Coole Cody further enhanced his excellent reputation as a Cheltenham specialist by winning his fourth race at Prestbury Park when taking the Grade 3 Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate Handicap Chase
The 11-year-old took the field along in the 2m 4f contest before he was headed at the third-last fence.
However the Dubai Destination gelding is an ultra-tough performer and despite coming under pressure when switched to the outer approaching the penultimate obstacle, he rallied well to lead again before the last as he powered up his favourite hill to claim the honours by six and a half lengths from 7-2 favourite Imperial Alcazar with another nose back to another ex-Irish Pointer in Spiritofthegames who was back in third.
Coole Cody had started his career in the pointing fields here with Jimmy Mangan, for whom he won a Kildorrery maiden having also come up against fellow Festival winner Monalee at Templencarriga on his second start.
Winning trainer Evan Williams said: “It sums him up that performance. He is 11 years of age and he has got so many miles on the clock but he will sit back and kept fighting all the way for you. He is a remarkable horse.
“This track should be all wrong for him as he jumps right-handed. He is not a particularly brilliant jumper but this is a place is a tough place for tough horses. He is a tough horse. It helped him (losing the lead) if you look back at the tap.
“Brendan (Powell) has come over and held his racing line which was beautiful race riding and good luck to the boy but that helped us as it just spurred him on. They didn’t go by him and they gave him a chance and if you get into a fight with this fellow there is only going to be one winner.
“It has been a long time since we have had a Festival winner and they are hard to come by. I think as you get older you start to appreciate the little things a bit more. My family at home are very heavily involved. I think every single winner and especially every big winner brings it home how incredibly lucky I am to be doing this for a living.
“This is a special place and this is a special day. Any winner at the Festival is special. I’m the most boring person in the world. I enjoy a glass of beer and I enjoy a glass of wine but I’m more a cup of tea and digestive man. We savour every moment. It is not about popping champagne corks for me. I get an awful lot of enjoyment out of every single moment the good, the bad, the ugly. It is a wonderful day.
“I thought coming into this we would finish in the first six. He is on a career high mark he is 11 years of age how can he improve. When he got bumped that helped him as you wouldn’t want to go to war with him as he doesn’t back out.
“We’ve only had one Festival winner so this means an awful lot. It means an awful lot to give Wedgey one as I think he is an incredibly good jockey and it means an awful lot to supply him with a Festival winner.”
