SHUNTER GATHERER
ROBBIE WEIGHS IN WITH HUGE EFFORT TO LAND GREATWOOD GAMBLE
ROBBIE POWER won his battle with the scales and then the Unibet Greatwood Hurdle as The Shunter sluiced through the Cheltenham mud to victory.
Riding off his lightest weight for almost a decade, the jockey booted Emmet Mullins’ 13- 2 shot clear to land a gamble for Ireland.
But it wasn’t all plain sailing for the seven- year- old, backed in from double- figure prices overnight, as he was off the bridle with two hurdles to jump.
At least five rivals travelled better, but Power persisted and The Shunter found another gear to race into contention at the final flight.
A fluent leap propelled him forward to seize the initiative from Ballyandy ( 8- 1) as Tegerek ( 4- 1f) ran on for third. “That is the lightest weight ( 10 stone) I have done for about 10 years, I would say!” said Power.
“Emmet fancied him; the rain came – he is more of a two and a half miler, but with the rain coming, it brought stamina into play.”
Power had a much easier time of things in the mallardjewellers. com Novices’ Chase when The Big Breakaway ( 4- 9f) never came out of second gear.
The chasing debutant made the fences look small on his way to a 10- length defeat of Doc Penfro – but the winning margin could have been double that. “He’s a horse that makes me tingle, he’s that special,” said assistant trainer Joe Tizzard.
In the Grade Two Shloer Chase,
Put The Kettle On ( 7- 4) rallied from an unpromising position to keep her unbeaten Cheltenham record intact.
Henry De Bromhead’s mare dug deep for Aidan Coleman and joined wandering leader Duc Des Genievres up the run- in.
Once alongside, momentum carried her a length- and- threequarters clear.
Race favourite Defi Du Seuil ran a shocker and Richard Johnson called it a day before the final fence.
“A previous Arkle winner was second and where was everyone else? In another parish. Fair play to her,” Coleman said.
Betfair make the winner an 8- 1 chance ( from 14- 1) to land a fourth win at the track in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at next March’s Festival.