Lee and L'Antartique clear the last.

lee hot on antartique

L'Antartique benefited from a supremely well-judged Graham Lee ride to land odds of 20-1 in the Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The Ferdy Murphy-trained runner was settled well off the early gallop and still had a fair amount of ground to make up as the field swung down the hill.

Lee galvanised his mount between the final two fences and L'Antartique bounded two lengths clear of the staying-on Bob Hall (10-1) to claim victory, with Wee Robbie a further two and a half lengths away in third.

The eventual third had taken up the running after the third-last and looked to be going strongly at the head of affairs as a host of potential threats loomed large.

New Little Bric, Bob Hall and fourth-placed Rasharrow were all in contention swinging for home, but Lee had yet to get serious with L'Antartique.

He squeezed his partner along approaching the second-last and soon found himself in front.

Having flown the last, the race looked in safe keeping before L'Antartique began to tire a little up the infamous final incline.

Bob Hall refused to give up and responded well for Noel Fehily but never quite got to grips with the winner.

Lee said: "He gave me such a good run, I got there a bit too soon really as he was idling in front.

"They went such a good gallop, I wanted to be a lot handier than that, but happy days!"

Murphy said: "Graham is a fantastic rider, we are very lucky to have him.

"I don't tell him how to ride the horses, but I said to him that he would probably struggle early and that the one thing he can do is tough it out so keep your head.

"He got a nice passage through in the end, but he did hit a little bit of bother after the third-last.

"I go back a long way with the owners, I won the Arkle for them in 1980 with Anaglogs Daughter and Tony (Durkan) is a real good sport. It's fantastic for us."

Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus, said of Bob Hall: "He ran a cracker, he jumped like a buck - he really put it together today.

"I thought he had a chance round the bend, but the winner just kept going.

And trainer Nick Gifford said of Wee Robbie: "He's a bit of a slow learner, I'm absolutely delighted but I don't know what we'll do now, we'll have a think."