THE Alan King team, still grieving over the loss of one of their stable lads the previous weekend, claimed a top race in the jumping calendar when Smad Place galloped to a scintillating win in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday.

It was an emotional winners' enclosure after the Hennessy with a mix of joy and tears.

"I am very proud of my team," said King. "It has been a difficult week for them as we lost a young lad, John Goggin, following a car crash. While today is obviously great, it doesn't bring him back."

Goggin, who had come over from Ireland to join the King yard at Barbury Castle near Wroughton, died after being involved in a three-car crash on the A346 between Marlborough and Swindon, close to the Ogbourne Downs Golf club.

Smad Place was a continuing sparkling run of form on the track for King, who had won the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham a fortnight previously.

And in Smad Place he could just have a serious Cheltenham Gold Cup contender.

The horse who had been fifth in the Hennessy 12 months previously, was taken to the front at the ninth of the 21 fences by Swindon-based jockey Wayne Hutchinson.

Yet Smad Place found extra reserves over the final four fences to beat the staying-on Theatre Guide by 12 lengths.

Top weight and 9-2 favourite Saphir Du Rheu could only plug on for fifth place.

Following his Hennessy romp, Smad Place received quotes of around 16-1 about winning the Gold Cup in March.

King said: "We hoped for a good run but that's taken my breath away.

"He (Hutchinson) was very brave, but I'm not sure they were the tactics we discussed.

"He loves to be up there and he deserved to win a big race as he'd been knocking on the door."

Hutchinson, 34, added: "I'm absolutely thrilled to bits – he was fab.

"It's all come together this year. He certainly enjoyed himself and so did I - he never missed a beat.

"I was always going to be positive and I was really confident in the horse.

"He had been placed in two World Hurdles so we knew he would stay three miles and he has gone and done it.

"The boss has been a great supporter of mine. He has made my career what it is."

Elsewhere on the Newbury card it was a great day for Lambourn jockey Gavin Sheehan who rode a hat-trick on Arzal, Aloomomo and Royal Guardsman.

Meanwhile, former Farmor's School Fairford pupil Tom Garner rode his second winner on successive days when Blameitalonmyroots won at Bangor after the 24-year-old conditional jockey had steered Rouge Et Blanc to victory at Newbury on Friday.