Splash Of Ginge holds on to trigger 25-1 upset in BetVictor Gold Cup

Watch a full replay of the BetVictor Gold Cup won by Splash Of Ginge at Cheltenham on Saturday, Lydia Hislop's interview with Nigel-Twiston-Davies and read our report.

Splash Of Ginge caused a 25-1 upset in the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham for Nigel Twiston-Davies on Saturday.

The nine-year-old was racing from nearly the bottom of the weights and was overlooked by Jamie Bargary in favour of stablemate Foxtail Hill, who faded in the final half-mile, leaving Tom Bellamy to take the ride.

Splash Of Ginge was left in front with Starchitect rounding the turn for home and a couple of big leaps helped him hold off David Pipe's runner up the famous hill to win by a neck, with Le Prezien third and Ballyalton fourth.

Favourite Kylemore Lough had just made an early move down the back straight when he left his hind legs in the water jump, costing him huge momentum, while Theinval fell at the first, almost bringing down Guitar Pete.

Splash Of Ginge at 25-1 is one of the highest-priced winners of the BetVictor Gold Cup, with only 33/1 chances Chatham (1970) and Senor El Betrutti (1997) being returned at higher odds.

Ryan Hatch had struck up a good rapport with the horse, but is still recovering from an injury picked up at this meeting 12 months ago.

Bellamy said: "I'm thinking of Ryan, I live with him and he told me all about the horse.

"When I looked at the race I thought he was over-priced. I was told to give him plenty of light, he was hanging left so I thought I'd be in trouble, but it worked out well.

"I've just started riding out for Nigel again and I've had two winners in a week for him now."

Asked what it means to ride such a big winner, Bellamy replied: "It means an awful lot in the fact that I lost my claim last year and it's been very quiet since, so hopefully that might get the ball rolling a little bit now."

Twiston-Davies said: "He has a big following does ol' Ginge!" said Twiston-Davies.

"He has been a remarkable horse and just lost his confidence a bit over fences last season, so we put him back over hurdles and he has come back this season like a bull.

"He ran really well at Wetherby and as soon as this rain kept on and on we were hopeful as the soft ground is the key to him. It is probably heavy ground now.

"He just doesn't notice it when it's this soft - it was the same when he won the Betfair Hurdle. It's just come right today. I was talking to John Neild (the owner), who has a lot of opinions as you know, about whether we were going to run him or not and I was thinking about taking him out before we declared.

"In the end, I thought we better run him though. I think I'll be out with the owners tonight though - they'll insist on it! The whole of Liverpool has turned up!

"It's an unbelievable - really special, especially when it's a horse like that. He'd lost his way a little bit but it's great to give Tom Bellamy (jockey) a chance as he's not having a great time at the moment. John likes to give the young jockeys a chance so that's great."

Liverpool-based owner John Neild, backed up by numerous friends and family, celebrated the victory of his Splash Of Ginge exuberantly in the paddock and then the winner's enclosure.

He said: "This victory is for Ryan Hatch. He has had an awful year and has done everything on this horse.

"Whatever happens in the future, it is all for Ryan.

The horse became the 11th nine-year-old to win the BetVictor Gold Cup in 58 runnings.