In 1997, A.P. McCoy joined forces with
reigning champion jump trainer Martin Pipe and in their first full
season together rode 253 winners, including five at the 1998
Cheltenham Festival.
On day one, Champleve was all out to
hold Hill Society by a short head in the Arkle Challenge Trophy but,
later, Unsinkable Boxer won the Gold Card Handicap Hurdle by 4
lengths in a hack canter. McCoy drew a blank on day two, but finished
the meeting in style, with a quick-fire treble in the last three
races on day three. He won the Grand Annual Chase by 3½ lengths on
Edredon Bleu, trained by Henrietta Knight, the Cathcart Challenge Cup
by the same margin on Cyfor Malta and the County Hurdle by 1¾ on
Blowing Wind, landing a gamble in the process.
Other notable winners included previous
Festival winners Istabraq and Florida Pearl, who returned to
Prestbury Park to win the Champion Hurdle and the Royal & Sun
Alliance Chase, respectively. The ill-fated One Man, trained by the
late Gordon Richards and ridden by Brian Harding, won the Queen
Mother Champion Chase and Cool Dawn, trained by Robert Alner and
ridden by Andrew Thornton, caused a surprise in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, making all to beat Strong Promise by 1¾ lengths at odds of
25/1.
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