Put The Kettle On brews something very special!
IRISH SUCCESS ON ST PATRICK’S DAY IN THE QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE
PUT The Kettle On (17-2) carried on trainer Henry De Bromhead’s and Ireland’s superb start to the Festival with a battling victory in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.
On St Patrick’s Day, under Aidan Coleman the seven-year-old became the first mare in history to win the Grade One feature on the second day at Prestbury Park.
De Bromhead, whose Honeysuckle helped Rachael Blackmore became the first female rider to win the Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the meeting, was at it again having his third win of this year’s Festival and a third in the Champion Chase.
Having won the opener, the Ballymore
Novices’ Hurdle with favourite Bob Olinger under Blackmore, De Bromhead doubled up to deny Willie Mullins’s 8-13 favourite Chacun Pour Soi – who was third.
It was the fourth straight win for Irish-trained runners on the second day – Tiger Roll and Sir Gerhard brought up and fifth and sixth success later on – to make it an extra special St Patrick’s Day. Even if the usual exodus from the Emerald Isle couldn’t cheer them on with the Festival going ahead behind-closeddoors due to the pandemic.
Last year’s winner Politologue was a late absentee, withdrawn on veterinary advice, seemingly leaving Chacun Pour Soi with the chance to provide his trainer Mullins with a first victory in the Champion Chase.
But it didn’t work out like that, as Put The Kettle On – along with Rouge Vif – cut out much of the running in the two-mile contest.
Rouge Vif faded coming over the last two fences, but as the challengers appeared – including Chacun Pour Soi – on the heels of the leader, Put The Kettle On galloped on determinedly.
The mare, who had won the Arkle Chase over course and distance at last year’s Festival, held on by half-alength from Nube Negra (11-1).
De Bromhead, who has won the Champion Chase with Sizing Europe (2011) and Special Tiara (2017), said: “She’s an incredible mare, I’m delighted for the owners, it’s just brilliant, the stuff you dream about.
“She’s so tough and Aidan was brilliant on her. He really asked her at the last three and that probably won him the race.
“I don’t know what it is about this place. A couple of weeks ago she just wasn’t herself, but we freshened her up as much as we could and she seemed much better. When she arrived here she was what we expected. She’s a bit mad actually.
“I have to congratulate everyone at home, but especially Andrea who looks after her and puts up with her antics every day, it’s special for her. She’s quite wild at home, she’s a great character. Mid-february I was probably leaning towards running in the Mares’ Chase, but we all discussed it and I looked at the stats for the previous year’s Arkle winner in this and they are ridiculous so we said we’d give it a lash and see.
“Winning the Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase with mares especially, it’s the stuff of dreams. I’m just delighted.”
TRIBUTES have been paid to the first head teacher of a Nottinghamshire primary school.
Doreen Gretton, who has been described as a “great encourager” of her pupils, passed away recently at the age of 104.
Born in 1916, she was the first head teacher at Tollerton Primary School, from 1959 until 1976.
She had been a deputy head in West Bridgford and applied to be head at Tollerton School before it had even been constructed.
Her son Steve Gretton recalled going to look around the school at the time which was “just a field with some marker sticks”.
In her time, the school grew rapidly from two classes to about six classrooms, and the main hall and kitchens.
She has been described as a great lover of trees and kept pets at the school including chickens, rabbits and even a chinchilla.
Mr Gretton said his mum was an “active teacher” and she was thankful she was there before head teachers “became mainly administrators”.
Kate Aucott, who also taught at Tollerton, described her as “firm but fair” and the current head teacher of the school, Caroline Aldrich, added that Doreen “took a great deal of interest in everyone and listened intently” to her pupils.
On one occasion, Doreen commented that the children were always talking about ‘millions’ and the whole school was set the task of making 1,000,000 dots on sheets of paper and laying them out on the school floor so they could understand the number.
After she retired, she was involved in the National Association for Gifted Children.
Mr Gretton said his mum’s mind was “alert to the end” as she embarked upon a world tour at the age 82 with her cousin.
In preparation, she took extra driving lessons for an automatic transmission car so she could help with the driving in New Zealand.
She continued driving until she was 95 and thought nothing of driving 150 miles from Nottingham to Bath where Mr Gretton lived.
If you were a pupil at Tollerton during her time, Mr Gretton is asking for any memories about his mum via email to steve.gretton@ gmail.com.