Back in the big time. That's Peter Beaumont, who hit the heights at last week's Cheltenham Festival when producing Hussard Collonges to beat the best that Britain, Ireland and France could muster in the £72,500 Royal & Sun Alliance Novices' Chase.

The victory revived the fondest of memories for the ultra-popular Brandsby trainer, who, at the same venue in 1993, saddled Jodami to win the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup.

"It was nice to be back in the winners' enclosure there again," said the quietly-spoken Beaumont, who has since been on the receiving end of numerous celebratory phone-calls, cards and letters. "It's been tremendous," he added.

Returned at 33-1, Hussard Collonges produced a bumper scoop for his backers on the Tote, which paid out a 71-1 win dividend after the French-bred gelding had become the first Ryedale-trained winner of this Grade 1 race since Canny Danny - also a 33-1 chance - scored for Jimmy FitzGerald in 1983.

Jumping superbly throughout under Russ Garritty, Hussard Collonges was never far off the leaders and, after striking the front at the 11th of the 19 fences, he battled home in brave style to beat Iznogoud, trained by Martin Pipe and ridden by Tony McCoy, by two lengths.

This was a first Festival success for Garritty, who has had precious few fancied rides at the most important fixture in the National Hunt calendar, and who, in fact, was back riding a winner at Hexham 24 hours later on the final day of the Cheltenham meeting.

The popular Malton jockey has never been one to go into minute detail about how he won any race, and this was no exception.

"All I had to do was sit and steer him," he explained modestly, after giving his mount a typical rock-solid ride. With Garritty, what you see is what you get without any attached frills, and there was no theatrical punching of the air as he crossed the line and no bowing to tradition as he brought Hussard Collonges back to the winners' enclosure without waiting for the rest of the runners to precede him.

"Russ gave him a great ride. He got him into a great rhythm of galloping and jumping, which is so important, especially at Cheltenham," said Beaumont, who had been optimistic about "Hussy's" chances beforehand.

"You can never say you're going to win one of the Championship races at the Festival, but I was hoping he'd been in the first five. He's a lovely horse and his previous form had stood up well."

Plans for Hussard Collonges remain fluid. But the gelding, owned by Nick Bannister, who originally hails from Gargrave near Skipton, but who currently works out of New York, will not be reappearing at next month's big Aintree meeting.

"The horse is fine, but Cheltenham takes it out of these novices, mentally as well as physically, and I'll give him a month to get over it," explained Beaumont. "After that, we could take him to Punchestown for a novices' handicap. We'll just have to see how he is nearer the time."

The begging question is whether Hussard Collonges can follow the celebrated hoofprints of Jodami and make it to the top of the senior division of staying chasers by becoming a Gold Cup winner of the future.

Beaumont, reluctant to compare the two horses, or to make predictions, is more inclined just to keep his fingers crossed that his latest star gets the chance to fulfill his enormous potential. "Let's just hope he stays right, that's the main thing," reflected the trainer, who last year suffered the cruel blow of seeing his then star performer, the Scottish Grand National winner Young Kenny succumb to a fatal injury at Haydock.

In a game notorious for its peaks and troughs, last week's Festival success was very much a peak for Peter Beaumont, and for Russ Garritty.

Tom O'Ryan is a staff writer for the Racing Post.

Updated: 10:35 Thursday, March 21, 2002