First lady of Cheltenham
Winners on day one give NI connections cause to celebrate
RACHAEL Blackmore couldn’t hide her disbelief at becoming the first female jockey to secure Champion Hurdle success after Honeysuckle (11/10 favourite) delivered a scintillating display to maintain her unbeaten streak at Cheltenham.
Henry de Bromhead’s brilliant mare was backed as if her 12th straight victory was a mere formality, and the seven-year-old duly obliged when kicking clear around the home bend before scoring by six and a half lengths as Sharjah (11/1) came up second best in successive renewals.
Honeysuckle has local links, with Banbridge trainer Gerry Cosgrove producing the mare, and he was the first to offer congratulations to the connections.
“She’s a great mare. You couldn’t ask for more. The Champion Hurdle was her biggest test to date but she was also brilliant when destroying the field and winning two Irish Champion Hurdles,” he said.
“She was always easy to settle and her jumping has improved in top company.”
And there were more Northern Ireland celebrations as Galvin supplied Cullybackey trainer Ian Ferguson with a second Cheltenham Festival victory after the Foxhunters in 2011 with Zemsky.
The winner is owned by longtime patron Ronnie Bartlett, who also won the National Hunt Chase in 2018 with Rathvinden.
Galvin, partnered by Jack Kennedy, travelled well and was always handy. Despite a couple of novice mistakes, he proved the very easy winner of the marathon contest.
Ferguson buys all the Airdrie-based owner’s young stock and had broken and tutored the son of Goldwell as a youngster. Bartlett also owned the dual Cheltenham Festival winner and top-class Simonsig.
Ferguson said: “I’m delighted for Ronnie (Bartlett) as he’s a very long-standing owner and a great supporter and sponsor at Cheltenham.
“I don’t know where he’ll go next — I’ll discuss that with the owner. That’s his fifth win in a row and he is better for a break and when fresh.”
Winning jockey Kennedy added: “It’s brilliant for Ian Ferguson, who buys all the owner’s horses and pre-trains them.”
Back to Honeysuckle, and she confirmed her place as an equine superstar while Blackmore continues to rewrite the record books, with the Tipperary rider’s achievements a reminder that nothing is impossible having had no racing pedigree in her family.
“I just can’t believe we just won a Champion Hurdle,” the bewildered 31-year-old repeated after yesterday’s showpiece before expanding on her humble beginnings.
“This was never even a dream, it was so far from what I thought could happen in my life.
“To be in Cheltenham riding the winner of the Champion Hurdle, it’s just so far removed from anything I thought could ever be possible. So maybe there’s a lesson in that for everyone.
“To young people out there, male, female or whatever, if you want to go and do something, go and do it, because me standing here right now shows anything can happen.”
A school tour to see threetime Champion Hurdle winner Istabraq inspired her as a youngster and, having joined that racing icon on the illustrious roll of honour, she encouraged others to chase their passion.
“There’s no deal about female jockeys any more. If you want to
be a jockey, you can be a jockey — drive on,” she added.
Blackmore’s partnership with De Bromhead has been a revelation and the Killenaule native was the first to laud the Waterford trainer for providing her with the “right horses” and producing Honeysuckle in scintillating
form every day she races.
The history-maker played down her own role when stating that she was lucky to “be in the right place at the right time”, while the four-time Festivalwinning rider believes that the best is yet to come from Honeysuckle after another “career best”.
“I’m just so thankful to be a part of her. It’s all about her. She’s unbeaten, that’s just incredible, and she’s getting better the whole time. She’s improving. Her run the last day was a career best until today,” she beamed.
A Cheltenham like no other commenced in silence — aside from the virtual roar which greeted the opener — but there was plenty of familiarity at the Cotswolds as Willie Mullins (above) mopped up his seventh Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Appreciate It (8/11 favourite) obliterated a Grade One field by 24 lengths under Paul Townend with a jaw-dropping performance as Mullins, who bagged his 73rd Festival winner, compared it to the wizardry of 2014 victor Vautour.
Sharjah was one of four seconds for Mullins and Townend, the most frustrating of which was the narrow defeat of Concertista in the Mares’ Hurdle as the 10/11 favourite was nabbed right on the line by the fast-finishing Black Tears (11/1).
