Culloty’s Lord Windermere gets RSA glory

JIM Culloty ensured he will not solely be remembered as the man who partnered Best Mate to three Gold Cups after he sent out Lord Windermere to RSA Chase glory at Cheltenham.

Culloty said he had been training Lord Windermere with this race in mind for the past 18 months.

Culloty’s new star joined Lyreen Legend at the last and stayed on powerfully to record a one-and-three-quarter length win over his fellow Irish raider.

Nicky Henderson’s Hadrian’s Approach was six lengths away in third, but the Paul Nicholls-trained 5-2 favourite Unioniste was never really a factor.

“We knew this horse would like Cheltenham and it’s all paid off,” said Culloty.

“I fancied him like mad – I thought he’d love the ground here.

“He’s the best horse I have and it was all about getting him here.”

Nigel Twiston-Davies’ The New One bounded to victory in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Another father and son were also successful in the John Oaksey National Hunt Chase as Willie Mullins and his amateur rider son Patrick struck with Back In Focus (9-4 favourite).

Flaxen Flare (25-1) was a big-priced winner for Irish trainer Gordon Elliott in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.

And Alan King served up a one-two with Medinas (33-1) and Meister Eckhart in the Coral Cup.