Bridget Andrews

Mohaayed Randox Health County Hurdle

FROM cutting school to springing a Jackpot-busting 33/1 surprise last year, Bridget Andrews (right) has quite a Cheltenham story.

From a racing family, she recalls: “During The Festival, mum would try to pick us up 10 minutes early from school – she used to say we had a dentist appointment so we could get home in time to watch the big races!”

The extracurricular activity clearly paid off as elder sister Gina won the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir in 2017 and Andrews had high hopes for the County Hurdle last year until Harry Skelton, her boyfriend and the first-string jockey at Dan Skelton’s yard, intervened.

“I thought I was riding Spiritof the games,” she recalls. “I was excited to be going there with a good chance, but the ground changed and Harry wanted to ride him.”

That relegated her to Mohaayed – “a lovely horse”, but one whose chance was summed up pre-race by the trainer.

Andrews recalls: “Before I went out on Mohaayed, Dan said ‘have a nice ride but keep out of trouble, we need you to ride later’.”

Yet nobody told the 33/1 shot he wasn’t fancied and Andrews says: “He travelled really well. Harry gave me a shout not to get there too soon because he knows Mohaayed well.”

Cue romantic celebrations with Skelton, who had dead-heated for fifth, the first to embrace an “absolutely shocked” winning rider.

As for 2019? A realistic Andrews says: “We’ll probably run a couple in the big handicaps, if they are favourite Harry will be on them. But Dan doesn’t run horses if they have no chance – and you can see what happened last year.”