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Teahupoo ensured Gordon Elliott didn’t leave the Cheltenham Festival empty-handed this week when battling on strongly to land the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle.
With eight placed efforts across the first two days, Gordon Elliott was probably wondering if his time in the sun would ever come this week. Teahupoo was well-backed to ensure Elliott would enter the winners' enclosure at Prestbury Park and the highly-talented seven-year-old, who could only manage third behind stablemate Sire Du Berlais twelve months ago, duly delivered the goods.
Dual Stayers' Hurdle winner Flooring Porter took up his customary position at the head of affairs under Keith Donoghue and that's where he would remain throughout most of the three-mile contest. However, the challengers were always in hot pursuit. Jack Kennedy expertly manoeuvred this season's Grade 1 Hatton's Grace scorer to the front approaching the final hurdle and with a spring-heeled leap, the pair soon kicked clear into a handy advantage.
Flooring Porter gave chase up the hill, but it always looked like proving in vain, as Teahupoo found plenty for pressure in the closing stages before going on to score by three and three-quarter lengths.
Home By The Lee stuck on well to grab the third spot, whilst 40/1 chance Buddy One emerged with plenty of credit back in fourth.
"It's just great to get a winner – we've hit the crossbar all week," said Elliott, for whom it was the 38th Festival success of his career. "The horses are running well and there are no excuses and no hard-luck stories either, but to win the Stayers' Hurdle is just unbelievable - for the whole team and for Jack and for Robcour. It's been a long couple of days, but no horse didn't win that should have won.
"It's a great place and we've always been back-end heavy so far as our best chances were concerned. We've loads of chances still, but this one and Brighterdaysahead were probably our best of the week. We've got one on the board now, so we are happy.
"This was always the plan with Teahupoo. He runs well fresh and so we came straight here.
"I was a bit anxious at the top of the hill when he missed the second-last, and then he probably got there a bit soon as he [Kennedy] had to give him a squeeze, but I had loads of confidence in Jack as he's a world-class jockey and you don't need to tell him what to do. He's a nice lad, too."
Race sponsor Paddy Power cut the winner from 6/1 to 3/1 to defend his crown back at Prestbury Park in twelve months time.
