Pendleton No Longer on Fringe

Getty Images

Victoria Pendleton finished fifth on Pacha Du Polder as Nina Carberry and On The Fringe won the St James's Place Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham.

The double Olympic cycling champion had her mount at the rear of the field for much of the race but as her rivals tired she moved up.

But Carberry was far too strong with 13-8 favourite On The Fringe recording back-to-back wins in the race.

"It's probably the greatest achievement of my life," said Pendleton.

"I'm overwhelmed - thank you to everyone who has made this possible. I feel honoured."

Nina Carberry was celebrating her sixth Cheltenham Festival career win

The 35-year-old, who won Olympic gold in the sprint at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the keirin at the 2012 London Games, had never sat on a horse this time last year.

But she has worked hard over the last 12 months, earning her first win at Wincanton on Pacha Du Polder, trained by Paul Nicholls, last month and the decision was made for her to ride at the Festival.

"I can't believe I did it and I got around," she added. "There are things I would like to do again but this horse is a legend. It's the most fun I have ever had."

Trainer Paul Nicholls told BBC Radio 5 live: "It's great for the team that won the race, but for Victoria to finish fifth after all the doubters was superb. We would not have let it happen if we had a doubt.

"She's had a thrill and I think it's good for racing all around the world. She's ridden a winner in everyone's eyes."

BBC Radio 5 live's Luke Harvey: "That was an unbelievable performance. She rode superbly. You saw her confidence increase and she was weaving and scything through the field. That was unbelievable. Walt Disney stuff.

"She was getting a better reception than the winner. To get round at Cheltenham only 12 months after getting on a horse for a first time is amazing."

Owner Andy Stewart is hoping the rules governing amateur licences will be changed to allow Pendleton the chance to take on the Grand National fences in the Foxhunters Chase at Aintree.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "All the dissenters said she would fall off at the first, but I've had plenty of my jockeys fall off at the first. She got round nicely and the horse looked after her.

"I just hope the rules will be changed between the Category A and B licences so she can ride him at Aintree.

"She's got to have a couple more rides under Rules or the rules have got to be changed to ride at Aintree."

Related articles

• Cheltenham Festivals graphic identity and illustrations unveiled
• Arctic Fire withdraws from Cheltenham
• Le Reve on course for Crabbie's Grand National 2016 bid
• It's about time Aintree cracked down on these drunken semi-clad Barbies
• The Culture & Fashion Of British Horse Racing
• Explosion Kills At Least 28 Near Turkish Parliament In Ankara

Keirin Pendleton Lives Greatest Moment

Victoria Pendleton has labelled her Olympic keirin triumph as the greatest moment of her sporting career.

Pendleton was left in tears of despair on Thursday after Britain were relegated in the team sprint but bounced back with a gold medal ride just 24 hours later.

The keirin was meant to be Pendleton's Achilles heel - she had claimed only one world title compared to six in the individual sprint - but she won her heat and semi-final before edging out China's Guo Shuang in the final.

And the 31-year-old, who won the individual sprint title in Beijing four years ago, had no hesitation in announcing that the victory was her finest ever on the track.

"This is the greatest moment in my career so far," said Pendleton, who is set to retire after attempting to defend her sprint title.

"I think a lot of people kind of wrote me off after 2011. I had a really rubbish year. Injury, personal 'issues', family issues, a lot of things that just nearly made me give up.

"A lot of people thought I'd passed my best and I just wanted to prove them wrong, so this does feel pretty good."

Her bid for a hat-trick of golds went up in smoke on Thursday when she and Jess Varnish were penalised for a technical infringement, but Pendleton always knew she stood a good chance of redemption.

She added: "All I did was take the fact that my form yesterday was excellent - I was by far the fastest second lap here.

"It was a personal best from me in both rides, so I knew my legs were the best they have ever been in my entire life, so how could I not come into this and really give it a great shot?"

World champion Anna Meares led shortly after the departure of the motorised Derny bike but faded to fifth on the final lap.

"The plan was a good one but I just didn't execute it very well," the Australian said.

