Alaphilippe's beaten jockey Paddy Brennan sportingly insisted there was no interference from Tom O'Brien and Third Wind after a stewards inquiry was called following a dramatic Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Just days after his wife gave birth to their second child, O’Brien was back to business to add a Festival winner to his list of achievements.
Third Wind (25/1), trained by Hughie Morrison, and Fergal O’Brien’s Alaphilippe battled out the finish after jumping the last. There was nothing between them with Third Wind just proving the stronger in the closing stages to get the verdict by a neck at the end of three miles.
Mill Green was two lengths away in third place with Winter Fog fourth and Honest Vic fifth.
The stewards held an inquiry as the first two came close together but the result was allowed to stand.
In the stewards' room, Brennan said: "I didn't feel any interference. I felt like I had a good crack at it. In sport, I'm a fair player. I felt I had a clean crack at it. When the stewards' was called, I was surprised. I thought there was no interference."
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