Golden Nomad proved himself to be a very tough performer, when showing real battling skills to get off the mark at Toomebridge. Racing wide on his seasonal reappearance, he struck the front on the climb to the back straight, and showed his pace when stretching the field along the back straight. This is a notable tricky part of the course, with three downhill fences taken in quick succession, and it was the last of these which caught him out. Having got his rivals under pressure, Golden Nomad made what could have been a crucial mistake as it allowed his chief rival to get back into the race. Impressively, he was able to fend off this rival in battling fashion.