Ultima Handicap Chase: First Festival winner for David Bridgwater

__The Conditonal was one of two winning tips for Dave Nevison on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival. Check out his selections for Wednesday's action.__

The Conditional clung on grimly to emerge victorious in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham and provide emotional successes for trainer David Bridgwater and jockey Brendan Powell.

A winner over the course and distance in October, Bridgwater’s charge went on to fill the runner-up spot in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury before placing fourth when favourite for the Classic Chase at Warwick in January.

The eight-year-old was a 15/2 chance on his return to Prestbury Park and travelled strongly for much of the thee-mile-one-furlong journey in the hands of a confident-looking Brendan Powell.

There was a scare for The Conditional’s supporters at the second fence from the finish, but he winged the final obstacle and galloped all the way to the line to hold the persistent challenge of Kildisart by diminishing neck.

Discorama and Vinndication, the 11-2 joint-favourites, finished third and fourth respectively.

The winning trainer was full of praise for Powell, riding the third Cheltenham Festival winner of his career, all the victories having come in this race.

Bridgwater said: "I thought we had lost it at the second-last when he pecked, but that has probably done us a favour, as I said to Brendan don't hit the front too soon - he gave him a fantastic ride.

"He is a good horse, but he is still only a baby. I was umming and ahhing whether to run in the RSA. If I'm being honest, I was half-hoping we were going to get balloted out of this, but we got in easy, so I thought stuff it and the betting never gets it wrong.

"I half-fancied him to run into a place in the RSA, not necessarily win it, which would have made him a certainty for today."

He added: "It was a great day when he won here in October, but to come and do it here is just amazing. I've always been lucky here as a trainer and a jockey.

"When I bought him he was possibly a long-term Grand National horse and it burst our bubble at Warwick, but when we were tacking him up today he was in great nick.

"Brendan has had a blip for a couple of years as we all do as trainers and jockeys and it is very special to him. Possibly he might be a Grand National horse, but he is still only a baby."

Powell admitted that times had been tough of late.

"This definitely means more," he said. "Your first one is always special and the second one was great, but things hadn't gone so well more recently.

"Last season wasn't very good at all. I was down on winners. The year before was worse. But a massive thank you to David Bridgwater as well as Michael Scudamore and Angus and Lynne Maclennan, who gave me an agreement to ride some nice horses, and they picked me back off the floor, where I was.

"I always knew I was able to do the job, but you can't do it without the horses and thankfully I had some good momentum coming into this year.

"He missed the second-last, but he was straight back on it again. I didn't really have a plan. I just wanted to get a good start and sit where I travelled. I ended up on the inside and I thought that was the place to be.

"I don't want to get too excited but he could be some sort of National horse one day.

"This means a lot. I lost a good friend in James Banks a month or so ago and he was watching down today."