GORDON ELLIOTT shared the joyful reaction of his stable workers as Commander of Fleet pulled off a major upset at Cheltenham.
The 50/1 shot took the Coral Cup by a nose from Fastorslow in one of the highlights from Day Two of the racing festival.
What it means to the team to get our first winner of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival….COMMANDER OF FLEET!
— Gordon Elliott (@gelliott_racing) March 16, 2022pic.twitter.com/Fzfs28nO6t
The Meath trainer shared the brilliant moment as his Cullentra staff lost the plot as Commander of Fleet crossed the line.
He tweeted: “What it means to the team to get our first winner of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival….COMMANDER OF FLEET!”
Winning jockey Shane Fitzgerald told ITV: “It was very, very close but to be fair he’s so gutsy and he’s so tough.
“He really toughed it out for the line when I really needed him.
“We have a nice little partnership between the two of us, we’ve been lucky together so far. It’s great.”
LAST ROLL
Elliott also bagged a winner with Delta Work even if that meant it came at the expense of a storybook ending for his star stablemate Tiger Roll.
The five-time festival winner pushed Delta Work all the way despite the wet conditions which never suited him.
Afterwards an emotional Michael O’Leary reflected on how he had ‘gone out on his shield’ into retirement.
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He said: “I’m actually upset! You’re a winner in Cheltenham – and disappointed!
“I would have loved to see him win it. I don’t know what to say.
“I was booing myself, thinking ‘please Jack don’t go past, let him f***ing win!’ I’m going to shoot Jack Kennedy when I see him!
SO CLOSE
“This would have been a fairytale if Delta finished second. If I could’ve controlled it I would have roared at Jack
“You think the dream is going to happen as he jumps the last and then he just gets mugged – sadly by one of our other horses!
“It’s not often you want to give away a winner at Cheltenham.
“It would’ve been a terrific finish, it really would’ve been a fairytale but he owes us nothing, he’s been brilliant.
“What a warrior, he’s a legend. He’s phenomenal, he’s given us so many great days and he’s gone out on his shield.”