Last Instalment (white cap) comes home eight and a half clear of his rivals

 PICTURE: Getty Images, BY PETER SCARGILL4:00PM 9 FEB 2014 

Report: Leopardstown, Sunday, Hennessy Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1) 3m, 5yo+

LAST INSTALMENT forgot to read the script as he romped to victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup from fans’ favourite Tidal Bay, who rocketed home for a distant second.

Trained by Philip Fenton, who had watched stable star The Tullow Tank’s defeat in the Deloitte Novice Hurdle,  Last Instalment took up the running early on and produced a superb round of jumping to secure the prize for jockey Brian O’Connell.

The paucity of creditable rivals to Bobs Worth and Silviniaco Conti in the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup has resulted in prices for Last Instalment varying between 6-1 and 14-1 for the race. He is a general 10-1 chance.

Wearing the second colours of owner Michael O’Leary, indicating that retained rider Bryan Cooper had decided against riding him instead preferring First Lieutenant, Last Instalment found himself in front by luck more than judgement as the seven runners dawdled in the opening stages.

But O’Connell took the opportunity with both hands and set about producing a remarkable round of jumping on Last Instalment.

Apart from occasionally drifting to the right over his fences, Last Instalment was impeccable. He was economical, stylish and made ground where others forfeited it.

While Last Instalment was metronomic in front, Tidal Bay was yo-yoing through the field, one minute on the heels of the leader and the next being scrubbed along by jockey Ruby Walsh.

Turning for home it was a matter of how fit Last Instalment was. Fenton believed his runner would improve for the outing, just his second since a 700-day absence through injury.

If he improves he will be a force at the Cheltenham Festival as Last Instalment charged up the home straight to win in the style of a top-draw performer.

Tidal Bay looked as though he would weaken right out of things in the final stages but picked up in customary style to claim an unlikely second, albeit eight and a half lengths behind the winner. First Lieutenant was third.

O’Leary told At The Races: “It’s an amazing training performance as the horse was off for two years. We didn’t expect him to win.

“It’s wonderful for Brian O’Connell and it’s great for Philip and shows what an underrated trainer he is as when he gets the ammunition he can do it.”

O’Leary expressed caution about running Last Instalment at Cheltenham on good ground and said: “He has got two glass legs and it depends how he is in the morning. He’s very fragile.

“I’m not sure [about Cheltenham]. If the ground is very good in Cheltenham if they’ll run him. You just have to mind this horse as you don’t get too many as good as him. We’ll see how his legs are in the morning, that’s the first challenge.”

fonte: RacingPost