G3 winner Tidal Bay great flagbearer for Flemensfirth

The gutsy Tidal Bay (11g Flemensfirth-June's Bride by Le Moss) took his career earnings past £600,000 when defying top-weight to run away with the G3 bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on Saturday, the final day of the jumps season. Graham and Andrea Wylie’s Flemensfirth gelding, winner of the G1 Arkle Chase at Cheltenham in 2008, relished the testing conditions at Sandown as he stormed 15 lengths clear of his rivals. Trainer Paul Nicholls told www.racingpost.com: "Three miles has almost been a bit short for him over hurdles and fences. He ran alright behind Big Buck’s where I think he would have been second if he hadn’t been interfered with on the far side. "It put him right for today and when it rained it helped him because it slowed them down he was able to jump well and do everything right. We might go to Auteuil on June 10. They have a hurdle race over 3m3f and that might be perfect if the ground is really deep." Bred by John Dorgan in Ireland, Tidal Bay originally made just Ir5,800gns as a foal before being sold to the Wylies for 300,000gns as a five-year-old.