08:43 The final day of the Festival and it promises to be an emotional afternoon as Kauto Star makes his Festival swansong, with a sell out crowd of 65,000.

The official going is Good, Good to Soft in places (watered).

It has been really strange following the Festival from afar, the biggest difference being it is impossible to even remotely grasp the atmosphere watching on television.

10:23 Quel Esprit is out of the Gold Cup after pulling up lame following a light schooling session this morning.

13:29 The final day gets underway with the 2m 1f JCB Triumph Hurdle, which sees 20 off to post.

Watching them on TV is not the same as seeing them live but Grumeti looked very nice from the C4 paddock shots.

13:37 Well first blood to the bookmakers as Countrywide Flame ends a long losing streak for rider Dougie Costello, coming late he hit the front at the final flight and ran up the hill best of all to record a three length victory.

The fact he was powering up the hill was pertinent as many of his rivals seemed not to get the trip, most notably Grumeti who looked the winner as they swung for home but was one paced coming up the hill, only finishing third in the end. The same can be said of Dodging Bullets, another who looked primed to play a part in the finish before tying up and finishing fourth.

Second spot went to another bookies runner, Hisaabaat, a 20/1 shot.

Pearl Swan was making late progress when falling at the last, it's debatable whether he would hav ewon but he looked good for a place.

Baby Mix was prominent before fading in the latter stages, another for whom the extra furlong proved decisive.

13:56 Well if the opener wasn't tricky enough from a punting perspective then next up we have the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle, 26 runners competing over 2m 1f - find the winner of this one.

14:16 A dramatic illustration of why AP McCoy is the multiple champion jockey. Almost mullered on Alderwood as they ran for home a lesser jockey would probably have waved the white flag, not so McCoy who regained his composure, asked his mount for an effort and jumped into the lead at the final flight, edging clear to record a three parts of a length victory.

Sailors Warn put a great jump in at the last as well and looked as though he would challenge the leader but he didn't quite have the acceleration up the hill and had to settle for third spot, just niggled out of it by Edgardo Sol.

Plan A was another who looked to be in with every chance as they spun for home and he held on for fourth place.

Some bookmakers paid out on fifth place and if you backed Via Galilei with one of them, go collect.  

14:32 Another hurdle, just to keep the ground fresh for the Gold Cup - it's the potato race next, the three mile Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, with twenty off to post.

14:53 Well not for the first time a big gamble fails at Cheltenham as the big Irish promise Boston Bob could only finish second in the Albert Bartlett.

The party pooper was the not unfancied Scottish raider Brindisi Breeze, trained by Lucinda Russell and giving jockey Campbell Gillies his first Festival win.

Always prominent and sharing the pace with Big Occasion Gillies took the race the  hard way.

Ruby Walsh held Boston Bob up for most of the race before moving into a challenging position as they turned for home. Coming to the last it looked as though it was just a question of when Boston Bob would hit the front, however it didn't happen and Brindisi Breeze held on to record a two length victory.

Grand Vision came home third a further length and a quarter back. 

15:04 OK it's the big one next - the Betfred Gold Cup.

Kauto Star, Long Run - it doesn't need a bigger build up.

For the record the race is 3¼ miles with 14 off to face the starter.

15:41 Well there was to be no fairytale for Kauto Star as Ruby Walsh pulled him up as they were still on the first circuit - all credit to Ruby for making the correct decision. Ruby thinks he may have pulled a muscle stretching over the water jump.

There wasn't to be a repeat victory for last years winner Long Run either as he ran very flat in the closing stages and failed to show the turn of foot he showed to win last year and he had to settle for third place.

Victory went to a horse that probably would not even have been considered last year as Synchronised, who stays all day, ran on late and powered up the hill to record a 2¼ length victory. Thought by many, including myself, to be a mud loving plodder he has been a revelation this season.

Winner of the Lexus Chase many thought it was a one off but connections had every confidence and AP McCoy gave the horse a perfect ride, recording only his second Gold Cup victory.

Trained by Jonjo O'Neill, who rode Dawn Run to victory in the Gold Cup, and owned by JP McManus he was a very popular winner for the famous connections and, surprisingly, this is the first time McManus has won the Gold Cup.

The Giant Bolster ran the race of his life to finish second at 50/1.

Midnight Chase set the pace, although his fencing was far from fluent and he tired as they came down the hill. Time For Rupert was prominent but was another who tired late on.

What A Friend got no further than the second (quickly up) but did Carruthers no favours whatsoever.

McCoy said, "It's great for Jonjo and JP McManus.

"He's really delivered today.

"He was off the bridle the whole way and when I missed the third-last I thought my chance had gone.

"He's an amazing horse and it was an amazing performance.

"I'm so pleased to win it for JP as he's been so good to me.

"Jonjo has done an incredible job. I've got a Grand National and a Gold Cup out of the man and I love him to bits.

"Jackdaws Castle looks a closed shop with JP and just a few other owners and I can't understand why he doesn't get more horses."

McCoy added the win will be expensive for him "Jamie Moore picked up a seven day whip ban and I said if I won the Gold Cup I would pay for him to go to Las Vegas. It's going to be an expensive win."

Paul Nicholls has confirmed Kauto has returned from the race unscathed.

He said, "He's absolutely fine.

