Highland Lodge overturned odds-on favourite Our Father in a head-to-head battle for the Ryman Stationery Novices' Chase at Cheltenham.
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The first two had the race between them from a long way out, but jockey Barry Geraghty seized the initiative from his rival with a big jump to edge ahead at the fourth-last fence and from that point Our Father was never quite able to get back on terms.
Franking the form of his previous third to Harry Topper at Newbury, the 2/1 chance was cut from 33/1 to 16/1 for the RSA Chase by Sky Bet on the strength of this performance.
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Highlighting the testing conditions at the track, the winner's time was nearly a minute above standard for the course.
"He stays and stays and stays and he jumps really well, just like the trainer told me he did," said Geraghty. "I got a good response from him at the fourth last and from the third last I felt things were looking good. He stays and he loves soft ground so maybe, long-term, he could be a Welsh National horse."
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