Cheltenham Festival report: Summerville Boy wins Sky Bet Supreme
Summerville Boy lunged late to claim a thrilling renewal of the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, the first race of the 2018 Cheltenham Festival.
The Willie Mullins-trained favourite 7/4 favourite Getabird set out to make all the running under Ruby Walsh, but he was a spent force before the home turn and Amy Murphy's Betfair Hurdle hero Kalashnikov straightened up in front.
Tom George's Summerville Boy, a 9/1 shot in the hands of Noel Fehily and the best backed horse of the day with the sponsors, was untidy at the second flight from the finish and also the last, but he devoured the hill to get up and beat Kalashnikov in the dying strides.
Mengli Khan was best of the rest in third.
The winner was leg one of Oli Bell's Yankee for day one of the Festival.
Summerville Boy deprives Kalashnikov in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at @CheltenhamRaces.
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2018
Watch all the action LIVE on @ITV now pic.twitter.com/JbYNe5m1HW
Fehily told ITV Racing: "He's a wonderful horse and what a training performance by Tom George. This horse was absolutely cherry ripe today.
"I thought I was gone at the second-last, I must have lost five, six lengths, but he was brave and fought back well. He was my best chance of the day, but you need a lot of luck. I thought if he didn't fire today I might be struggling, but what a horse. I'm delighted, it's a great start to the week."
George said: "He got into the race and made his mistakes all at the wrong time. It shows you what he might have done had he not made those mistakes. He's a brave, tough horse and it's a privilege to have him.
"He beat Kalashnikov fair and square in the Tolworth, four lengths going away. Today, we made some mistakes which made it a bit closer, but he's done it and that's the most important thing. I've been lucky. We've had plenty of Grade Ones over the years, but to win a Supreme for the first time is great."
Sky Bet were impressed and introduced the winner to the betting for next year's Unibet Champion Hurdle at 25/1 with the runner-up 33/1.
Spokesman Michael Shinners said: "It was a thrilling renewal of the Sky Bet Supreme and both the front two look really good long-term prospects. They fought out the finish of the Tolworth - and then here today. It will be interesting to see which route connections take with them."
Murphy said of the gallant runner-up: "He's really done us proud and has run an absolute blinder. When he winged the last I thought he has just got to gallop up the hill. When Summerville Boy missed the second-last I thought we'd probably got it. It's just that hill gets plenty of them.
"We had to make use of him today and whether that told, I don't know." She added: "It is great he's silenced a few doubters who said he would get lost in the middle of the race. He has always had that turn of foot. He is a big baby and is learning all the way.
"The Betfair really made a man of him. He proved today that he was much more streetwise. It is onwards and upwards. He is still a big, raw horse. I always said whatever he did this year is a bonus and the fact he is here in a Grade One and winning a Betfair is exciting. He will school over fences at home next week before going out on his summer holiday."
Gordon Elliott said of Mengli Khan: "I am very happy with him and I thought he ran a very good race. Jack (Kennedy) said he didn't pick up as well on soft ground as he would have liked. He is a good horse. He will definitely go to Punchestown."
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