J P MCMANUS was in his default position – in the winners’ circle at Cheltenham – with his first runner at the Open Meeting when Bold Henry (14-1) found a rattling late run to come from third to first from the last fence in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase.
It was probably not a winner that sidelined 19-times champion AP McCoy will count as having missed as McManus also had the 6-1 joint favourite Festive Affair, trained by Jonjo O’Neill.
Philip Hobbs’s stable jockey Richard Johnson came in for the ride and found a willing partner in Bold Henry after the Colin Tizzard-trained Sew On Target had seen off his main rival, the clumsy-jumping Monetaire going to the last fence.
Anquetta looked sure to have a say in the outcome until falling with Sam Waley-Cohen when upsides the leaders and going well three from home. Hobbs said: “It was a big ask today for him, as a novice running in a big-field handicap, but I think he's a pretty good horse.”
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