Il Duce and L'Antartique jumped the last fence together

L'Antartique (13-2) won a dramatic Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham, with favourite Granit Jack suffering a fatal fall two fences from home.

The race had featured a remarkable build-up when Ruby Walsh, Granit Jack's scheduled jockey, dislocated his shoulder in a previous fall.

Liam Heard reached Cheltenham from Uttoxeter just in time to saddle up.

And the five-year-old grey was making his bid when he tumbled on landing at the second last and never recovered.

I wasn't really concerned when he started to freewheel down the hill Graham Lee

L'Antartique's jockey Graham Lee produced a well-judged ride on Ferdy Murphy's seven-year-old - who had won at the Festival in March.

And they clung on to win by a neck from Il Duce.

Knowhere stayed on for third under a big weight, with Palarshan in fourth.

Lee commented: "He's a proper horse isn't he?

"They went very quick and he jumped superb - it's the best he's jumped.

"The boss said to me in the Jewson last year just to tough it out from the top of the hill.

606: DEBATE Terrible news... the first major chase of the season and a high profile tragedy captainvhristy

"I wasn't really concerned when he started to freewheel down the hill and I got there too soon again.

"He's a tough horse. It's natural ability and he's got a lot of it."

It was a desperate afternoon for trainer Paul Nicholls.

Not only did Granit Jack, the winner of March's Supreme Novices Hurdle, die, but another of his horses, Willyanwoody, suffered a fatal fall under Walsh three fences from home in the Jim Brown Memorial Chase.

The fall forced Walsh to bow out of the big race - with Cheltenham waiting on tenterhooks to see if Heard could reach the Gloucestershire course in time.

He is in a lot pain, but it could have been much, much worse Jennifer Walsh on Ruby Walsh

He did, but his race ended disastrously - and tragically for the horse - just when it looked he might pull clear of the field.

Granit Jack had been a multiple chase winner in his native France but had never jumped a British fence in public before Saturday.

Walsh's sister and agent Jennifer Walsh said: "He has dislocated his shoulder and it is the opposite one to the last time it happened.

"It popped out the back rather than the front and they are putting it back into place at the moment.

"He is in a lot pain, but it could have been much, much worse.

"I imagine he will be out for a few weeks, but we're not quite sure at the moment."

Walsh will miss some major races, with Sam Thomas deputising on Kauto Star in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on 24 November and Denman in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury a week later.