Poker De Sivola gives trainer Ferdy Murphy Cheltenham Festival win (From York Press)

Poker De Sivola gives trainer Ferdy Murphy Cheltenham Festival win

10:00am Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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FERDY Murphy reckons if Poker De Sivola were human he would be “on the dole” but the horse put in a huge shift to give the West Witton-based trainer a winner on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival.

The seven-year-old was involved in a titanic battle with Becauseicouldntsee leading up to the final flight of the opening 140th Year Of The National Hunt Challenge Cup, and reeled in his rival up the hill to the line.

Breaking North Yorkshire’s festival duck, Murphy praised the gelding’s amateur rider Katie Walsh – sister of Kauto Star rider Ruby – saying she was “absolutely brilliant on him”.

But he conceded Poker De Sivola was not the easiest to get ready for racecourse action.

“He’s not a monkey but he was fed this morning at 6am and at five past six his breakfast was gone,” he said.

“He does like himself a lot. Work wouldn’t be his thing. If he was a human being, I would say he would definitely be on the dole.

“He’d be signing on, that’s a certainty. Having said that, he’s a very easy horse to keep sound but he has to do a fair bit of work.”

Murphy wasn’t able to celebrate victory in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase, however, with Kalahari King, second in the betting at 9-2, finishing third in the Grade 1 two-mile contest.

But Master Minded, victor the last two years, wasn’t in the winner’s enclosure either as Ruby Walsh could only claim fourth on the odds-on 4-5 favourite.

Instead, 10-1 outsider Big Zeb made it a fabulous St Patrick’s Day for the Irish when cruising to victory under Barry Geraghty ahead of Forpadydeplasterer.

Murphy said: “He (Kalahari King) landed on top of one of the fences and Graham (Lee, jockey) said he jumped a little bit right, which he has never done before.”

A delighted Geraghty said: “It was a great performance and he’s jumped well all year.

“He had a good look round after the last and I thought he was going to pull up but he found plenty when he needed to.”

Kudu Country, for Tadcaster trainer Tom Tate, threatened in the Grade 3 Fred Winter Juvenile Novices Hurdle before coming sixth in a race which was won easily by the favourite Sanctuaire (4-1).

That means the wait continues for Norton handler Brian Ellison in his quest for a Cheltenham Festival winner.

Bothy, unbeaten in three hurdle races before the Fred Winter, finished down the field.

In the day’s other feature race, Weapon’s Amnesty (10-1) upset the fancied Punchestowns and Long Run to win the Grade 1 RSA Chase.