Imperial Commander sees off Denman and Kauto Star

It was billed as the showdown of the century between stablemates Kauto Star and Denman - but in the end Imperial Commander gatecrashed the party to shock Cheltenham, delight the bookies and win the 2010 Gold Cup.

The 7/1 outsider ridden by Paddy Brennan burned off 4/1 second favourite and 2008 winner Denman in the closing stages, pulling clear up the final hill to win the race by seven lengths.

Kauto Star began the race as odds-on favourite to win the race for a third time, having previously won in 2007 and 2009, when he become the first horse in history to regain the crown.

But the Paul Nicholls trained gelding started badly and an early mistake left jockey Ruby Walsh struggled to bring him back into contention. Kauto Star's race was eventually ended when he fell at the fourth from home - but both horse and rider were unhurt.

That left Nicholls' other superstar, Denman, who had set the early pace alongside Carruthers, in position to emulate his illustrious stablemate and regain the Gold Cup. But he and jockey Tony McCoy had reckoned without Imperial Commander (above left, outjumping Denman).

The nine-year-old, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, proved too strong and surged home in front of a packed grandstand.

The result was vindication for Twiston-Davies who has two Grand Nationals under his belt but had never won the Gold Cup, and had been very vocal in support of his horse all week.

"It's been very hard for us sat there with the third-favourite when all the talk was about Kauto and Denman but we always knew we were going to win," he said afterwards.

There was even more good news in the next race - the last of the week - when Twiston-Davies saw Baby Run, ridden by his son Sam, win the Foxhunter Chase.

With the heavily backed Kauto Star falling in the Gold Cup it was a great day for the bookies, who enjoyed a superb Cheltenham Festival. "It was a result beyond our wildest dreams. The cheers for Imperial Commander came from the bookies and we roared him up the Cheltenham hill," said David Williams of Ladbrokes.

"The gamble on Kauto Star was colossal. Had he won we'd have handed back all the cash we made earlier in the week. Getting the big two beaten was nothing short of superb."