The fairytale ending was not to be. Tiger Roll could not sign off his fabulous career with victory in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham, yet he went out on his shield in typically, utterly valiant fashion, with a gallant second-place finish behind stablemate Delta Work.
The Gordon Elliott-trained Tiger Roll, a dual Grand National winner, was attempting to win the three-and-three-quarter-mile race for a fourth time and was sent off the 3-1 second-favourite.
Yet with the ground officially changed to heavy after the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, the chances of emulating Quevega’s record six Cheltenham Festival victories diminished with every drop of rain.
