Thirty years ago, almost to the day, Viking Flagship produced one of the great Cheltenham Festival performances of all time to win the first of back-to-back Queen Mother Champion Chases.

Those who were at Prestbury Park on 16^th March 1994 will remember the drive, the determination and the sheer will to win that spurred the David Nicholson-trained seven-year-old to an exhilarating victory, as he edged out Travado and Deep Sensation in a grandstand finish.

There was absolutely nothing to split the three horses over the final two fences but jockey Adrian Maguire somehow managed to coax something extra out of the never-say-die Viking Flagship and it was just enough to win by a neck from the Nicky Henderson-trained Travado.

It was one of the most popular wins for many a year. Nicholson, universally known as The Duke, was based just down the road at Jackdaws Castle, not far from Stow-on-the-Wold, and he had plenty of supporters roaring Viking Flagship home that day.

But what made the victory all the more special was that it was the first time the then 54-year-old, who went on to become two-times champion trainer, had won the showpiece two-mile event after a number of near misses.

“It was fantastic for him, he’d come so close in the past with Very Promising and Waterloo Boy,” said Gordon Clarkson, who was a stable lad at Nicholson’s yard in the mid-90s.

These days Clarkson, who lives in Bourton-on-the-Water, is a jockeys’ agent but he has great memories of his time with Nicholson, a time when there was a constant flow of winners. 

“Viking Flagship was the toughest horse ever, without a shadow of doubt,” said Clarkson.

“He was just relentless. He wasn’t the quickest but he used to just gallop and jump.

“He was unbelievable over the final two fences in that first race.

“What Adrian Maguire asked him to do was crazy, only the bravest horse would have won that day.”

Viking Flagship, who was looked after in the yard by Jill Wormall, Richard Bevan and Jimmy Tully, won the Champion Chase a year later in more convincing style with Charlie Swan on board, finishing five lengths clear of the Josh Gifford-trained Deep Sensation.

The horse had always been earmarked as something special, of course, although it’s fair to say he didn’t make the most auspicious of starts over fences.

“It was a novice chase at Nottingham,” recalled Clarkson. “We couldn’t see him getting beaten but he fell at the last.”

That was in February 1993 but over the next couple of months, under the watchful eye of travelling head lad Jez Willis, he reeled off six wins in a row, including two in three days at the Punchestown Festival.

Clarkson was at Punchestown to see that win double and that was just the start.

“A few weeks after his second Champion Chase win he won the Melling Chase at Aintree and he won it again the following year,” Clarkson said. “He was the toughest of the tough.”

Viking Flagship’s final win was at Wetherby in December 1997 and his last race, fittingly, came in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham a few months later.

He finished fifth behind the stunning grey One Man but he left behind a wonderful legacy, winning 19 times over fences and five times over hurdles.

“It was an incredible time,” said Clarkson, who used to look after 1993 King George VI winner Barton Bank. “The Duke was an unbelievable trainer, absolutely unbelievable.

“It was a golden period, we seemed to have winners at every Festival, we were spoilt.”

And so were Viking Flagship’s supporters on that special day at Cheltenham all those years ago.

“I can’t believe it was 30 years ago,” added Clarkson.