War Of Attrition led a superb Irish 1-2-3 finish to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup on St. Patrick's Day. Ridden by Conor O'Dwyer and trained by Mouse Morris, War Of Attrition, who was a 15-2 favourite, held off a strong challenge from last year's Aint ree Grand Nat ional champion Hedgehunter to win by 2 ½ lengths. Forget The Past finished third a further seven lengths away.

Watched by a gathering of around 50,000 people -- including Prince Charles and his wife Camilla -- War Of Attrition took control of the race at the final turn and won the race by a comfortable margin in the end.

Hedgehunter, with Ruby Walsh in the saddle, challenged War Of Attrition till the last fence but
could not catch up with the winner.

It was a disappointing day for hot favourite Beef Or Salmon, who even failed to stay in the hunt for the title. The 10-year old was running in the event for the fourth consecutive year but could only finish eighth. It was a second Gold Cup victory for the 39-year-old O'Dwyer, who earlier won the event with Imperial Call in 1996. A beaming O'Dwyer said after the race: “It's brilliant. He
travelled well, jumped super, had a great run. He did everything I wanted of him. It was an easy ride, he pinged the last two fences when he just stood off and he loves racing.”

My Way De Solzen won the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, pipping Golden Cross by a head. Trained by Alan King and ridden by Robert Thornton, My Way De Solzen saved himself for the final surge to finish just ahead of Golden Cross, who had Johnny Murtagh in the saddle. Mighty Man finished third another four lengths away. Golden Cross made up ground as they charged uphill toward the finish line, but Thornton held on to his slight advantage to emerge as the winner.

Earlier, Mick Fitzgerald rode joint favourite Fondmort to victory in the Ryanair Chase with Lacdoudal coming in second.

Brave Inca lived to his billing as the favourite to win the Champion Hurdle. The eight-year-old, who is trained by Colm Murphy with Tony McCoy aboard, held off the challenge of Macs Joy, pushed hard but was unable to catch the 7-4 favourite. Winner of the last year, Hardy Eustace, was third. "It's nice to get back after getting so close last year," said Murphy. "He's done everything the hard way, even today. He was up there all the way and he had a hard race. To get so close last year as a second-season novice and then to have that year under his belt has really
made him. He's all there -- he's a complete horse now.”

Newmill was the winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Leading from start to finish, the 16-1 favourite beat Fota Island, who fell at the third fence, by an overwhelming margin of nine lengths. Mister McGoldrick finished third. Hot favourite Kauto Star bowed out of contention after falling at the third fence while Moscow Flyer, a two-time winner of the event, never managed to test the leaders. Andrew McNamara, who guided his gelding perfectly, said afterwards: “That was
amazing, I can't believe how well he travelled all the way. I heard a big roar (when Kauto Star fell) but I wasn't sure if it was him or not.”

Only six of the 12 starters finished the 2-mile (3.2-kilometre) race and French jockey Thierry Majorcryk, who was riding Kario De Sormain, was taken to hospital with injuries to his thigh, chest and pelvis after a heavy fall. Ridden by Barry Geraghty, the 12-year-old Moscow Flyer, who was aiming for his favour triumph in the event, finished fifth. Geraghty earlier rode 14-1 shot Star de Mohaison to a six-length victory in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase. Idle Talk was second.

Nicanor, ridden by Paul Carberry, beat Denman to win the Royal & SunAlliance Novices\' Hurdle.
Meanwhile, the Jockey Club will launch a review of safety procedures at the Cheltenham Festival after five racehorses died during the third day\'s programme. The five fatalities, matching the worst tally in Festival history on a single day, took the total of casualties at this year's event to seven.

"The high number of fatal injuries at Cheltenham this year will be subject to particularly close
inspection," Peter Webbon, Jockey Club director of veterinary science and welfare, said in a
statement. Webbon said club officials would meet the Cheltenham executive, the RSPCA and International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) to discuss any lessons to be learned or action to be taken.

Three of the five deaths on March 16 were associated with falls in races where field sizes were
unusually large. "There has been no pattern to this at all, " Edward Gi l lespie, managing director at Cheltenham, said. "It is obviously very regrettable. Perhaps the very open nature of this year's Festival has attracted large numbers of horses.

“Against that, we have reduced many of the maximum field sizes in recent years." Gillespie said the state of the turf at Cheltenham was not a factor. "There is no suggestion from anyone that the ground is an issue here." The seven deaths are the worst since 10 were killed at the 1996
Festival. A Jockey Club inquiry failed to reach firm conclusions over the causes at the time.