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Katchit romped to an easy victory.
Alan King and Robert Thornton landed their third Cheltenham Festival winner of the week when Katchit won the JCB Triumph Hurdle in great style. A winner of five of his six starts over timber beforehand, Katchit was sent off the 11-2 second-favourite and bounded away for an impressive nine-length victory. Liberate (12-1) ran a big race for Philip Hobbs to chase home the winner but he could never get in a blow and just held the challenge of Mobaasher (33-1) for second. The well-backed Degas Art cut out most of the running in company with Punjabi, who stuck on for fourth. However, Thornton had still not moved a muscle at the bottom of the hill and he brought the diminutive Katchit cruising into a lead he would not relinquish. The favourite Lounaos was handy but ultimately disappointing, while Mountain, eighth in the Derby, faded tamely in the straight after travelling well early on. King, successful on the opening two days with My Way De Solzen and Voy Por Ustedes, said: "With all the build up I thought on Monday morning that if one of ours could win I'd be very happy, but three is unbelievable. He was impressive, wasn't he? "Choc (Thornton) said all season that he would be a good horse when the ground dried up. He was right." Hobbs said of the runner-up: "I'm very pleased with him, but it is frustrating to be second to Alan King again! "The horse is very genuine and tries very hard and Richard (Johnson) thought better ground again may have helped him. "He will probably go to Aintree and I'm half-inclined to send him to Punchestown as well. "Turning in I was confident of being placed, but I wasn't that confident of winning. I think there will be more improvement to come from him, but I'm not sure if there will be enough to reverse the placings with the winner." Charlie Mann, trainer of Mobaasher, said: "That was a hell of a run for such a young horse, but he's a good one. Maybe he'll win the Champion next year! "Unlike a lot of juveniles, he's a big horse, but it's not ideal to come to the Triumph after only one run. "He's very fresh so we'll probably go to Aintree and then look at Punchestown."
