Ustedes takes Arkle glory
Voy Por Ustedes got the better of a thrilling battle with Monet’s Garden in the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival.
The 15-2 chance was just in the lead coming to the last but Robert Thornton had to give it his all to keep him there as long-time leader Monet’s Garden tried to challenge again up the inside.
Alan King’s charge dug deep to hold on by a length and a quarter at the line, with Foreman staying on to be third, a further five lengths away.
Monet’s Garden was always in the front rank under Tony Dobbin, vying with Wild Passion for the early lead as Thornton settled in the chasing pack.
Dobbin was still in front turning for home as Wild Passion began to fade but ‘Choc’ Thornton had barely moved a muscle aboard King’s charge.
Taking it up at the second-last, Voy Por Ustedes stuck admirably to his guns up the hill, finding a bit extra to deny Nicky Richards’ brave grey.
Foreman took the last well and was eating up the ground at the line but after trailing towards the rear early, he could not make up the deficit.
King said: “We had a perfect preparation. Full marks to the team at home. He’s not easy at home. He’s pretty volatile and it’s full marks to them.
“Things have gone right for him. This is great and it just takes the pressure off a little bit. I can enjoy the rest of the week.”
Thornton added: “He actually missed one at the top of the hill and I tried to get him to take a blow on the bend but he ran with me a bit.
“His jumping was very good – he was very efficient. Early on (in his career) he was a little bit too bold maybe but he’s got the measure of it now. At the last I just had to keep pressing.”
Richards was delighted with the performance of the runner-up.
He said: “We thought if he could get out and get into a rhythm he would give a few of them something to think about as he’s a very good jumper.
“In the end he has just found one too good but he’s run a good race and I’m proud of him.”
Thierry Doumen, trainer of Foreman, said: “He’s run a great race first time over the Cheltenham fences and he never lost any ground.
“The two horses that made the running never gave up but he was the only one to stay on and he ran a very good race.
“We will have to see how he is when we get him home but I think we will seriously have to consider Aintree.”
The Henrietta Knight-trained Racing Demon was sent off the 9-2 favourite but he was never travelling and finished out of the frame.
Knight said: “Sam (Thomas) got off and said he felt like he was an out-and-out galloper. He was just getting going when the others were finished.
“His jumping wasn’t a problem, he just didn’t have the speed for them.
“If he is OK tomorrow, I will think about running him again this season – he would need the ground to be suitable but he’s not had a hard campaign.”
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