CHELTENHAM (England), March 13: Flagship Uberalles was crowned champion two-miler Wednesday when battling bravely up the Cheltenham hill to land the Queen Mother Champion Chase, highlight of day two at the 2002 National Hunt Festival.

The plucky eight-year-old gave favourite backers some anxious moments when he clouted the third last fence.

But super-cool jockey Richard Johnson took him wide and eventually pushed Flagship Uberalles, the 7-4 favourite, out to a three-length victory from the 9-1 shot Native Upmanship with the 66-1 outsider Cenkos just half a length back in third.

Johnson, wreathed in smiles and punching the air in delight as he rode into the unsaddling enclosure, was overjoyed after winning one of the most coveted races of the year for racing’s speed merchants.

The Cheltenham nightmare continued for champion jockey Tony McCoy who was reduced to tears on Tuesday when Valiramix crashed to his death when looking all over the winner of the Champion Hurdle.

Edredon Bleu, the current holder of the two-mile championship crown and one of McCoy’s favourite horses, led early on but faded disappointingly in the back straight and never looked dangerous, finishing fourth.

Flagship Uberalles, winner three years ago of the Arkle Chase, always runs best when fresh and trainer Philip Hobbs had given the gelding just one run this year when he trounced Edredon Bleu to win Sandown’s Tingle Creek Trophy.

Earlier, young Irish jockey Jason Maguire’s wildest dreams all came true at once — he rode the 12-1 shot Galileo to victory in the Sun Alliance Hurdle on his first ever ride at the Cheltenham Festival.

Results:

Queen Mother Champion Chase, group one, run over 2 miles (3.2 kilometres):

1. Flagship Uberalles 7-4 favourite (ridden by Richard Johnson); 2. Native Upmanship 9-1 (Conor O’Dwyer); 3. Cenkos 66-1 (Timmy Murphy).—Reuters