The lovable rogue and the brave warrior who left Cheltenham buzzing after an epic Gold Cup
To whet the appetite for Cheltenham, we're counting down the greatest duels in festival history
Greatest Festival Duels - No. 7
Native River v Might Bite, 2018 Gold Cup
A little bit of a circus had grown up around Might Bite by the time he rocked up at Cheltenham to take on Native River and 13 others in the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
While Nicky Henderson's nine-year-old had shrugged off the 'freak show' label that attached itself to him when he tried in vain to throw away the previous year's RSA Chase, there was still an element of the high-wire act about him every time he ran. Once a rascal, always a rascal, you might say, and punters can be an unforgiving bunch, albeit with a wicked sense of humour.
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Published on inGreatest Festival Duels
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- If the half-length verdict sounds conclusive, it didn't seem that way to an enthralled grandstand - this was vintage Cheltenham
- Neither horse wilted, neither jockey blinked - how the 2004 Supreme unfolded in favour of the Irish banker
- Returning from heavily contrasting absences, Cyborgo and Mysilv serve up a Stayers' Hurdle to savour
- How motionless magician JT McNamara conjured a remarkable win over a gallant rival
- How the king of the staying hurdlers met his match in a £5,000 grey bought out of a field