Ryanair boss is flying as Balko scores
M ICHAEL O’LEARY kept his own cash for the first time when Balko Des Flos gave him that elusive first winner of the Ryanair Chase — the race he sponsors.
“It’s cost me a fortune trying to win this race,” said O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair.
“I think I’ve had a runner every year since we first sponsored (2006) and we’ve had so many seconds (four) and thirds (two).
“It’s usually Willie Mullins and Ruby’s (Walsh) day. I’m going to enjoy this.”
O’Leary, celebrating his third winner on the trot following the victories of Shattered Love in the JLT and Delta Work in the Pertemps Final, added: “When you fire enough bullets one of them is bound to hit the target at some stage — we just haven’t had enough bullets.”
O’Leary, never one to hold back and fire off strong opinions about his trainers and jockeys, admitted: “I’m very emotionally attached to this race and it’s the one opportunity I get for my wife to give me some jewellery (she presented him with the winning cup).
“The children are all at home watching so it’s a very special day.”
This was another vintage ride from Davy Russell, who has felt O’Leary’s wrath in the past. He lost his position as his retained rider for O’Leary in December 2013.
But time is a great healer and the pair have now clearly made up.
“It’s an awful shame that Michael doesn’t lose any money but I’ll get some of it, which is great,” said Russell.
“Michael is a good man, a very good man. We get on very well and he’s supported me in my career.
“We’ve had bit of blip, but everybody has bit of blip.”
Russell was fortunate to be riding after banging his knee following a fall from Bless The Wings in the Cross-Country Chase on Wednesday.
“I have to be very grateful to Brian Hughes,” explained Russell. “He ran out to his car as he had an ice machine.
“I was the last to leave the racecourse last night, along with Brian. He was very kind to me and it was only with Brian’s help and the help of the team here otherwise I would not have been able to do my job.”
Ironically, Mullins had trained Balko Des Flos before O’Leary famously removed 60 horses from his stables when the trainer increased his training fees. Now under the care of Henry de Bromhead, who said: “To beat Un De Sceaux (the second home) who is one of the best around is something special.
“I thought our chances of upsetting him were slipping when he took up the running But my horse got such a cool ride off Davy. He got into such a lovely rhythm and his jumping was brilliant.”
Mullins, the trainer of Un De Sceaux, who won this race last year, had no excuses. “He was a little exuberant, but I think the winner won very well,” he said. “We can’t have any complaints about our horse as he ran very well.”
Cue Card, also a past winner of the race (2013), was pulled up after making the running for the first mile, suggesting retirement is imminent.
Colin Tizzard, his trainer, said: “It was sad to see Cue Card stop so quickly. We will make a decision about his future in the next couple of days.” ❑SAM TWISTON-DAVIES is to appeal against a £1,000 fine he incurred on Wednesday for
breaking the Queen Mother Champion Chase parade early, insisting that his mount Politologue was unruly in the preliminaries and was a danger to others.
Twiston-Davies said: “He misbehaved badly and as he’d already injured one of the travelling head lads’ arms — he’s here today with his arm in plaster — I was worried he was going to do the same again.”