Denman is the toast after a roasting

Jockey Sam Thomas was the

Cheltenham hero after

partnering Denman to a stunning

Gold Cup win from reigning

champion Kauto Star just 45

minutes after a severere primand

from trainer Paul Nicholls.

The emphatic victory landed

co-owner Harry Findlay £600,000 in winning bets, and official

handicappers now rate Denman

better than Desert Orchid.

Jumping for joy: winning jockey Sam Thomas shows his delight after piloting Denman to Gold Cup glory

The triumph followed earlier

tension when champion trainer

NIcholls was upset that Thomas,

23, had allowed third-placed The

Tother One to hit the front too

soon in the preceding Albert Bartlett Novices'

Hurdle, causing him to

wander on the run-in.

Thomas also received a

one-day ban for causing

interference but all was

soon forgiven as he

dominated the battle of

the giants on a horse

who could win the blue

riband of chasing for

another three years.

With four fences to go,

Findlay was phoning

friends to place more

in-running wagers on

Betfair, so sure was he of

victory after Denman

had tracked stable

companion Neptune

Collonges for a circuit.

On the 25th anniversary

of Michael Dickinson's

astonishing first five home in Bregawn's Gold

Cup, Nicholls trained the

first three from only

three runners.

Nicholls said: 'Denman

got Kauto Star on the

back foot. Perhaps the

going was a bit tacky for

Kauto because he didn't

jump as well as he can.'

Thomas, watched by his

proud Abergavenny

head teacher parents

Dot and Geoff, was on

his first Festival winner.

He said: 'Denman

jumped brilliantly and

once in front he loved it.

This season has been a

fairytale for me and this

is the icing on the cake.

I'd gone through the

race in my mind and it

all went perfectly.'

Kauto Star's owner Clive

Smith sportingly said:

'Denman always had

him — he was ferocious.

[Jockey] Ruby Walsh

said he was beaten a

mile from home. We will

definitely take on

Denman again. Horses

are not machines.'

Denman's effort was not

good enough to make

him the best chaser,

even in his stable. That

honour goes to Queen

Mother Champion

chaser Master Minded

who recorded a mark of

186, 1lb higher, when

winning on Thursday.