Vicki Gibbins was at Newbury to see Panic Attack's victory in the Coral Gold Cup. Check out our columnist's reflections.
The owners of Friday’s John Francome Novices’ Chase winner Wendigo are multiplying before my eyes.
The seething mass of blue-and-yellow scarf-laden enthusiasts are surging towards the winners’ enclosure, barely suppressed by the Newbury staff’s best efforts to keep order.
National Hunt spirit, embodied in middle-aged chaos. They love it.
“It’s a thrill – every fence is a thrill,” enthuses one.
“I only own three hairs, I’m not sure if it’s from the nose or the tail but I’m enjoying every minute.”
Twenty-four hours later, they’re still trying to remove dazed Racing Club owners from the paddock – it’s time for the Coral Gold Cup chaps, come back next year.
I double-take as Phillip Brannan announces Mick Fitzgerald will be reminiscing about his Coral Gold Cup winner Trabolgan, 20 years on.
Twenty? That can’t be right. Didn’t he run at Cheltenham last year? The Coral Gold Cup ages you, cruelly and unnecessarily.
Ask a racing fan about the ‘glory days’ of the Coral Gold Cup and their decade of birth is hideously exposed, amidst a mass of memories and ‘wasn’t it better whens’.
For me, the race will always be about Denman – circa 2007, rather than 2009. He jumped for fun that day and made a mockery of top-weight, the new kid on Paul Nicholls’ millionaire’s block. It was a win full of promise, gently teasing a season of unbeaten runs that led all the way to Cheltenham glory.
It hasn’t been the same since, really – although there was a brief glimmer of hope when Native River won in 2016, leaving the stamina-laden might of Carole’s Destrier, Blaklion and Smad Place toiling in his wake.
I’m not excited about this year’s renewal, in the build-up.
It’s a cracking handicap to get your teeth into, but I can’t imagine anyone 20 years from now, reminiscing fondly about the time Myretown became the first Scottish winner since 1979. Except in Edinburgh, maybe.
Twenty-four runners make a lot of owners. It isn’t quite Wendigo standards, but conservative estimates put paddock attendees at the half-century per horse mark and Newbury are forced to stamp their authority again.
I’m in the firing line of the new regime and have to wheedle my way into the paddock with a pathetic ‘I have to work, please’. I’m only granted six inches of open gate to sidle through, but calorie intake is low ahead of the HWPA Awards on Monday.
As the field set out, it’s clear Three Card Brag has been doing his homework. Late nights catching up on the front-running antics of Desert Orchid, Tingle Creek and Mill House pay dividends as Gordon Elliott’s gelding hits the fore, passing a boisterous grandstand.
He’s done everything and more, but it’s not enough. Panic Attack has the narrative force of a big bookmaker handicap double and a young, upcoming jockey aboard – a journalistic dream and enough to push her ahead jumping the fourth-last fence.
He rallies to steal second from an opportunistic The Changing Man, who has grown up hearing stories about Native River’s Hennessy and wants to recreate the posters on his stable wall.
For me, it’s an excellent result. I’ve revealed both a likely age and an affinity for a front-runner in this piece – I also know part-owner Max McNeill will match, and probably exceed, my level of enthusiasm post-race.
“It was fantastic,” says McNeill.
“He’s the best horse in the race. He was turned for toe coming into the final turn. Panic Attack is a good mare and we were giving her a stack of weight. I thought we had The Changing Man beaten - the further we went, the longer we were staying.
“I think he deserves a break after that. Then the National, that’s got to be the plan.”
Panic Attack has her own story to tell, having handed conditional Tristan Durrell the biggest win of his career. It was also another Saturday success for owner Bryan Drew, who could be in for a big year with his tough mare and promising novice chaser Final Demand.
He sums it up neatly.
“Days like today are the reason that owners are in the sport. When you win trophies like this, with horses like this - that’s why you’re in the game.”
Are we back to the glory days? No, but it was a real-good thrill.
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