"Ruby wasn't happy after he'd jumped a couple of fences and we said if he wasn't happy to pull him up, and he's done the right thing.

"There's obviously something tweaking him."

16:35 More reaction to the Gold Cup.

Nicky Henderson said of the defeated champion, Long Run, and fourth-placed Burton Port, "I'm thrilled with my two boys and I have to give credit to the winners.

"JP is one of the stalwarts of National Hunt racing and Jonjo and AP are superstars.

"You have to say Long Run was not quite good enough on the day - he was always struggling to get to the pacemakers, but Sam rode a great race.

"I'd imagine they'll both got to Aintree, the three-mile race Betfred Bowl would be good for Long Run.

"I don't know about Burton Port, I'll have to talk to Trevor Hemmings but you'd say there's no reason why he wouldn't go to the National as it's the only chance he'll get to run off 11st 7lb."

Sam Waley-Cohen added, "I'm very disappointed he didn't win, but I'm not disappointed in the horse - he's run all right.

"When landing over the last I thought his stamina might see it out, but it didn't."

JP McManus, winning his first Gold Cup, and was understandably jubilant. "It's a very special day, a very special moment - for Jonjo, for AP and for their families.

"It gives everybody a great lift and I just feel very, very proud."

16:49 A stonking finish to the 2½ mile Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, where it was all change on the run-in.

Toner D'Oudariries had hit the front approaching the last and came out of the flight a good three lengths clear, however it soon became clear this is a horse who does not like being being on his own in front and he began to idle.

This allowed Attaglance to have a pop at him and he edged clear but having then been challenged Toner D'Oudariries was happy to begin fighting again, however Attaglance had just enough remaining in the locker to hold on to record a neck victory.

Oscar Nominee swept up the hill with a wet sail to get home third a further neck in arrears and had he commenced his challenge a few strides earlier then who knows where he may have finished?

Make A Track initially looked to be an unlucky fourth as the side on vied suggested he had been squeezed out by the front pair but the head-on revealed a different perspective, showing he was already beaten at the time.

Changing Times set the pace, a very strong pace at times, and as the raced progressed he looked more erratic. His rider, William Twiston-Davies, had to fight to stop him running out at the sixth, where he made a bad mistake. Young Twiston-Davies was unable to stop his mount drifting even more alarmingly to the right at the seventh, where he accepted defeat and allowed his mount to run-out.

17:01 Speaking after the Gold Cup Ruby Walsh said he was advised to pull Kauto Star up by none other than the champ, AP McCoy.

“He was never going, and was beaten early, I knew at the back of the water jump we were beaten.

“AP told me, 'If I was you I’d pull him up,’ and he was right.

“Even Knockara Beau was travelling better and when horses rated beneath the great Kauto Star are going better it wasn’t such a hard decision to pull him up.

"I would have felt a lot worse if he had fallen at the third-last and broken his neck. That’s racing though.

“He’s been a wonderful horse, a horse of a lifetime.”

17:11 And so the final race of the Festival, the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase, an extended two mile contest with 21 off to post and an impossible race for those like me who have had a terrible week punting wise.

17:24 Well what a week for Nicky Henderson as he trains his seventh winner of the week and, for good measure, trains the first, second and fourth in the race named after his father Johnny Henderson.

As they came to the second last it looked as though Tanks For That was going to take the spoils but his stablemate Bellvano came with a wet sail soaring past him up the hill and recording a 2¼ length victory in the colours of JP McManus, rounding off a great day for the Irish owner.

Anquetta, who those with long memories may recall I fancied for this race last year, was denied a Henderson 1-2-3 by Alan Kings Kumbeshwar.

Kumbeshwar had taken up the running from the water, only to be headed as they spun for home.

17:31 Well that's it from the Cheltenham Festival 2012, it was strange having to view the Festival from afar and not an experience I would wish to repeat.

However I was nervous enough watching the Gold Cup on television so goodness knows what the nerves would have been like had I been on course.

There was to be no fairy story for Kauto Star, the important thing is he came back safely, hopefully it is the last time he will be seen in competitive action on a racecourse, although hopefully he will be making some guest appearances in future.

We have a new champion this year, in the shape of the enigmatic Synchronised, the Welsh National, mud loving handicapper who has suddenly transformed into a top class runner.

The good news is there have been no serious equine injuries. Rider Robert Kirk has been taken to hospital with a suspected neck injury and two riders in the final contest are still being assessed.

At this time I should be writing "from Cheltenham a very good evening" but instead I shall write, from my office a very good evening instead.

 Return to race archive:

Non-Runners

The time in brackets is the time the horse was officially declared a non-runner.

SC - Self Certificate
VC - Vet's Certificate

Non-runners

14:05
19 Snap Tie (not sound - VC 12:15)
23 Master Of Arts (blood analysis not normal- SC 08:11)

15:20
9 Quel Esprit (lame - SC 10:15)

16:00
24 Theatre Diva (lame - SC 15:31 Thu)

Results

13:30 JCB Triumph Hurdle 2m 1f

14:05 Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle 2m 1f

14:40 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle 3m

15:20 Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase 3m 2f 110yds

16:00 Christie's Foxhunters Chase 3m 2f 110yds

16:40 Martin Pipe Conditionals' Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f 110yds

17:15 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase 2m 110yds