Cheltenham Festival: The Package storms clear in Kim Muir
Thursday 12 March 2015 18:00, UK
The Package gave Jamie Codd his second winner of the Cheltenham Festival with an impressive display in the Kim Muir.
The leading Irish amateur, who partnered Cause Of Causes to victory in the National Hunt Chase on Tuesday, kicked David Pipe's charge clear approaching the home turn and they bounded clear to beat Bless The Wings by a wide margin, returned at 9/1.
Stable companion Standing Ovation led the field into the final mile before Sixty Something took over and threatened to go clear at the top of the hill.
But his rider proved far too brave at the tricky fence on the downhill run and he came down, bringing down a number of other runners including Across The Bay and Masters Hill.
As they came to two out, Codd was cruising aboard The Package, and even though he fiddled his way over that fence, the 12-year-old never looked like being caught.
Bless The Wings (28/1) came through from last place to take second under Nina Carberry ahead of Buddy Bolero (20/1) and Grand Vision (11/1).
Codd won the Kim Muir on Character Building in 2009 and Junior three years ago, and he said: "It was a great training performance to get a 12-year-old to come back, he's run great at previous Festivals and to it in the Johnson colours is absolutely fantastic.
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Image: Jamie Codd celebrates his second winner of the week on David Pipe' The Package in the Kim Muir
"I didn't realise what sort of a chance he had today until I got here and a few of the lads said they were backing him.
"When David weighed me out he said he'd win and I was a bit taken aback. Apparently he worked really well with Moon Racer (winner of the Bumper) last week so that form has worked out well.
"Once I got over the first couple of fences I was always comfortable. I managed to avoid the trouble at the top of the hill as I was on the inside."
Pipe said: "That gave me immense pleasure, he's been a good horse since day one, unfortunately it took me a while to work out blinkers might help him.
"I should have run him in this last year, but we went for the handicap off 141 and he was off 137 today. We always take him away to work before Cheltenham and he always works better than anything.
"It's fantastic for the Johnson family, it's special to win any race but we always try to win when they have all their friends here and we tipped him up in the box.
"He hasn't lost any ability, he doesn't act like he's 12. Hopefully you'll see some more of him. I booked Jamie a long time ago, I told him he would win, I'm not sure he believed me until he saw his price.
"We've had two winners and three seconds so they've run well."
