Twiston-Davies's last winner of this race was in 2008 with Imperial Commander, who took the Gold Cup at last season's Festival, but as one of the lower-rated runners today, Little Josh has a good deal further to travel. He is a strapping chaser with a grand attitude, though, and while he started as an outsider at 20-1, the only real concern as he turned for home with a healthy lead over Long Run and Dancing Tornado was that his jockey might have burned up too much energy too soon.
Instead, he had gauged it to the stride, and while Dancing Tornado was closing at the line, Twiston-Davies had just enough left to hold him off by two-and-three-quarter lengths. Long Run raced in a prominent position throughout under Sam Waley-Cohen, but when he was asked to quicken three from home, it soon became evident that he was not going to close the gap Little Josh had opened up and he was caught by the each-way mover Dancing Tornado on the run-in.
Little Josh, is owned by Tony Bloom, the chairman of League One leaders Brighton & Hove Albion and the eight-year-old is now likely to return to Cheltenham for a valuable handicap at the December meeting [Boylesports.com Gold Cup on December 11] when he and his jockey – who will keep the keep the ride, according to the trainer – will attempt to take another step up the ladder.
Teenage rider Sam Twiston-Davies, still just two weeks on from his 18th birthday, tasted his first Festival champagne on Baby Run in March and turned pro in the summer. Of Little Josh he said: "He is an unbelievable horse and he has to be ridden from the front like that. I was a bit surprised at the last fence because I thought Long Run or one of the Irish horses would come and get me, but all I had to do was kick for home."
Father and trainer Nigel, added: "I'm not going to get excited as he was only carrying 10st 5lb.I don't think he's another Imperial Commander, but where there's life there's hope."
The most likely 2011 Festival target for Little Josh, who failed to last home when sixth in the RSA Chase last term, will be the Ryanair Chase which is run over two miles and five furlongs, compared to the three miles and about half a furlong of the RSA.
Waley-Cohen was not too downbeat after Long Run had failed to justify the hype for the second successive time at Cheltenham, having been third in the RSA Chase on his final start of last season. The five-year-old got in close to a number of fences and the amateur rider said: "I think he ran a nice race and don't want to make excuses.
"For the most part he jumped well. You can't make mistakes in these sort of races, but hand on heart I can't say he would have won without them."
Long Run is now a best-priced 25/1 (Ladbrokes) for the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Sam Twiston-Davies riding Little Josh, trained by his father Nigel
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