Review of the rest of Friday's action from the Cheltenham Festival

Le Prezien flies home to take finale

Le Prezien capped a fine afternoon for trainer Paul Nicholls when landing the concluding Jonny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase.

The 15/2 scorer has always been a talented performer and following a couple of near misses this season, he put it all together and came through with a well-timed challenge to beat Gino Trail by four and a half lengths.

Top Gamble didn't enjoy the clearest of passages but finished well for third with Theinval, who travelled with his usual panache, taking fourth.

It was an action packed race and supporters of North Hill Harvey will have been left frustrated after a bad jumping error put paid to his chance when seemingly full of running.

Nicholls said: "We weren't sure which race to run him in, but we just felt on this ground we'd get away with two miles.

"He does want further, but it worked out well. It was a good ride. He got hampered, but it probably stopped him getting there too soon.

"He's a proper horse. He's just learning and has been unlucky this season. He's been placed in two good handicaps. That was good.

"He had a long time off and it took us time to get him right. We were aiming him for this meeting whichever race we ran in him."

Pacha Du Polder King of the Foxhunters again

Pacha Du Polder won the Foxhunters Hunters' Chase for the second year running when claiming a thrilling renewal in the hands of Miss Harriet Tucker.

It was a race of contrasting fortunes as hot-favourite Burning Ambition cruised into contention heading to the final couple of fences but he didn't get home on the testing ground and it was the evergreen Pacha Du Polder who finished best of all.

To his credit, long-time leader Top Wood rallied and pushed Pacha Du Polder all the way but the 25/1 victor knows where the Cheltenham winning line is and he prevailed by a neck with Barel Of Laughs and Cousin Pete filling the minor placings.

Tucker's feat was made even more remarkable when it was later revealed that she had been forced to pop her shoulder back into place at the same time as striving for victory in the closing stages.

Tucker said: "My shoulder half-dislocates sometimes when I reach it too high and coming up to the second-last, it half-dislocated and I couldn't push it back in, so I couldn't slap him down the shoulder to get him to go forward.

"I was pushing and praying that no one was going to beat me because I couldn't hit him any more with my right hand, so I just had to keep pushing and screaming at him and he just got there."

For Nicholls, it would prove to be the first leg of a double on the afternoon and he said afterwards: "I'm really proud. Harriet was only having her second start under rules.

"He's had a lot of problems this year, but this is just a fantastic moment.

"Andy (Stewart, owner) just leaves it to me (to pick a jockey). I said to Harriet at the start of the season, 'we will get you on Pacha and you will have a day you will never forget'."

First Festival success for Andrews in County

Mohaayed and Bridget Andrews combined to land the County Hurdle on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Dan Skelton's charge was largely unconsidered in the betting, sent off at odds of 33/1, but there was no fluke about his victory as he pulled clear of Remiluc in the closing stages, providing jockey Bridget Andrews with a first Cheltenham Festival success in the process.

Sternrubin and Tigris River ensured the 24-runner cavalry charge was run at an honest pace but there were still plenty of runners in with a chance approaching the final flight of hurdles, the well-fancied Whiskey Sour one who arrived on the scene seemingly full of running.

However, it was Mohaayed who picked up best for pressure and although Remiluc threw down a stern challenge, the six-year-old ran on strongly up the run-in and pulled two and three quarters lengths clear with Whiskey Sour and Chesterfield filling the minor placings.

Skelton's better fancied runner, Spiritofthegames, and Lagostovegas dead-heated for fifth.

Andrews said: "It's unbelievable. He's given me a dream ride. He galloped all the way to the line. I couldn't believe he handled the ground. He's got some good form in the book, we knew he could do it but sort of wrote him off because of the ground. I just can't believe it."

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