Jolt for Jack all my fault says O'Neill

Trainer Jonjo O’Neill blamed only himself for the shock defeat of his stable star Black Jack Ketchum at Cheltenham.

The horse, named after a notorious Texan

highwayman, lost his unbeaten record over hurdles as he was floored by 14-1 shot Blazing

Bailey in deep clinging mud.

"I feel I got him beat by running him. It was my fault. I blame myself,’ said O’Neill as he came

to terms with the way Black Jack Ketchum weakened alarmingly almost to a walk into fifth place in the closing stages.

O’Neill was clearly annoyed he had not taken the advice of his jockey Tony McCoy that the horse would not go on yesterday’s ground in the Byrne

Bros Cleeve Hurdle.

And he added: ‘He’s lazy, too. Once his rider stops moving on him he pulls himself up. But at

least we live to fight another day.’

McCoy reported: ‘My lad cut out quick enough and just couldn’t pick up on the ground. It’s so deep out there. Hopefully, it will be drier when he returns here for the Ladbrokes World

Hurdle. I certainly wouldn’t want to be getting on anything else in the race."

Black Jack Ketchum is now 5-4 with the sponsors for the World Hurdle at the Festival, but other

bookies over-reacted by pushing him out to as big as 3-1.

Later, O’Neill hinted that the horse was unlikely to run at the Festival if the ground was

equally testing in March.

The trainer’s fortunes changed dramatically half an hour later as his enigmatic chaser Exotic

Dancer, equipped with earplugs, booked a place in the Gold Cup with a decisive defeat of Our Vic.

"He’s funny, a right character — maybe I’m getting the hang of training him," said O’Neill.

Trainer Alan King had a sparkling double with Blazing Bailey and Katchit, a modest horse on the Flat who hardened as favourite for the Triumph Hurdle with his fifth success of

the campaign.