MEDINAS sprang a 33-1 surprise for jockey Wayne Hutchinson and trainer Alan King in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham.

Hutchinson brought Medinas with a rattling run on the wide outside to challenge at the final flight, as the winner's stablemate Meister Eckhart and Fiveforthree from the Willie Mullins stable battled it out on the stands side.

Medinas, winner of the Welsh Champion Hurdle on his previous start, held the aces and swept to victory by two lengths from Meister Eckhart with Fiveforthree just a nose away. Master Of The Sea was fourth and Ericht fifth.

Hutchinson said: "He has such a big heart.

"He won off 140 (at Ffos Las) and has gone up to 148 - I didn't think he had anything to play with.

"He's like a little pony, but he fought like a terrier down to the last."