bet365 Gold Cup report, reaction and free video replay: Kitty's Light wins again

Racing just seven days on from a memorable success at Ayr, the Christian Williams-trained seven-year-old was a hugely popular 11/4 favourite and his backers were no doubt sitting comfortably throughout as he travelled and jumped noticeably well for jockey Jack Tudor.

Grimthorpe Chase winner Moroder led on the approach to the last fence in the three and a half-mile contest, but Kitty's Light was just hitting top gear and powered past the 16/1 chance to win comfortably by two and a half lengths and round out a sensational treble since the turn of the year.

Revels Hill (13/2) moved well for much of the journey but had to settle for third ahead of The Goffer (10/1) in fourth and Coolvalla (10/1) who finished well from off the pace to be fifth. Sixth went to Annual Invictus at odds of 22/1.

Kitty's Light, placed in the valuable race for the past couple of years, finally got his Sandown moment in the sun on the last day of the season and emotions were running high after the victory in light of the trainer's daughter Betsy undergoing treatment for leukaemia.

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Winning trainer Williams said: “Coming into today there were lots of negatives and we put ourselves under pressure running him again just a week later but we’ve had the horse since he was a yearling and Jack knows him well. We know that when we give him a chance he will do something special.

“His constitution is unbelievable and at this time of year he comes into himself. It’s hard to get him right for 12 months of the year and it’s hard to get these horses right and they tend to just tend to come into themselves. When we won last year’s Scottish National with Win My Wings, I trained him for five years and I don’t know where that performance came from and it’s the same here today. We train him nice and quietly at home and he doesn’t get knocked about when he runs and Jack was nice and kind on him in the Scottish National. He didn’t pull him out (to challenge) until the second last and we had the cheekpieces in the wardrobe for when we needed them.

“There was no plan, he just came out of the race so well. We just felt that he’s a special horse and we wanted to give him the opportunity to do something that not many horses have done.

“Ayr was great last week, we were under pressure there as we’d had such a tough few weeks with Betsy and when we got up there the story was all about Betsy. All the emotions came out when he won whereas today all the focus was just on the result. We showed our emotion at Ayr but today was purely a bonus and it was because he’d come out of the race so well and we wanted to give him the chance to do something special.

“Poor Tilly my older daughter doesn’t get a mention! Hayley Moore ran the London Marathon for Cancer Research and Betsy last week and she messaged me to say she was doing it. She brought me the medal half an hour before the race so I’ve had it on since and it’s just great. We’ve got tough times ahead but we’re lucky to be involved in this sport and to see the joy it brings with Betsy, Charlotte and all the family at home is just a big lift. It’s all down to this horse. People talk about the jockey and the trainer, but the horse is the one who gives us these days and gives us so much joy.”

Tudor said: "He’s a freak, an absolute freak. It’s the only way to describe him. I was worried about the ground when I walked the track as it was sticky as it’s hard enough on that ground and it felt like it. With running last week he’s had a hard week and a lot of travelling but it was a great shout by the owners and Chris to run him. We thought all the facts were there and the boxes ticked to run him and that’s why we ran.

“He’s unbelievable, he’s done some amount (of good) for both mine and Christian’s careers. Everything that Chris and his family are going through is terrible but this horse has done so much to lift them, I spoke to Charlotte (Williams’ partner) and she said that Betsy (daughter) thinks she’s famous! It’s brilliant and I know they’re getting a massive lift from this, it’s bound to be helping."

Seamus Mullins, trainer of runner-up Moroder, said: “It was a marvellous effort. I’m delighted for Christian but I’m gutted for us and the staff.

“The horse has done us proud. It is lovely for Ann (Leftley, owner) as she loves these staying chases and we will be back to fight another day. I had this race in the back of my mind all season. He had a bad muscle pull just in his groin at the start of the season hence why he didn’t come out until Christmas time. He needed his first run badly at Newbury then we had the frost so he needed his second run. We knew going to Doncaster we had the real Moroder back hence why we fancied him up there.

“He had come on from that and we hoped he had a big run in him today and he did. I’d have big opposition from my owner about training him for the Grand National but the horse would love it. Let’s enjoy and then take it from there.”

Noel Fehily, syndicate manager of third-placed Revels Hill, said: "He travelled brilliantly and jumped great. There are no excuses and he has run a blinder. The winner is just an unbelievable horse to do that a week on after winning the Scottish National but I’m delighted with our horse as I would say that is probably a career best. I’m very happy with him.

“Kevin (Brogan, jockey) said they went a bit slow in the middle of the race and it turned into a little bit of a sprint to the second last which probably wouldn’t have suited him but we are not making excuses. I think we look at him as a Grand National horse and that is probably where we aim him next season. Fingers crossed we are rated high enough rated to get in it but that is definitely one of the targets."

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