Editeur Du Gite helped provide trainer Gary Moore with a day to remember by battling on to successfully defend his Desert Orchid Handicap Chase crown at Kempton.
It was an emotional day for part-owner Trevor Jacobs, who watched his pride and joy land the contest twelve months ago from the confines of his hospital bed after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome earlier in 2022. However, a year later Jacobs was able to join his family and friends at the Sunbury-on-Thames venue and Editeur Du Gite ensured it would be a fairytale story with a hard-fought victory in the Grade 2 prize.
The Grade 1 contest was not short of drama with market leader Boothill departing at the midway stage and Malystic pulling up early on the proceedings.
It was soon left between last year's hero Editeur Du Gite, the hat-trick chasing Elixir De Nutz and 2020 winner Nube Negra as the trio all held a chance jumping three from home.
Editeur Du Gite continued to find for regular rider Niall Houlihan's urgings and the 5/1 chance stayed on strongly to score by three lengths, seeing off a late rally from former Grade 1 scorer Nube Negra as Dan Skelton's charge took the second-place close home.
It was a first success for the Gary Moore-trained son of Saddex since winning the rearranged Grade 1 Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham in January, with the victory seeing Editeur Du Gite join both Special Tiara (2014 and 2016) and Voy Por Ustedes (2006 and 2007) as the only three-time winners of the contest.
An emotional Trevor Jacobs said: "Last year I was in a hospital bed shouting as I couldn't move this time last year. Coming here today I was shouting again, but I'm here and lucky to be alive let alone anything else.
"All the bells were ringing on the intensive care bed as everyone thought I was having a heart attack, and I was shouting and balling (when he won last year). They couldn't believe it, but that was the first big winner I had.
"I died twice in hospital, and they brought me back. I've said it before the nurses in the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth were just lovely. They were fantastic.
"This is my life. Every Saturday I would put the television on and watch the racing all day. I used to give the nurses a few tips, and some of them won. They wanted me to give them the winner of the Grand National and I said you've got no chance as it is a lottery.
"I had 11 months in intensive care and then I had four or five months in rehab. Now I'm home and I'm doing rehab every day and I'm getting there every day."
A trip to Newbury in February looks on the cards for Editeur Du Gite, with Moore suggesting a tilt at the Game Spirit Chase likely ahead of a potential outing in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Moore, who also saddled the winner of today's Coral Welsh National (Nassalam) and Grade 2 Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle (Salver) at Chepstow, said: "It is the first time he has been able to dictate this year. The rain hadn't quite got into the ground yet and it is the first time he has had his ground this season.
"He will go up again for this probably. He is probably a little bit better going left-handed than right-handed. He will probably go to Newbury for the Game Spirit then we will take it from there.
"He is not getting any younger and he is only going to last so long. He looks like he is back to his best now and he will probably have a go at it now (the Champion Chase)."
