The 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup, sponsored
by Timico, featured 15 runners, but quickly developed into a
memorable match between Native River and Might Bite, with none of
their rivals ever landing a serious blow. On soft going, Native
River, ridden by champion jockey Richard Johnson, made virtually all
the running, but was pressed throughout by Might Bite, ridden by Nico
De Boinville, and it was only after jumping the final fence that the
former took a definite advantage, staying on strongly to win by 4½
lengths.
Indeed, on the run to the home turn,
the King George VI Chase winner Might Bite looked to be travelling
the better of the pair and took a narrow advantage between the last
two fences. However, the 2016 Welsh National winner Native River
wasn’t to be denied, regaining the advantage at the last fence and
striding purposefully away from the obstacle to put the result beyond
doubt. Anibale Fly, a 33/1 outsider trained by Tony Martin and ridden
by Barry Geraghty, finished third, a further 4 lengths away.
Victory on the 5/1 third favourite gave
Richard Johnson his second Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, after Looks
Like Trouble in 2000, but he later fell foul of the stewards for
using his whip above the permitted level in the closing stages. He
was fined £6,550, commensurate with the winning prize money of
£369,821 and banned for seven days.
Conversely, defeat for the 4/1
favourite prevented Nicky Henderson from completing a unique Champion
Hurdle-Champion Chase-Gold Cup treble at a single Cheltenham
Festival. Henderson, though, was philosophical in defeat, saying, “A
great race and he has done nothing wrong. We were taking on a horse
who absolutely loves this [going] and unfortunately we don’t.”
The second favourite, Our Duke, trained
by Jessica Harrington and ridden by Robbie Power, proved a major
disappointment, being pulled up four fences from home after a couple
of mistakes at halfway, while none of Willie Mullins’ four runners
made much of an impact. The outsider of his quartet, Djakadam, fared
best, finishing fifth, beaten 20½ lengths, while Killultagh Vic,
Bachasson and Total Recall all failed to complete the course.