2:20pm Wednesday 17th March 2010
AMATEUR jockey Katie Walsh enjoyed her proudest moment in the saddle when North Yorkshire-trained Poker De Sivola won the 140th Year of the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup - the opening race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.
Sent off a 14-1 shot, the seven-year-old was under pressure after the second-last as Nina Carberry kicked for home on Becauseicouldntsee.
However, Walsh showed a style as forceful as her brother, Ruby, to drive the Ferdy Murphy-trained runner down to the last as Carberry's mount began to toil.
Both cleared the last in good style, but Walsh got down to work in the middle of the track.
Poker De Sivola then responded to her urgings to come home two-and-a-quarter lengths clear, with Prudent Honour back in third.
"I'm lost for words," said a tearful Walsh.
"I don't want to sound soft or anything, but this is the best day of my life.
"My dad (Ted Walsh) is always the person I go to for advice and I'm sure he'll be delighted, it will mean a lot to him."
Murphy was quick to praise the rookie rider.
He said: "She gave him a fantastic ride.
"It's fantastic for the Walsh family and Ruby's grandfather was a big help to me when I was starting out.
"Nina rode this horse last year but was booked for another runner.
"When I rang my brother, Michael, he had no hesitation in telling me that Katie would suit the horse down to the ground."
Poker De Sivola is now poised to run in either the Irish or Scottish Grand National.
"I entered him for the Irish National this morning and he'll either go for that or the Scottish National," confirmed the West Witton handler.
"He was a bit unlucky in the Kim Muir last year when he got pushed a bit wide.
"We rang up the wind man to see if he thought he needed anything doing, but he said just put a cross nose-band on him.
"The horses are all well and can do no more than win."
Runner-up Becauseicouldntsee lost a shoe on the way to post and refused to be reshod.
His trainer Noel Glynn said: "Simon Christian (bloodstock agent) said to me he'd never seen a horse run well in a sprint with three shoes, let alone over four miles.
"He must have been feeling it, so you'd have to say he was unlucky."
Tom Cooper was also rueing his luck after Prudent Honour finished third.
Cooper said: "He was very unlucky as he was very badly hampered at the ditch when one went down in front of him.
"It was very bad luck - he's lost five or six lengths and only been beaten four lengths.
"He's still a novice and we might keep him as a novice now."
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