Caldwell Potter (7/11) became the 50th winner at the Cheltenham Festival for 14-times British champion Jump trainer Paul Nicholls when he made virtually all to land the newly introduced Grade Two Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase by six and a half lengths.
A then record €740,000 purchase in February 2024, the seven-year-old grey was racing in famous colours of the late John Hales, who owned the horse in partnership with Ged Mason and Alex Ferguson among others.
Speaking about the very positive ride jockey Harry Cobden gave the eventual winner, Nicholls said:
“We always had a positive plan; he jumps brilliantly. Everyone was telling me what to do and what not to do, trip-wise, and I felt he wanted a trip. I think he’d gallop forever, and it’s just good to get him back.
“Harry is good in front. He’s such a brilliant jumper and such a genuine horse, and he’s better than a handicapper, and he’d got to a nice low mark. He’s hasn’t run at all badly this season – the Cheltenham run here before turned out to be good, it’s just that he had such a big price tag, he’s had to put up with that, and you get plenty of stick.”
Discussing his achievement in reaching 50 Cheltenham Festival winners, the Ditcheat handler admitted:
“I never thought I’d train 50 Festival winners when I started. It’s fantastic – any winner here is fantastic, and if you get a winner here, anything on top of that is a bonus. It hasn’t been the best season for us; I do not know why, some of the horses have been wrong, and some and right, and the ones which are right run well.”
