The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Al Boum Photo retains Gold Cup on final day of racing’s Cheltenham Festival
Victory part of four-timer for top trainer
Al Boum Photo galloped into National Hunt folklore as he joined the elite band of horses to record back-to-back victories in the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Giving Willie Mullins a fantastic fourtimer on the day, Al Boum Photo (100-30 favourite) had to dig deep to see off the opposition in a close finish up the famous hill.
Al Boum Photo, Santini, Lostintranslation and Real Steel had led the pack heading to two out, where Presenting Percy fell.
Paul Townend set sail after the last and the winning post came just in time as Santini closed the gap to a neck at the line.
Lostintranslation was a length and a quarter away in third place, with the alwaysprominent Monalee fourth and Delta Work fifth, having struggled to get into contention following a mistake at the second fence.
The victory was part of a final-day treble for Townend as he claimed the top rider title for the first time at the festival with five winners over the week.
Barry Geraghty also rode five winners, but Townend – also successful yesterday aboard fortuitous Triumph Hurdle heroine Burning Victory and narrow Albert Bartlett victor Monkfish – emerged victorious by virtue of more placings.
Mullins was crowned leading trainer at Cheltenham for a seventh time after saddling seven winners, including a four-timer on the final day.
His great rival Gordon Elliott also won seven races and both had seven seconds, but Mullins claimed the title by six thirds to four.
Mullins said: “Gordon did say to me going out (for the last race), ‘I hope you don’t beat me with a third, at least win the race!’.
“I couldn’t have dreamt of being leading trainer on Tuesday evening or Wednesday evening and certainly not Thursday evening. It’s just been a huge day today and a tremendous week.”
Mullins is the most successful trainer in Festival history with 72 winners, four clear of Nicky Henderson on 68.
JP McManus was leading owner with a phenomenal return of seven winners over the four days, the highlights being Epatante’s Champion Hurdle win on Tuesday and the remarkable triumph of Champ in Wednesday’s RSA Chase.
Saint Roi landed a gamble to continue a superb festival for connections with a convincing victory in the Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Saint Roi may have been lightly-raced, but money talked and the McManus-owned fiveyear-old delivered in style.
Elliott’s Chosen Mate was the punters’ friend as he justified strong market support to lift the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase while Indefatigable got up in the final strides to give trainer Paul Webber his first Festival winner in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.
The four-day fixture had gone ahead despite the backdrop of the coronavirus outbreak, with a total of 251,684 people making the trip to Prestbury Park.
While holding up well, that figure was unsurprisingly down on a record total attendance of 266,557 in 2019, with yesterday’s Gold Cup card drawing 68,859 racegoers, 2,734 less than last year’s record.