Victoria Pendleton finishes fifth in Cheltenham Foxhunter Chase

Victoria Pendleton showed her champion spirit as she answered her critics in the best possible style by finishing a fantastic fifth on Pacha Du Polder in the St James's Place Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham.

The dual Olympic cycling gold medallist displayed plenty of the same elan she demonstrated in the velodrome as she executed her game plan in perfect style to deliver the Paul Nicholls-trained nine-year-old with a late rattle.

Pendleton exercised extreme patience aboard the Andy Stewart-owned Pacha Du Polder but her mount could not match last year's winner and 13-8 favourite On The Fringe, who was piloted by top amateur Nina Carberry.

And despite her excellent efforts in the plate, Pendleton believes the idea of riding over the Grand National fences in Aintree's Fox Hunter Chase next month would prove "a step too far" at this stage of her fledgling riding career.

She said: "The first couple of fences came really quickly but I got settled into a rhythm and he jumped so beautifully. He really gave me a great opportunity and was very relaxed.

"I was trying not to expend too much energy and I knew I just had to hunt round. If I'd not had the whip stuck in my breast girth up the run in, I may have even got fourth.

"Nobody knew whether this was possible, me included, but I've given it my best shot and taken it step by step. I had 100 per cent faith from the start and I trusted my experts and their belief whichever decision they came to (about her participation).

"I think, for me, Aintree is step a too far. I'm more likely to sprout wings and start flying myself than ride there. With my level of experience, it would take me a few more seasons before I could consider that.

"To be honest I really enjoy the point-to-points. It's been really lovely and relaxed and I've been really welcomed in by the other jockeys.

"I just want to consolidate what I've done to become a more competent horsewoman. I think the achievement comes on the back of Andy Stewart and Paul Nicholls allowing me to ride such a fantastic horse, although a more experienced jockey may have won the race on him.

"We will see how it goes. I just really want to enjoy going back to the yard and riding out first lot tomorrow. I just want to go and enjoy riding now as I love the training side of it all every day and watching them come on.

"I look forward to riding out for Alan and Lawney (Hill) and just learning more about the craft without any more pressure and expectation, as I've not had that luxury. Now I have got that time on my side to sit back, relax and enjoy it.

"I was just focused on what I was doing and once I got to the finishing straight, I was aware there was noise.

"The reception felt like I'd won and I feel very lucky for that. I didn't expect to get that sort of cheer, it was quite humbling really and it ranks right up there with being at the Olympic velodrome.

"I feel very honoured and a fortunate human being to be given such a wonderful opportunity. It was a ridiculously audacious dream and we gave it our best shot."

Nicholls said of the ride: "That was the only the way to ride him - hunt, hunt, hunt. She went for a clear round, took her time and in the end was not beaten far.

"She was brilliant. I never doubted she would be OK. It was an absolutely super ride."

Stewart added: "What Victoria has done today is magnificent, she is a credit to the sport."

Enda Bolger, trainer of On The Fringe, was thrilled to secure successive victories in the race as Carberry was seen at her very best, pushing all the way from the last to secure a neck victory over Marito.

Bolger felt both Carberry and Pendleton deserved plenty of credit for their efforts.

He said: "It's exciting to go back-to-back in this but it's a race in which we had a little bit of everything. Clapping Victoria on the way back as well as Nina - it was a fantastic performance by both women.

"He hadn't run since Punchestown in April when he came back to the track and as he done very well in his spell at JP's (McManus) place, he was burly and needed the race. We had him ready today to pull out all the stops and we are on cloud nine again.

"I thought Victoria's performance was second to none."

Victoria Pendleton fence by fence

START: With doubts about Pacha Du Polder's stamina over this extended three and a quarter miles, the double Olympic cycling champion had her mount away from the potential pacesetters and 23 rivals as the tape went up.

FENCE 1: Pacha Du Polder jumps the first tidily but in last place.

FENCE 8: Now settled into a nice rhythm and jumping well, Pacha Du Polder jumps past one rival, Camden.

FENCE 12: Pacha Du Polder passes a few more rivals but is still well towards the back of the field with one circuit left.

FENCE 14: Pacha Du Polder is still fifth-last at the water-jump but the race has really yet to begin.

FENCE 15: Jumping an open ditch, Pendleton is getting a fine tune out of Pacha Du Polder, who is serving her well by jumping superbly.

FENCE 19: Pacha Du Polder has crept his way into 10th and looks to have more running left in him.

