Fiasco start sinks Zabana in Cheltenham opener

Thistlecrack confirmed his position as the stand-out in his division as he comfortably won the Ryanair World Hurdle at Cheltenham on day three of the Festival where there was disappointment for Dunsany trainer Andy Lynch and owner Chris Jones after Zabana unseated Davy Russell in a fiasco of a start to the first race.

Russell was unseated from Zabana which was sideways on when the tape went up for the JLT Novices' Chase - the race was won by Black Hercules to give Ruby Walsh his 50th Cheltenham winner.

Regarding the Zabana incident Russell said - 'It was frustrating. There was no indication we were going to go. My horse was static and I felt he was stuck to the ground, so I needed to move him.'

'When I pulled sideways, he ducked from the tape and ran into Bryan (Cooper, on Outlander) and there was only one route for me then.

'It's unfortunate and it was quite sharp the way it happened. Usually you get a chance to organise yourself.

'I'm frustrated for the connections. It's fine for me, I go 40 minutes later for a different trainer and a different owner and that's fine.

'Andrew Lynch (trainer) is 70-odd years of age, he comes here with one horse and you'd like a go. They're good losers as well as good winners. It's hard to stomach that one. That's the game we're in.'

Director of Raceday Operations and Regulation for the British Horseracing Authority Jamie Stier said: 'A false start had been called because some horses had approached the tape at a canter. However, in the circumstances it was found that no riders had breached the rules.

'In the subsequent standing start Zabana, the mount of Davy Russell, was being turned at an angle to the tapes as they were being raised. The horse was then subsequently knocked from behind by Outlander, causing Davy Russell to unseat.'

However, for Davy Russell ther was compensation in the next race when he managed a narrow success on Mall Dini in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Final at Cheltenham for trainer Patrick Kelly from Galway.

There was also a welcome success for Gordon Elliott who lost his star novive No More Heroes yesterday.

Today for the Longwood trainer Cause of Causes gave the Irish a sixth winner at on St Patrick's Day when storming home in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase. Victorious in the four-mile National Hunt Chase 12 months ago.

'It's been up and down, but we have to keep our head up,' commented Elliott.

VIDEO CLIP: Mick Fitzgerald interviews Davy Russell in the weighroom after the race.