Cheltenham Festival: Captain Guinness takes eventful Queen Mother Champion Chase as El Fabiolo is pulled up

Captain Guinness came out on top in a dramatic renewal of the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, in which red-hot favourite El Fabiolo was pulled up.

Trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Rachael Blackmore, the nine-year-old was sent off a 17-2 chance, with Willie Mullins' El Fabiolo starting as the heavily-supported 2-9 market leader in the absence of supposed main rival Jonbon.

However, a jumping error led to Paul Townend’s mount being pulled up, and when the front-running Edwardstone fell two out – albeit when looking beaten – it was Captain Guinness who went on prevail, holding off El Fabiolo’s stablemate Gentleman De Mee in a real battle up the hill.

Winning the race for the fourth time, De Bromhead said: "Obviously after El Fabiolo went you knew then that the race had opened right up and we felt we had a right chance then.

"Can mistakes happen more at the speed they go in this race, I don’t know.

"He had his thing at Christmas (fibrillating heart) and I just kept thinking the horse deserved to get his Grade One so much, to get this one is amazing.

"Everyone at home has done a fantastic job and the vets. The tests he went through after Christmas, his heart specialist was happy and the IHRB (Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board) was happy and everyone was. In fairness to Sam who looks after him, he hadn’t known him in such form.

"We took a view from Leopardstown in February we just wouldn’t train him hard and keep him fresh and happy and that’s what we did. We just wanted him really bullish and he’s been trying to buck Sam off for the last two weeks, so I’m not sure he was as happy with the plan as I was, but it’s worked out for us all now."

He added: "We’ve been so lucky in this race, it’s