Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

SAM Ewing scored his first Cheltenham Festival winner in a dramatic finish to the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, with his mount Stellar Story getting up for a last gasp win over the long-time leader The Jukebox Man.

This was a funnily-run race, with Kielan Woods and The Jukebox Man, who was bidding to give Ben Pauling and Harry Redknapp a second win this week, allowed to get free in the lead in the second half of the race, but not at a particularly strong pace. The end result was that nothing got into the race bar the Gordon Elliott-trained, Gigginstown-owned seven-year-old, who had sat second for Ewing throughout.

They were still five lengths down when not jumping the last fluently, but by this stage the runner-up was flagging, and Ewing was strong to keep his mount going forward, and they got there just in time.

A son of well established point-to-point handler Warren, who was overjoyed in the winner’s enclosure, Ewing has been in Elliott’s since he was 16, having made his name pony racing.

“Absolutely brilliant,” he said “He is a horse who jumps very well, he loved that ground today and he battled very hard for me. He was brilliant at the last as well, when I needed him. I can’t believe it, it’s brilliant.

“Fair play to the horse, he stuck his head out, he tried hard the whole way to the line. He did everything right the whole way around. It’s brilliant for everybody, and for Eliece who rides him every day.

“It hasn’t really sunk in, to be honest. Fair play to Gordon and Michael O’Leary for putting me up. He’s a horse who’s been in good form all season; he was only five lengths behind Slade Steel. It was right up his street today, he jumped brilliant everywhere and galloped right to the line.”

Elliott revealed that Stellar Story was a very late addition to this race, with the initial plan to wait and go to Aintree.

“We didn’t think he was a 33/1 chance to be honest, but we only made the call at 9.50am on Wednesday to run him. He was going to go to Aintree but another horse had a niggle and I couldn’t run him.

“They went no gallop and Sam was in the right position. I’m absolutely delighted and it’s great for Michael and Anita. They are massive supporters and to get a Cheltenham winner for them is massive. You don’t realise how good a man Michael is.

“Sam is a great lad and a big part of my team. He’s been coming into my place since he was a young lad and he rode Tiger Roll on the Flat when he was 16.”