FENCE 22: Once over the final fence, Pendleton gets stuck in and rides a tremendous finish as Pacha Du Polder weaves his way through to take fifth place, just behind the placed horses.

CONCLUSION: An amazing effort by Victoria Pendleton, who fully justified the decision for her to take part in the amateur riders' Gold Cup. After making all when winning at Wincanton, she showed she could deliver contrasting tactics in a bid to conserve Pacha Du Polder's energy. To mix it with some talented jockeys, including Nina Carberry, Jamie Codd and Sam Waley-Cohen, was remarkable for one so inexperienced and with the cameras well and truly fixed on her. She brought her mount into the winner's enclosure to receive the generous applause of an appreciative crowd.

Victoria Pendleton timeline

2015

March 6: Pendleton announces her intention to take up Betfair's 'Switching Saddles' challenge, with the aim of riding in the Foxhunter Chase at the 2016 Cheltenham Festival.

July 2: After four months of intensive training with trainer Lawney Hill, eventing guru Yogi Breisner and former event rider Chris King, Pendleton makes her racecourse bow when finishing eighth on Mighty Mambo in the George Frewer Charity Race at Newbury.

August 26: Pendleton is granted an amateur riders' licence by the British Horseracing Authority.

August 31: Pendleton takes her first mount as a fully-fledged amateur rider, finishing second, beaten just a head, aboard Royal Etiquette at Ripon.

September 22: Pendleton once again teams up with Royal Etiquette at Beverley but the duo finish only 13th of the 16 runners.

October 1: According To Sarah and Sedgemoor Express nominated as Pendleton's intended mounts during the point-to-point season.

October 24: Pendleton escapes injury as she is unseated by Satanic Beat in a lady amateur riders' race at Newbury.

November 29: Pendleton makes her point-to-point debut at Black Forest Lodge in Devon, where she pulls up Minella Theatre two fences from home in a three-mile event.

December 6: Pendleton teams up with According To Sarah for her second point-to-point start at Barbury Castle but she fails to complete, pulling up the gelding two fences from home.

2016

January 17: Pendleton completes her first point-to-point race as Supreme Danehill finishes fourth in a confined race at Black Forest Lodge.

January 18: Pacha Du Polder is announced as Pendleton's likely mount for the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham, with owner Andy Stewart "delighted" to have the Olympian on board.

January 24: Pendleton completes aboard both According To Sarah and Minella Theatre in two rides at the North Norfolk Harriers meeting in Higham.

January 31: Pendleton rides Pacha Du Polder for the first time in public at Milborne St Andrew point-to-point in Dorset, with the duo beaten into second in a photo-finish.

February 7: She fails to complete on Working Title at Wadebridge point-to-point, taking an early lead before losing a lot of ground when the horse virtually pulled himself up.

February 10: Fakenham is confirmed as the intended venue of Pendleton's first hunter chase outing aboard Pacha Du Polder.

February 13: Pendleton finishes fourth aboard According To Sarah in a ladies' open event at Cottenham point-to-point in Cambridgeshire.

February 14: Pendleton emerges unscathed after being unseated by Working Title in a novice riders' contest at Barbury Castle.

February 18: Pacha Du Polder declared for the Betfair Switching Saddles "Grassroots" Fox Hunters' Chase at Fakenham, with Pendleton due to face five rivals on her hunter chase debut.

February 19: Pendleton's first start over regulation fences ends in disappointment and anti-climax as she is unseated at the seventh fence.

February 21: Pendleton was swiftly back in the saddle at the Waveney Harriers point-to-point at Higham, making much of the early running before fading to be last of the six finishers.

February 27: Horseheath point-to-point in Cambridgeshire was the venue for what was described as a "good day at the office" following a seventh-placed Pendleton finish on Supreme Danehill.

February 28: A trip to Larkhill sees Pendleton finish sixth of 15 on According To Sarah.

March 2: Pendleton looks the part on her second start under National Hunt Rules as Pacha Du Polder makes all the running to win as the 5-4 favourite in a race at Wincanton.

March 5: Back to earth with a bump for Pendleton as she is unseated from Supreme Danehill in a point-to-point at Kingston Blount.

March 7: Confirmation at a press conference in London that Pendleton will ride Pacha Du Polder in the Foxhunter at the Cheltenham Festival.

March 17: Pendleton's name appears alongside Pacha Du Polder in the 24 runners for the St. James's Place Foxhunter Chase Challenge.

March 18: If the nerves were jangling it did not show come the big day at Cheltenham as Pendleton gave Pacha Du Polder a superbly patient ride before finishing strongly in fifth.