Fire still burns bright for County success

Arctic Fire put up a terrific weight-carrying performance to give Willie Mullins a fifth Cheltenham Festival winner of the week in the Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle.Runner-up in the 2015 Champion Hurdle, Arctie Fire (20-1) got up on the run to the line under Paul Townend to snatch the spoils.Wakea held a clear lead up to the final flight where he was swallowed up by the pack, as Arctic Fire came through late to win by a neck from L'Ami Serge. Ozzie The Oscar was another neck away in third, and Air Horse One fourth.Townend said: "It's some training performance to get him back after such a long absence."He had top weight but he had it for a reason and I went out with the mindset to ride him like the best horse, and thankfully it paid off."Donagh (Meyler, on Wakea) had a big lead but it's very hard to do round here, you don't get that much of a lead without doing a hell of a lot."At that stage I had no choice but to drop in, there was nothing I could do about it."