Henry de Bromhead's Captain Guinness was the beneficiary of others' misfortune when staying on strongly to land the feature Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday.
Following victories of short-priced favourites Ballyburn and Fact To File, it looked for all the world that Willie Mullins would complete a day two Grade 1 treble, as last year's Arkle winner was sent off 2/9 to make it a perfect seven from seven over fences.
A late defection of main market rival Jonbon, who was one of several horses withdrawn by Nicky Henderson with their yard enduring a torrid Festival due to health issues, meant it looked a fairly straightforward task on paper for El Fabiolo.
However, it didn't take long for the picture of the two-mile championship chase to change complexion. As Alan King had stated was always going to be the plan, impressive all-the-way Denman Chase winner Edwardstone ensured there was going to be no hiding place for the warm favourite this afternoon, with Tom Cannon setting a brisk gallop out in front.
Edwardstone attacked his fences with real gusto in the early stages and there were worrying signs for those in support of the red-hot market leader, who lacked fluency over the first two obstacles under Paul Townend.
It would be the fourth fence at the top of the hill that would see the race change shape completely. A chancy leap from El Fabiolo saw Paul Townend quickly unbalanced in the saddle and whilst the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned runner managed to find his feet after stumbling, his winning chance had gone and Townend was left with little option but to pull-up the unbeaten chaser.
Edwardstone continued to jump soundly out in front but as the pace began to lift rounding the final bend, Tom Cannon found himself asking for more. All the while, a motionless Rachael Blackmore, who enjoyed Grade 1 success with Slade Steel in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle yesterday, cruised alongside onboard Captain Guinness before striking for home with a good leap at the second last. A tired Edwardstone suffered a fall he almost certainly didn't deserve at the same fence, and it quickly became a match with Gentleman De Mee sent off in pursuit of Captain Guinness by Mark Walsh.
Gentleman De Mee closed to gap to within a couple of lengths up the hill, but the Henry de Bromhead-trained 17/2 chance always looked to be doing enough in the closing stages and held on to score by a length and a half for his first top-level success from fourteen attempts.
"He travelled incredibly and jumped really well. The hill felt like a long hill today!" said Blackmore.
She added: "It's just incredible. I'm so pleased for his owner, Declan Landy. He's been knocking on the door in these big races, but this is the biggest of his division, so…oh man, it's unbelievable."
It was a fourth victory in the Champion Chase for trainer Henry de Bromhead, who was delighted to see last year's runner-up go one better on the big stage this afternoon. He said: "He's had a tricky season - at Christmas he had his atrial fibrillation. Anyway, all that was fine, he passed all his tests, and it's great to see him back. We've always said he deserved to win a Grade 1 so much, and to win this is incredible, so expectations, whenever there's an odds-on shot… It's a horse race, you know?
Willie Mullins will have to wait a little bit longer for his century of Cheltenham Festival winners and the trainer explained how he was never happy with El Fabiolo from an early stage. "He got very low over a few of them, I know he was a little bit chancy before, but I was very concerned early on," explained Mullins.
El Fabiolo was eased from 6/4 to 2/1 for next year's Queen Mother Champion Chase by Paddy Power, with the same firm making the winner a 33/1 chance to retain his crown in twelve months time.
