JAMIE AND J.J. DELIVER
Wexford jockeys steer home three Cheltenham winners
WEXFORD JOCKEYS Jamie Codd and J.J. Slevin were the toast of Cheltenham last week as they steered home three winners between them at the famous festival.
Codd enjoyed a wonderful Wednesday in the Cotswolds that yielded two winners, Cause of Causes (4/1) in the Cross Country Chase, and Fayonagh (7/1) in the Champion Bumper, both saddled by top trainer Gordon Elliott.
Cause of Causes holds a special place in the heart of the Mayglass man, with the amateur partnering him to victory in three consecutive festivals, becoming only the fourth horse to win three different races at the meeting after a battling success ahead of stablemate Bless The Wings in the Cross Country Chase.
‘He’s run at four Festivals now, been second once and won three times. He’s a great little horse, a real dinger, he’s been marvellous for my career. He ran in January here and took a while to warm to it,’ Codd said after the race.
‘He came back in February when the sales were on and he schooled really well. He also schooled well this morning and I thought he’d run a big race. He’s an idle little horse but quick when you need him to be. I sit in J.T’s (McNamara) place in the weighing room and he was king of the banks so to finally win one at last, I’m over the moon.’
Codd produced a masterclass in the saddle to get Fayonagh home in front in the Champion Bumper after blowing the start. After the tardy beginning, the mare was in last position for much of the race, before she showed a remarkable turn of foot to allow Codd to scythe through the field like a knife through butter and collar runner-up Debuchet on the run-in.
‘We had a false start. I had a great position for that, and I was actually lined up nicely for the second start but she got a fright and just halted for about two and a half seconds. I thought I had lost all chance, to be honest, and so I just followed them,’ he said.
‘All the way down the hill I followed, followed, followed, and just once I switched her out turning in, I thought I’d run on to be second or third or fourth maybe. To be fair to her, she’s quickened and quickened. It’s pure ability that has got me there in the end. She’s a great mare,’ he said.
Fayonagh was formerly owned by local auctioneer Claude Howlin and his wife Niamh, and Joe and Suzanne Doyle from Rathnure, and trained by Richie Rath from Screen.
The horse was then sold to Mark and Maura Gittins at the sales in December for £64,000 stg. on the recommendation of Codd, who works with Tattersalls Ireland, and was sent to trainer Gordon Elliott.
‘It’s a great story for the Tattersalls sale - to buy a horse and come back to win at The Festival a few months later; it’s remarkable,’ Codd said.
Codd was fulsome in his praise for trainer Elliott, who just edged out Willie Mullins after the four days to land the accolade of leading trainer.
‘I’ll say it again, Gordon is a remarkable trainer - that is his fifth winner of The Festival and it is only two days old. It’s incredible. Whatever happens from now on, it is made.