Lucinda Russell already has one eye on the Aintree Grand National after Corach Rambler stormed up the hill to take the Grade Three Ultima Handicap Chase.
The 10-1 chance took the honours by two and three quarters lengths from the ex-Ellen Doyle-trained Gericault Roque with another ex-Irish Pointer back in third with Oscar Elite who had started his career with Cormac Doyle.
By the late Jeremy, Corach Rambler had pulled-up in each of his opening two efforts in the point-to-point fields, but after chasing home the subsequent champion point-to-point High Stakes at Ballingarry on the first day of the 2020/21 season for John Walsh, he stepped up to win an older maiden at Monksgrange under Sean Staples.
The victory was a second on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival for horses that ran in point-to-points last season following the victory of Constitution Hill in the festival opening Supreme Novices Hurdle.
WHAT. A. FINISH! %uD83D%uDD25
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 15, 2022
CORACH RAMBLER comes from way back to win the Ultima Handicap Chase. pic.twitter.com/akjnOuUusP
Winning trainer Lucinda Russell said: “He is such a lovely horse. His breeder has a share in him and Scu (her partner Peter Scudamore) does everything at home with him and we just love him. He is quirky and he is odd but he so deserved to win a race at Cheltenham. I’m just delighted for everyone.
“It was a super ride from Derek (Fox). After the false starts and stuff he was at the back and I turned to one of the owners and said we are going to have a vintage Derek Fox hold up ride and we did. It is funny as it kind of suits the horse as well as he loves coming through horses.
“We kind of knew he would bound up the hill as he has won around here before. I’m just so pleased and delighted. He and Scu are both as quirky as each other! They just go off and I want them to do two canters and they just go off and canter around the grass. It is just hopeless as you can’t control either of them, but it works.
“Some of these horses need that individual touch and he just loves it. He is brave and jumps well. Well done Derek as well. I’ve just thought about Ahoy Senor now and I don’t think I can take it. He is Scu’s favourite horse, so it means so much. When we were driving here if we had loads of horses at the Festival it wouldn’t matter but the fact we are so invested in these two it means so much to us.
“It is great for the owners (The Ramblers) as a lot of them haven’t had horses here before. He worked quite well with Ahoy Senor and most horses can’t lay a hand on him, but he worked quite close to him. I didn’t want him to go to Ascot last time but Scu did and he said afterwards he would have been first or second and he is right but he would have probably gone up five pounds for that. Maybe it was a good thing he unseated.
“Next year he will definitely be an Aintree horse.”
