In terms of quality Sunday, 23rd May was the day when the Marlborough Cup most definitely came of age. With a truly International field assembled, of 14 runners, the race looked certain to be an epic battle.

Saluter

The American wonder horse Saluter returned to try and land his second World Timber Championship having won the Virginia Gold Cup for a record sixth time only 3 weeks earlier. The field included two French challengers in the shape of Anedjim and Bricassari, and the Irish were represented by Corymandel, Bishops Hall and Tassam.

The Home Team consisted of Harwell Lad, Herbert Lodge, Marble City, Master Crusader, McGregor The Third, Pennybridge, Philip's Woody and The Caviar Man. Four nations, one challenge, and all determined to lift the Timber Crown.

As the runners lined up at the start Harwell Lad, the 1997 Whitbread Gold Cup winner, who won a preliminary race in fine style earlier in the year refused to play any part in proceedings. No sooner had the starter dropped the flag and he was up to his old tricks again and dug his toes in much to the annoyance of jockey Chris Maude.

American jockey Michael Traurig didn't get much further either. The Dai Williams trained Herbert Lodge tipped up at the first fence giving Traurig a taste of the Marlborough turf he could well have done without. Baring these two incidents the remainder of the field raced and jumped well, a real credit to the thorough schooling policy that the race organisers wisely impose, with Pennybridge and Richard Johnson making the running.

The chasing pack contained the French challenger Anedjim followed by Corymandel for Ireland and McGregor The Third and Philip's Woody for the UK. Saluter with Jack Fisher on board did their usual thing and hung back right off the pace, quite happy to let the others do the work for now.

Five fences from home McGregor The Third under Brian Harding came to challenge Pennybridge and looked like he had come to win it, but Pennybridge dug deep and found another gear. Bricassari and Joel Manceau then parted company and the pace stepped up as the field, still led by Pennybridge, swung up the hill for home.

Philip's Woody, under a driving ride from Mick Fitzgerald, was next to try and break Pennybridge's resolve, but three miles over this undulating track was never going to be his ideal trip. Bishop's Hall looked for a moment as if he would come and challenge, and he would have been a lot closer but for a bad mistake two out.

Saluter and his trainer/jockey Jack Fisher laid down the gauntlet in the home straight but the trip was a bit on the short side for him and he didn't have the acceleration to match Pennybridge. Given another mile however it would have been very different story. Richard Johnson punched the air as he crossed the line and maintained his 100% strike rate in the Marlborough Cup.

Philip's Woody finished second making it a one-two for the UK with Saluter running on strongly for third. David Nicholson, Pennybridge's trainer, was not there to experience his charge's finest hour preferring a walking holiday in Botswana. His owner, American, Joel McCleary however witnessed it all. A possible tilt at the Virginia Gold Cup next year was truly on his mind, as was, no doubt, the $100,000 World Timber Championship bonus.

The biggest problems facing them now though are the four mile trip in Virginia and the relentless staying power of Saluter. The Fuller's Cup, for the first horse past the post which is qualified to point-to-point and ridden by an amateur rider, went to the Irish trained Tassam and jockey Barry Potts. If there was still any doubt in any ones mind as to whether Timber Racing has its place in our racing calendar it most surely was dispelled with this year's race. No more so than by the deafening noise of 21,000 voices urging their horses on in the home straight.

The focus of the timber racing world now moves to Craon, France, for the second leg of the £100,000 Three-Nation Challenge on 5th September, and then to the emerald isle for the final leg, the Punchestown Cup on 31st October.

As the night drew in though on the Marlborough Downs that Sunday evening there was a sense that we had all been embraced by something special. It was the kind of feeling that left you wondering whether you would ever experience it ever again. The kind of feeling you would definitely have no problem dealing with just one more time. This was passion, this was glory. This was 14 jockeys and their charges pitted against each other in a battle for their country's pride. The UK came out on top this time, but the French, Irish, and the US will be back to fight another day.