Datsalrightgino provided Jamie Snowden and Gavin Sheehan with a big-race winner when coming from well off the pace to land the Coral Gold Cup emphatically.
The exciting Lambourn-based trainer added one of the most prestigious chases in the National Hunt calendar to his quickly improving CV, which already includes a Paddy Power Gold Cup and Mares' Novices' Hurdle, when Datsalrightgino cut his way through the field at Newbury on Saturday afternoon.
The pace looked a genuine one for much of the contest with the likes of Ahoy Senor, Cloudy Glen and Shakem Up'Arry helping force proceedings at the head of affairs. Ahoy Senor dropped away tamely with over a circuit to travel, leaving Cloudy Glen and Shakem Up'Arry to continue to press on towards the front of the pack.
Cloudy Glen's effort petered out approaching the third fence from home and all the while the eyes were drawn to both Mahler Mission and Datsalrightgino, who found himself towards the rear of the field from the early stages.
The pair soon had it between them, with the Irish raider Mahler Mission holding a length advantage over the penultimate flight. However, Datsalrightgino drew alongside over the last and Jamie Snowden's charge, who was already well into unchartered territory on his first outing beyond two and a half miles, quickened up smartly to seize the initiative under Gavin Sheehan.
Datsalrightgino continued to stay on strongly up the Berkshire straight and crossed the line three and three-quarter lengths in front, putting to bed any doubts about his stamina.
Mahler Mission finished well clear of the remainder back in second, with Monbeg Genius filling the third spot and Eldorado Allen fourth.
"Gorgeous" Gavin Sheehan, as he's known in the weighing room, punched the air with delight in celebration, with the West Cork-born jockey due to partner Datsalrightgino's stablemate You Wear It Well in the abandoned Fighting Fifth at Newcastle.
Snowden said: "These big handicaps are very hard to win and fair play to the whole team.
"He's not short of speed and we've been mainly campaigning over two miles as a novice chaser, and he improved 20lb and Gavin said 'I can't wait to go up to three miles. He was right, that was the first time up at three miles and how right was Gavin.
"It's the Coral Gold Cup, it's a wonderful, wonderful race and one of the biggest chases of the season, so you can't really have high expectations, but we knew he was in good order, and we knew there might be some exposure in his mark over that trip if it worked.
"It's weird how things work out, but thankfully Gav was on board, and he knows the horse so well. Thankfully it all worked well in the end.
"He was second preference up there [at Newcastle]. We did talk about it. The plan was always to come here, but you have to keep your options open. The Rehearsal [Chase] was a possibility but thankfully this was on, and it all came right in the end."
On the importance of training a big-race winner at his local track, Snowden added:
"It is really special, the Coral Gold Cup is a home match, and it is what training in Lambourn is all about, it's the home racecourse, it's a dream come true,"
"It's the jumping centre of England in my mind – Nicky Henderson trains from there – and it's a great place to train.
"We all need these big races and to win the Paddy Power last year was great and to win the Coral Gold Cup is wonderful, it's a dream come true and what we are in it for.
"As boys growing up, you come here as a young lad thinking about it and here, we are, it's great.
"We'll enjoy today and think about the future tomorrow."
