Fergal O'Brien lands Grade 1 success at Sandown with Sixmilebridge

The seven-year-old was two from two over fences going into the race after very good wins at Ayr and Cheltenham but he had to take on the might of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott here.

Kitzbuhel was sent off the 10/11 favourite for Mullins after Grade 1 Kauto Star victory at Kempton last time, but he unseated jockey Paul Townend, who flew over last minute after Leopardstown was called off, at the sixth fence.

That left Sixmilebridge to dominate from the front end under Kielan Woods and while both Elliott's Kala Conti and Stuart Edmunds' Miami Magic tried to make inroads, Sixmilebridge was in full control after the last and stayed on well for a five-length win.

Owner Andrew Megson said: “That was incredible. It was a fantastic ride and Fergal has done an amazing job to get Sixmilebridge to this level. We all thought he was nice, but to have him win our first Grade One we just can’t believe it.

“I thought coming around the bend at the bottom I thought if he stays up he would win as the other horses were starting to show signs of distress. He loves bottomless ground and if they are not used to bottomless ground then it is hard work.

“He is a proper horse and we have not got anywhere near the bottom of him yet. I’m absolutely thrilled.

“We have him entered in the Arkle and the Brown Advisory so we have covered both bases. If it is bottomless maybe we would go for the Arkle. Although he hasn’t run over three miles he clearly would get it.

“We have got the course form over fences having won there in December, and when he was disqualified there over hurdles.

“We are staying local as we drove down from Leeds this morning. We were going to get up early and drive back early, but maybe not so much now!"

Fergal: 'We will turn up at Cheltenham'

O’Brien said: ”This lad has always been a star even when Crambo was around. We will miss Crambo as he was a great servant, but I’m lucky that this one has come along so soon. I said it before, but all credit to Max Kendrick who rides this horse everyday. He is not easy. As you saw there he gets a bit worked up, but we have sort of figured him out now. We have had hoods on him and ear plugs on him and everything on him, but we just leave it all off him now. Everyone has figured him out. He has got his pen and he goes out in the field. He is a cool horse.

“The Ayr race is the one that does stand out to me because I think Derryhassen Paddy is a lovely horse, but we didn’t jump at all and I knew if we could improve his jumping we could improve again. I think today was phenomenal.

“Everything came right today. He won his bumper around here on soft ground. We all thought this race last season when he finished novice hurdling that this race would be one to comeback for as he won his bumper here and he loves the ground.

“I’m delighted for Kielan as it is not easy when you are a retained rider and you are in different yards, but he is a quality rider and he was very good there.

“He has his own issues and he had to come up that hill, but i thought when Kielan jumped the Pond Fence and sent him down to two out it will take a good one to get past him now.

“It was lovely to watch as I felt he was going so well. I could see his ears were pricked and I could see Kielan was very confident.

“He is a bit quirky, but he has a huge engine as you saw when he won his bumper here. He is three from three over fences, but we always thought fences would be for him. It is great for the Megsons as it is their first Grade One. They put a lot into racing with their sponsorship and horses they have spread around and maybe we will get a couple more now.

“I think we have seen a very nice horse here today. We will go back and decide where we go now. We will turn up at Cheltenham where he has course form and we will see where we go.”

Woods said: “There was no pressure on as at because with Gordon and Willie being here they have taken the pressure of everybody. At the same time myself and Fergal put more pressure on ourselves than anybody. I knew how good this horse was. When he got beat at the Cheltenham Festival last year he just never showed up. He was edgy before the race and he was edgy down at the start. For whatever reason it didn’t suit him, but he is a lot more grown up now. He walked all the way down the chute today and he walked all the round at the start. I think the penny has just dropped for him.

“There are loads of lads that will tell you that Grade One horses are very hard to come by. They are near on impossible to come by and I feel I’m very lucky I’ve landed on one.

“I said to myself going to the last don’t celebrate just look cool and keep both hands on the reins. I told myself don't look too excited about it, but the closer I was getting to the line I thought I can’t. Sam Twiston-Davies told me I frightened the lads doing the treading in on the in field!”

Brian Acheson, owner of Kala Conti, said: “The ground was just too dead for her. I was never happy from the start and you can see she is tired now. The ground was just too dead, that was it and such is life.

“After about a furlong I said we were in trouble and she was struggling to get out of the ground. We will give her a rest now and see where we go after that.”

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