

“You just like training big winners, and we all put a lot of work into it. Although we have had a plenty of winners we have had plenty that have not run that well.

“Everyone keeps saying we are doing really well, but in my mind we are a long way off where we want to be. The good ones keep winning and that is what counts.

“I thought that was the end of it then (when he hit the last) but he has picked up and stayed on well and that just shows what a good horse he is.

“I think it was a hot race, and he needed to take a step forward from last season, and he has obviously done that. He jumped brilliant baring a mistake at the last. It was just one of those things, and if he jumped that quick he would have won more comfortably.

“He has been a bit of a challenge as he is a horse that you can’t take away for a gallop. He has been at home and been nowhere and it is just getting enough fitness in him to be ready first time out today.

“You can’t take him away as he would melt and he is just one of them you don’t need to take away.

“I just thought looking at him in the paddock if he ran as well as he looked then he was going to win. I’m thrilled with him and the whole team getting him ready for today. From the moment we came in we targeted this race. “

“The other horse (Il Ridoto, 12/1) has run a blinder as he will come on for the run as he is one of them. He will come back here in a month’s time. He ran really well, but he is not quite as good as that lad.”

Morgan living the dream, King George for Whacker

Trainer Laura Morgan said of her runner-up, Notlongtillmay: “What a horse to have for a small yard like ours. Big days like this are phenomenal for the staff I’ve got, everyone at home and all my family it’s fantastic. To be here mixing it with Paul Nicholls it’s what we all dream of, so I’m delighted with him.

“He’s run a screamer on ground that is probably softer than he would like so it’ll be exciting to seem him on better ground.

“He jumped very well on the whole, missed a couple around the back at probably the most crucial stage but I don’t think he was going to beat the winner. He’s run a screamer and if Stage Star wasn’t in it then he would have been the clear winner!

“I’m dead proud of him and for a small yard like ours it’s fantastic.”

Asked what the plan might be next she added: “We haven't really planned that far ahead yet. We wanted to see how we got on today and then take it from there. We’ve got a few options so we’ll see.

“People are saying perhaps the Ryanair but we have a few options and we’ll have a look and go from there. It’s so exciting.”

Asked whether she might consider the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon, she went on: “That might be a bit of a hard task but it just depends on ground. That looks like it might have taken quite a bit out of him today and he wants better ground.”

Notlongtillmay won twice at Musselburgh last season before finishing second in the Grade One Turners Novices Chase at The Cheltenham Festival in March.

And she added: “Even though when I came to the Turners people were probably thinking, ‘She’s only gone to Musselburgh’ but the manner in which he was winning those races he was destroying the field, so he had every right to be here in the Turners and I thought he ran a screamer then and the same again today.”

Referring to the winner, Stage Star, making an error at the last, Morgan concluded: “It was crazy. I’d seen Harry Cobden tip and he was falling and I was like ‘ooohhhhh’, but I wouldn’t wish that on Harry. He’s a top lad. I’m just delighted that he’s run a screamer.”

Jockey Adam Wedge added: “He’s run a fantastic race. We just need to find a way to get in front of Nicholls' I think!”

“The only time I thought we might have a chance was when Stage Star was down on his nose but he had plenty left and he went away from me again.”

Owner Alan Rogers, the former Leicester City and Nottingham Forest defender, added: “He is a superstar. The winner is a nice horse and he has beaten us twice and there are no excuses with him. I’m a small owner from a small yard and I can’t be more happy with him. I can’t be more proud.

“I’m delighted for Laura as she deserves this. In my opinion she is the best trainer I’ve come across. Stage Star is a good horse and you have to take your hat off to him. This is the dream and I’ve come second in two big races at Cheltenham. I’m over the moon. Look at the horses we beat. The Real Whacker is a superstar and we have beaten him. It is the stuff of dreams. He will win a big race don’t worry about that. There is so much more to come from him.”

The top-weight was last year’s Grade One Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase hero The Real Whacker, who was pulled-up.

His joint-owner David Mann said: “We knew he was carrying top weight and he hadn’t run for a long time. Paddy (Neville, trainer) had him in good condition, but I think between the soft ground and the top weight that has probably gone against him.

“I think he needed the run today to bring him on. If you remember he ran at the October meeting last year here over hurdles and he ran very well then he came on the following month and then he had a great run over fences. I think he just needed this one. Sam (Twiston-Davies, jockey) knew it wasn’t to be. He didn’t want to injure the horse and he just took it easy when he knew his chance was gone.

“I think we will look at the King George on Boxing Day. Sam was happy enough with him. We knew we were up against it today with a savage weight. I don’t think it makes any difference as I think The Real Whacker will come back and be a good horse. I think he will come back a better horse next time. We are still very happy with him and I’d be hoping I still have some more good years with him.”

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