Captain Guinness claims stunning Champion Chase victory as El Fabiolo pulls up
Rachael Blackmore aboard Captain Guinness after a victory in the Champion Chase
Captain Guinness came out on top in a dramatic renewal of the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, in which red-hot favourite El Fabiolo was pulled up.
Trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Rachael Blackmore, the nine-year-old was sent off a 17/2 chance, with Willie Mullins’ El Fabiolo starting as the heavily-supported 2/9 market leader in the absence of supposed main rival Jonbon.
However, a jumping error led to Paul Townend’s mount being pulled up, and when the front-running Edwardstone fell at the last – albeit when looking beaten – it was Captain Guinness who went on prevail, holding off El Fabiolo’s stablemate Gentleman De Mee in a real battle up the hill.
Mullins said: “I was very concerned that he reached for an early one and then stood back too far at the fence going away from the stands and didn’t get high enough.”
