Champion canter for Espoir D’allen By Marcus Armytage
Cromwell stages a coup in first day’s big race Favourites flop as rookie romps to 15-length win The green and gold hoops carried by the horses of JP Mcmanus may be the most instantly recognisable in jump racing, but after the early domination by Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson, the two most successful trainers at this meeting, yesterday’s Unibet Champion Hurdle seemed like an edition of New Faces.
The five-year-old Espoir D’allen was an eighth Champion Hurdle winner for Mcmanus, but it marked a first triumph on such a stage for Gavin Cromwell, a trainer who until a couple of years ago was better known as Gordon Elliott’s farrier, and due reward for Mcmanus’s second jockey, Mark Walsh.
The result was also a bonanza for bookmakers, as the 16-1 shot led home a 20-1 shot, Melon, runner-up for the second year in succession, and 80-1 outsider Silver Streak. However, it looked more like the finish of a four-mile chase as Walsh – no relation to the more celebrated Ruby – and Espoir D’allen, accompanied only by a loose horse, galloped home 15 lengths clear.
That loose horse was Buveur D’air and the race was blown apart when Henderson’s two-time winner stepped at the third hurdle, clipped the top and fell, bringing down Sharjah.
The writing was on the wall for the 7-4 favourite Apple’s Jade at the top of the hill when she began to retreat, although Jack Kennedy, her jockey, felt she had never been going at any stage. She eventually trailed in sixth. The other fancied mare, Laurina, the 5-2 second favourite, finished a tired fourth.
Take nothing away from the winner, however. He might well have won anyway. One of three horses the Meath-based Cromwell trains for Mcmanus among his string of 50, he has been beaten only once in nine starts and, although it is easily pointed out in hindsight, he was the unexposed horse in the race, almost unbeaten.
He travelled superbly well and moved easily into the front line three out. From then on, although Melon kept at it, there really was only one winner.
“Everything went well for me,” explained Walsh. “When Buveur D’air fell I escaped and slotted into a pocket behind Ruby and went past him very easily when Laurina made a mistake at the third-last.
“He took me to the front two out, and going to the last I thought there was a rider on the back of the loose horse so I gave a big sigh of a relief when I saw there wasn’t.”
The winner was the first fiveyear-old since Katchit, and hopefully there are a few more Champion Hurdles in him yet. “Chatting to Gavin beforehand he said ride him for a place – we got a place, first place,” said Walsh.
Cromwell, who came to notice here when he sent out Raz De Maree to win the Welsh National last year, still keeps his eye in as farrier though, ironically, he shod Apple’s Jade yesterday and left Espoir D’allen’s feet to an apprentice.
“I’m lost for words,” said the quietly spoken trainer. “Espoir D’allen is French-bred and they do mature a little earlier. He wouldn’t stand out in the string on his work but he’s a gorgeous-looking horse.
“Charlie Swan [who won three Champion Hurdles for Mcmanus on Istabraq] found him in France and he came to me after winning his juvenile bumper there. I started training a few pointers, enjoyed it and it went from there. I still do a bit of farriery because the only way to make it pay is with 145 horses.” The understated Mcmanus was unsure of his precise Champion Hurdle tally. “When you win a Champion Hurdle you have to be happy and it is still very special to win any championship race,” he said.
“What happened to Buveur D’air was his own making. It’s been a lucky race for me, other races not so, but we will always celebrate, win or lose.”