OLD GUARD WAS the somewhat surprising winner of the feature stanjames.com International Hurdle at Cheltenham this afternoon as the previously undefeated Peace And Co paid the price for running far too free early on.
The 7/1 shot came out best in a three-way battle with Sempre Medici and Hargam to claim the Grade 2 race for Paul Nicholls and Sam Twiston-Davies.
All three took advantage of last season’s Triumph Hurdle winner Peace And Co’s keen running in the early stages.
Daryl Jacob had little choice but to let the 4/5 favourite race into the lead after the second but he faded badly in the latter stages with trainer Nicky Henderson telling Channel 4 after the race that the horse would be scoped.
Earlier, Unowhatimeanharry (11/10F) had one and a half lengths to spare over Final Nudge to claim the other Grade 2 on the card at Prestbury Park, the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle while More of that (1/3F) made it two wins from two starts over fences in claiming the Raymond Mould Memorial Novices’ Chase.
Though the Jonjo O’Neill horse remains 6/1 for the RSA Chase when the Cheltenham Festival gets under way next year, the trainer refused to rule him out of the Gold Cup with Paddy Power offering 33/1 on him to follow Coneygree in winning the Cheltenham showpiece as a novice.