It was only a matter of time before a former Gordon Elliott runner made the scoresheet and Kennedy timed his run to perfection to hand Denise ‘Sneezy’ Foster her first Festival winner after a trying time for the Meath yard in the wake of the photo scandal that rocked racing to its core.
“We’ve gone through a tough time, everyone has stuck together and we’ve pulled through. That just goes to show what a team we have at home that we are able to keep going. The amount of effort that everyone puts in at home, it’s days like these that make it all worthwhile,” the 21-year-old said, before then guiding Galvin (7/2) to win and wrap up a 53/1 double to leave leading the jockeys’ standings at the of day one.
The champagne didn’t stop there for the raiding party as Jeff Kidder (80/1) became the longest-priced Festival winner in 31 years to provide Sean Flanagan with his maiden win at the Olympics of jumps racing.
Noel Meade’s charge was written off in almost every quarter before the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, but Flanagan came with a late surge to deny Mullins’ Saint Sam (9/2 favourite) by two lengths.
Cheltenham
WILLIE Mullins has wrapped his hands around nearly every major jumps prize throughout a glittering training career and Chacun Pour Soi bids to end his long wait for Champion Chase success in today’s feature on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.
Mullins has had plenty of heartbreak in the two-mile showpiece with Douvan (2/9 favourite) failing to fire in 2017, while Un De Sceaux (4/6) was turned over a year earlier, but Chacun Pour Soi has looked a class apart in his seven starts.
After an 11th-hour withdrawal 12 months ago, can the brilliant nine-year-old set the record straight today and provide his trainer with one of the rare prizes that has eluded him?
1.20 GRADE ONE BALLYMORE NOVICES’ HURDLE (2m5f )
THE three-way battle of the Festival as Bob Olinger, Gaillard Du Mesnil and Bravemansgame lock horns.
Paul Nicholls has already made favourable comparisons between Bravemansgame and Denman, but even the 2008 Gold Cup winner was turned over in this race before dominating over fences, and that may be where Bravemansgame will flourish.
Bob Olinger was beaten first time out over hurdles when chasing home Champion Bumper winner Ferny Hollow, before subsequently landing the Grade One Lawlor’s Of Naas in good style for Henry de Bromhead, and he is a huge danger to Gaillard Du Mesnil.
Mullins can work the oracle in the opener again, though, as Gaillard Du Mesnil put a star-studded field to the sword last month in a Leopardstown Grade One.
VERDICT: Gaillard Du Mesnil can take the first for Mullins.
1.55 GRADE ONE BROWN ADVISORY NOVICES’ CHASE (3m80yds)
MONKFISH has frightened away most opposition, as last year’s Albert Bartlett Hurdle winner has been imperious in his three starts over fences.
Twice successful at Grade One level, he looks to be getting better with each run and Mullins’ seven-year-old is 11lb clear of his nearest rival on official ratings with his five opponents set to play for second place.
The Big Breakaway hasn’t been seen since finishing second to Shan Blue in a Kempton Grade One on Boxing Day when his jumping let him down and the best of the English may be Sporting John.
Philip Hobbs’ charge left a poor chasing debut well behind when defeating Shan Blue in the Grade One Scilly Isles at Sandown last month.
VERDICT: Sporting John can chase home Monkfish.
2.30 GRADE THREE CORAL CUP HANDICAP HURDLE (2m5f )
THERE have been just 10 Irishtrained winners, with the home team traditionally packing a much stronger punch, and Nicky Henderson is the most successful trainer in the race’s history with four wins since 2010, including the past two renewals.
Victory for Dame De Compagnie last year was the first favourite to oblige since 2003 and Henderson has another strong team, with Monte Cristo (11-2) and Craigneiche (10-10) both runaway winners on their most recent starts.
Henderson’s former inmate Grand Roi (11-6) is of interest for Denise Foster having landed a Limerick Grade Two in good style over Christmas, while Mullins saddles a quartet of runners with Paul Townend’s mount Koshari (11-3) a talking horse at Closutton.
Stablemate Blue Sari (10-9), runner-up to Envoi Allen in the 2019 Champion Bumper, could be flung in off a mark of 138, though, should he bounce back to something like his best.
