1650 Cheltenham - Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle result
Result
1st Flying Tiger 33/1
2nd Divin Bere 9/2 favourite
3rd Nietzsche 12/1
4th Project Bluebook 14/1
Race Report
Champion jockey Richard Johnson rode his first winner of the week - and gave trainer Nick Williams a first Festival success - as Flying Tiger bravely landed the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
The son of Soldier Of Fortune met with trouble in running but winged the final hurdle and hit the front half a furlong out.
Despite top weight Divin Bere bravely tried to rally and was closing again at the line but went down, all guns blazing, by a neck.
It was the same distance back to Nietzsche in third with Project Bluebook fourth for JP McManus and John Quinn.
Reaction:
Richard Johnson: "It's fantastic. Lizzie Kelly was riding another horse (Diable De Sivola, fifth) but has done a lot of work to get him settled. He's always been talented in France but he got it right on the day. I'm slightly speechless."
Nick Williams: "We've had lots of near-misses here with the likes of Maljimar [second in the 2009 Ultima Handicap Chase] and Reve De Sivola [second in the 2010 Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle], so it was due to come sooner or later. I thought if we were ever going to do it, it might be with a juvenile.
"Lizzie must take a lot of the credit for Flying Tiger winning - it was a really hard call for her to decide which one to ride. She said to take the ear plugs out at the start, because at Kempton in the Adonis Hurdle [where he finished fourth] he had earplugs in for the whole race and she didn't really feel he picked up from two out. So we've gone down to post late, all those little things that she has advised and she has sorted out, so it is very much a team effort. It's a bit hard on her.
"The Adonis made us decide to come here for the Fred Winter rather than the Triumph Hurdle. I think he was just switched off a little bit too much at Kempton.
"We bought Flying Tiger as a yearling in Deauville, like I've bought lots of good horses, such as Fox Norton [second in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase for Colin Tizzard]."
Brian Ellison: "He ran a blinder, that was a great race. I thought he would be happier with juice in the ground but that is not an excuse. Danny (Cook, jockey) thought he might have just landed on his backend after the last and that he might have lost a bit of momentum. It is a tough race and he has run brilliantly. To be honest, I thought he was the winner at the last. It is a very hard juvenile to win so I am happy.
"As to where he goes, we will have to see. Ground is very important to him, he likes it soft and he has run a lot. I will see what Dan(Gilbert, Owner) says, but there is Aintree and Punchestown but if the ground doesn't come right we won't run."
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