Gemirande holds on to beat Madara to December Gold Cup win at Cheltenham
Jamie Rand held off favorite Madara to win the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
The two moved away from the rest of the field as they approached the penultimate obstacle and came together briefly during the jump.
Ridden by Charlie Deutsch and trained by Venetia Williams, they led 11-2 at the end and 11-4 to win by one shot .
Madara, ridden by Harry Skelton and trained by brother Dan, was well ahead of third-placed Forgetiff (6-1), who won last year’s race.
Jimmy Rand was an impressive winner last time out at Ascot, finishing well throughout the race and Deutsch was delighted with another major race win for the eight-year-old.
“His jumps are very powerful and I’m happy he can get his head in front. He loves racing,” he told ITV Racing.
“He’s a real character – the more you pull, the faster he goes, but he’s really playful.
“Vinedia is a magician in everything she does with horses.”