The six-year-old must leave some poor recent form behind,
but the JP Mcmanus colours command huge respect in Cheltenham handicaps. VERDICT: Blue Sari can bounce back to his best.
3.05 GRADE ONE BETWAY QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE (1m7f199yds)
THE late omission of Altior is disappointing, but it doesn’t take the gloss off a star-studded feature where half of the field are rated 165 or above.
Chacun Pour Soi faces the unique demands of Cheltenham for the first time, but he has been phenomenal since joining Mullins with four Grade One victories among his six wins and his sole defeat coming at the hands of Gold Cup fancy A Plus Tard.
Cilaos Emery was a surprise inclusion for Mullins and doesn’t have much to find to be in the mix, while last year’s winner Politologue should find the going much tougher this time.
Last year’s Arkle winner Put The Kettle On is unbeaten in three Cheltenham starts and cannot be discounted despite no mare prevailing in this contest before, while De Bromhead also saddles outsider Notebook in a race which the Waterford trainer has won twice in the past decade.
First Flow has won six on the bounce and Kim Bailey’s nineyear-old is another which could ask questions of the favourite, but Nube Negra may be the most likely to take Chacun Pour Soi down.
The Skelton brothers, trainer Dan and jockey Harry, are in flying form and, having lowered the colours of Altior last time out in his sole start this season, the seven-year-old (third in the Boodles on his only Festival start in 2018) has the perfect profile to go close. VERDICT: Nube Negra (e/w) can flourish.
3.40 GLENFARCLAS CROSS COUNTRY CHASE (3m6f )
THE popular choice would be victory for Tiger Roll, with the dual Cross Country winner bidding for his fifth Festival victory, but the 11-year-old hasn’t been at his best since suffering defeat in this contest 12 months ago.
French raider Easysland had far too much for him on that occasion and a vote for Tiger Roll is more in hope than expectation.
And while the reigning champion looks the most likely to prevail once again, David Cottin’s charge trades at prohibitive odds.
The seven-year-old was a below-par fourth here in November and hasn’t been seen since so value is sought elsewhere.
Irish trainers have landed 13 of the 16 runnings and Some Neck may be the fly in the ointment.
John Mcconnell has excelled across the water this season and with Richard Johnson in the plate, the 10-year-old looks the value each-way alternative. VERDICT: Some Neck (e/w) can provide value for punters.
4.15 GRADE THREE JOHNNY HENDERSON GRAND ANNUAL HANDICAP CHASE (2m)
ONLY one winner has carried more than 11-5 to victory since the turn of the Millennium, so that makes the task of 2020 hero Chosen Mate (11-10) a bit tougher, although the talented Jordan Gainford takes a valuable 7lb off for new trainer Foster.
Embittered (11-0) was third in the County Hurdle last March for Joseph O’brien and, despite still being a maiden over fences, the seven-year-old will find this task much easier.
O’brien also saddles another five-chase maiden in the shape of Entoucas (10-11), but more improvement is expected from some decent efforts in lucrative handicap chases, although Nick Williams may have the answer to this riddle.
The Devon trainer landed handicaps at the 2018 and 2019 Festivals and this has been the target for Moonlighter (11-1) from a long way out. The eight-yearold could spring a surprise at a big price after showing his rude health at Sandown last month. VERDICT: Moonlighter can solve a difficult puzzle.
4.50 GRADE ONE WEATHERBYS CHAMPION BUMPER 4-6YO (2m87yds)
MULLINS has trained the winner on 10 occasions — including the first two home last year — and it’s no surprise to see him with a host of leading chances. His hand was further strengthened by the arrival of Sir Gerhard — his owners Cheveley Park have won the last two renewals — and the Listed bumper winner did nothing wrong in his two starts under Rules for Gordon Elliott.
There could be more to come, but it’s hard to get away from the ease with which Kilcruit obliterated a star-studded field in the Grade Two bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival last month, and that tips the balance.
That jaw-dropping display puts him 7lb clear on ratings and anything close to a repeat will see him prevail under Paul Townend, with Grangee also a live each-way contender for Mullins, while the exciting Three Stripe Life is an intriguing challenger for Foster.
VERDICT: Kilcruit can confirm his class under Townend.