Might Bite edges thrilling RSA

Might Bite defeated stablemate Whisper in the RSA Chase in one of the most dramatic finishes in recent Cheltenham Festival history.

The former was a mile clear under Nico de Boinville, but a less-than-fluent leap at the last gave Whisper just a squeak.

Whisper then suddenly grew inspired along the run-in, whereas Might Bite - who fell at the final fence at Kempton over Christmas with a Grade One prize at his mercy - faltered as he hung badly to his right and was even headed.

De Boinville managed to correct his path with the aid of a loose horse and the Nicky Henderson-trained pair eventually flashed past the post in unison, but Might Bite (7-2 favourite) was announced the winner by a nose.

De Boinville said: "He did exactly the same in his hurdles run around here, the same thing happened. Without the loose horse I wouldn't have won.

"He's a thinker but he's so talented, he jumped for fun - he should have five or 10 lengths.

"It's great for the owners and great for the guv'nor, he's having a great time of it. I kept faith with this horse, I can see why others might not!

"We'll see (if he is a Gold Cup horse), we might have to iron out a few issues, but he's definitely got the ability."

Henderson said: "What to make of it all? It just goes to show why you run two horses in a race.

"You thought he'd done it all well and then he goes and does that.

"If you go back a couple of seasons when he came here as a novice over hurdles, he did exactly the same thing.

"Davy (Russell) has done everything right on Whisper. You could always see him creeping in there.

"You thought Might Bite might have got away, then Might Bite said 'come on'."

Replay: Might Bite (@sevenbarrows) rallies to overhaul stablemate Whisper in an extraordinary finish to the RSA pic.twitter.com/T4WL1buROZ

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 15, 2017

Henderson continued: "This place has extraordinary tricks. It looked for all the world that he (Might Bite) had thrown it away.

"A dead-heat would have been fair to everybody, but it wouldn't have been, really, because Might Bite was the best horse.

"It was extraordinary. He's only a baby but he's hugely talented. He just grinds it out and keeps going, but then he stops and has an ice cream!

"He's handled the undulations, the place and the crowd, which wasn't guaranteed.

"We must be aware of it (his wayward streak) in the future. He's not naughty, or anything like that, but the future is obviously enormous."

Willie Mullins said of third-placed Bellshill "He jumped much better and after his recent performances I was delighted with him. He at least resembled a racehorse, which he hasn't of late. He'll go to Punchestown next."