"I was expecting the best Vicky. She's bounced back from the team sprint. I face the same challenge now leading into the sprint and I'll be up for it."

Meares also denied being adversely effected by the partisan crowd, three of whom were ejected on Thursday.

But she added: "I am surprised there are so many British in the crowd. I thought the ticket distribution would be a little more even."

GB Win Record Gold at Velodrome

Great Britain won two gold medals with world record times on a thrilling first night of finals at the Track World Cup in London's Olympic Velodrome.

Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish set a new world best of 32.754 seconds as they beat Kaarle McCulloch and Anna Meares of Australia in the team sprint.

Dani King, Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell then beat Canada in a record 3:18.148 in the team pursuit final.

Sir Chris Hoy led GB's men's sprint team to bronze as they edged Australia.

The team of Ross Edgar, Jason Kenny and Hoy had missed out on a final place in the qualifying session, and Germany went on to beat France for gold in the evening, but Hoy was overwhelmed by the atmosphere in the new velodrome.

"Honestly, I've never been to any venue, any track in the world, and seen any home nation get the support we've had today," he told BBC Sport. "The wall of noise when you're on the track is unbelievable.

"We all had lumps in our throat when Vicky and Jess were on the podium and it's hard not to get caught up in that emotion.

"I believe the crowd have been a decisive factor in our performances today. Goodness knows what it will be like in a few months' time."

And asked about his team's performance ahead of April's World Championships in Melbourne, and the Olympic Games in August, Hoy said: "We're probably about a length and a half behind [the top men's sprint teams] but we're a new formation, a new combination, and that was our fastest time since 2009.

"It's a medal; it's not gold, but it's a medal. Bring on the Olympics."

Kenny, who will battle Hoy for Britain's individual sprint spot at the Olympics, added: "We've been messing around a bit with the formation but we're definitely getting better and we can bridge that gap before the Worlds."

Pendleton and Varnish produced a stunning performance to beat world champions McCulloch and Meares in the first final of the evening, breaking the world best set by the Australian pair earlier in the day.

It gave a raucous home crowd the perfect start to the first big night of action at the Olympic venue.

"It is unbelievable, the crowd just roared," Pendleton told BBC Sport. "I was shaking on my bike."

The reigning Olympic sprint champion, who has struggled at times since Beijing while Meares has swept all before her, added: "I think it says we're a force to be reckoned with.

"We're quite a new team and we tried something a bit new with the gears in the final, and I think we learned something. It's a risk you've got to take - now is the time."

Varnish said: "I can't believe it, I need to pinch myself. It feels like a dream."

The British pursuit team had a change of line-up between the afternoon qualifying session and the final, with King coming in for Wendy Houvenaghel in a tactical switch, and it paid off.

"It was absolutely amazing," said King. "This time last week I wasn't 100% and I just want to thank all the people who believed in me. The girls were absolutely amazing."

Britain's Ben Swift finished third in the omnium elimination race to leave him eighth overall, with the pursuit, scratch race and kilo to come on Saturday.

Meares and McCulloch in Record

Australians, Anna Meares and Kaarle McCulloch, set the first world record at the new Olympic Velodrome on day two of the London Track World Cup meeting.

The duo, competing in the women's team sprint qualifying, clocked 32.828 seconds to break their own record, set in March 2010, by 0.095 seconds.

Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish set a new British record of 32.966 and will take on the world champions for gold.

The final will be shown live on BBC Sport later on Friday.

"We're going to go faster tonight, I'm confident of that," said McCulloch. "I was a little bit nervous for the first one."

Meares, the reigning world champion in the team sprint, individual sprint and keirin, added: "This is the best possible outcome we could be having - an Australia-British final. This is the closest thing to what will happen at the Olympic Games, racing them in the final."

Fast times are expected at the new velodrome, which was designed by Australian Ron Webb with record-breaking performances in mind.

The World Cup meeting is the first competitive event at the 6,000-seat venue, and the track suffered its first damage when a four-rider crash during the men's omnium event forced the race to be suspended for a few minutes while repairs were carried out.