Edinburgh graduate Waley-Cohen does trick

Published on Wednesday 11 March 2009 22:30

EDINBURGH University graduate Sam Waley-Cohen tasted another big race winner at the Cheltenham Festival when he guided 11-1 chance Tricky Trickster to a thrilling victory.

Waley-Cohen, 25, has tasted success in high-profile races at Prestbury Park and Aintree in recent years, notably for Nicky Henderson, but yesterday he teamed up with trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies to win the first race of day two, the 139th Year Of The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup.

Waley-Cohen kicked Tricky Trickster to the front before coming down the hill and was still at the head of affairs turning into the home straight.

He looked a sitting duck when runner-up Drumconvis and Can't Buy Time loomed up before the final fence, but Tricky Trickster found more up the testing incline to score by ten lengths.

Can't Buy Time, the 4-1 favourite, was held up by JT McNamara at the rear of the four-mile contest. Although he made stealthy headway from two out, his challenge petered out after the final obstacle and he faded into fourth.

Former politics student Waley-Cohen said of Tricky Trickster: "He's a bit idle, but he's done it really well – unbelievable. I kept asking him to pick up and he did every time and that's why he's won it.

"The Irish boys behind me know what they are doing and I thought I might have got there a bit quick, but he stayed on really well."

Twiston-Davies added: "This race has always been the plan. Anthony Bromley (bloodstock agent] tells me he's for sale so, please, somebody buy him and send him back to me.

"Because he is a Million In Mind horse he will have to be sold at the end of the season and will go under the hammer at Doncaster in May. But prior to that he may well run in the Scottish National.

"I do hope that whoever buys him might send him back to me."