Baron Alco makes all in the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham

Baron Alco gave Gary Moore another valuable prize, getting the better of Frodon to take an incident-packed BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

The seven-year-old was always handy and avoided the carnage that unfolded in behind in the 2m4f Grade Three handicap, in which only six of the 18 runners managed to complete.

The 8/1 chance was useful as a novice in 2016/17, having finished second in a Sandown Grade One and again at the Cheltenham Festival. He missed all of last season but showed his well-being when a fair runner-up on his return at Chepstow after a 577-day lay-off.

READ MORE: Quel Destin crashes into Triumph Hurdle reckoning

READ MORE: Exercise rider killed in Churchill Downs tragedy

READ MORE: Srivaddhanaprabha-owned Donjuan Triumphant secures emotional Doncaster win

Fitter for that outing, Jamie Moore made plenty of use of Baron Alco and made all to score by two lengths from the Bryony Frost-ridden Frodon (16/1), denying Paul Nicholls a treble on the card.

Guitar Pete (12/1) stayed on strongly for third, with 6/1 favourite Mister Whitaker fourth.

Whoshotwho fell at the first and the field was depleted further as the race unfolded, with the well-fancied Kalandra coming down at the fifth-last fence, while at the fourth-last, Willie Boy and Happy Diva exited. Rather Be was another leading contender to go, being brought down at the fourth last, having travelled well to that point.

Moore said: “The horse is all heart. To be quite honest I was going to take him out, as I thought the ground was quick enough. Thank goodness the owners talked me into running him.

“They (horse and winning rider) are made for each other. I couldn’t be more pleased. He picked up a suspensory injury here in 2016, but the form stacked up and it was a brilliant run that day.

“I was nervous about running today, as this is where he picked up that injury.”

Gary’s son Josh was originally supposed to ride the horse, but Jamie came in for the ride after Moore withdrew his other runner, Benatar. “I feel sorry for Josh,” said Moore. “He would have ridden Baron Alco if both horses had run, but he has already had a good winner this season [Traffic Fluide in the Sodexo Gold Cup at Ascot recently].”

Owner John Stone said: “I’ve owned horses for 30 years and this is a real highlight. It really is fantastic. I kept thinking something was going to happen, because horse races aren’t won like this, are they?”

The winning rider added: “He’s a very genuine horse, only tiny but he jumps from fence to fence. It is hard to make the running here, but watching the races yesterday and today it is clear that it suits front-runners.

“He had a lot in his favour by making the running, and I notice that Frodon, who was up there with him all the way, finished second, so it was obviously the right place to be. I could hear Frodon coming at me on the run-in, and that is how we were beaten at Chepstow last time out – a horse came late there and beat me, whereas if the challenge comes earlier my horse will battle back again.

“Dad is a master trainer – Traffic Fluide won a decent race for us recently over three miles and yet Dad will have winners on the Flat at Kempton and Lingfield all winter. He has winners at Royal Ascot. He gave this horse time off last year and got him back to run at Chepstow.

“He ran well there, but it just shows how tough he is because horses can often ‘bounce’ after a run off a long break, yet this horse has gone and won this race. That’s a credit to Dad and to Josh [Jamie’s brother, and like him a jockey] who is a big part of this victory, too.”

Moore received a two-day ban for using his whip above the permitted level on the winner.

Richard Patrick, brought down on Happy Diva four out, and Tom Scudamore, unseated from King’s Socks three out, were both taken to hospital to be further assessed for injuries.