Exotic Dancer powers to Cup win

McCoy refused to take the credit for a perfectly timed win

Exotic Dancer snatched the lead from favourite Vodka Bleu just before the last to win the £110,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

Champion jockey Tony McCoy had been sitting at the back of the field on Jonjo O'Neill's charge for much of the race but timed his finish well.

Vodka Bleu finished three lengths back, ruining trainer David Pipe's hopes of adding to his family's eight wins here.

New Alco was third, half a length behind, with Butler's Cabin fourth.

Interview: Exotic Dancer's trainer Jonjo O'Neill

McCoy refused to take the credit for the win, saying: "I rode him in Carlise on Monday and I was disappointed that he didn't finish his race.

"I said, 'I'm just going to ride him round to run well.'

"I thought there was an alright race in him. I don't think I gave him a good ride, I think it just happened for him and it's easy if you're on the right horses."

It has been a flipping great day Ruby Walsh

McCoy took the big-race spoils but the day belonged to his weighing room rival Ruby Walsh, who had a 68-1 four-timer.

Walsh's opening win came in the Jim Brown Novices' Chase on the Paul Nicholls-trained Denman, who kept up his unbeaten record and saw his odds cut further for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase in March.

The winner of that race last year, Star De Mohaison, provided Walsh - and Nicholls - with a second win of the day in the Lombard Properties Handicap Hurdle.

The five-year-old's victory also provided a second win of the day for the famous pink and white colours of Sir Robert Ogden, who also owns Exotic Dancer.

Walsh then guided Tipperary All Star to victory in the Letheby And Christopher Novices' Handicap Hurdle before driving My Will, also trained by Nicholls, to a thrilling victory in the last.

"It has been a flipping great day," said the Irish jockey. "I've had four winners at a few places but not at Cheltenham."

Jockey Philip Hide was taken to Cheltenham General Hospital after sustaining suspected head and leg injuries following a fall from Hatch A Plan at the first flight in a hurdle race won by Tipperary All Star.

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Paddy Power Gold Cup
2m 4 3/4f, Cheltenham

1 Exotic Dancer (AP McCoy) 16-1
2 Vodka Bleu (T Murphy) 4-1 fav
3 New Alco (G Lee) 16-1