WAIT IS OVER
» Jockey Alain Cawley delighted to end his Cheltenham win drought - Showcase meeting round-up
A HARDY contingent of supporters braved the wet and cold to loudly cheer the locally-trained Strong Glance (5/2f) into the winners’ enclosure, in the final race of Cheltenham’s Showcase meeting.
In the saddle Alain Cawley was just as delighted as the half-length victory was his first at Cheltenham for 2,491 days.
Naunton trainer Fergal O’brien had the Jockey Club Ownership Syndicate Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race in mind for some time for this son of Passing Glance, a resident of Batsford Stud in Moreton-in-marsh.
The yard won the two-mile contest in 2017 with Herecomestheboom and the winner looks another nice horse, having been forced to miss the Champion Bumper in March through injury.
Cawley brought the five-year-old wide into the straight and his partner still looked green towards the near-side rail, defeating Master Debonair with a bit more in hand than the official margin.
“We have always loved this horse,” said O’brien.
“He’s special. He did it very well at Southwell before he picked up the injury ahead of The Festival.
“He came back in great form. He’s a brilliant jumper.
“We thought if he went and did what he did today we may keep going (in bumpers).
“Alain has ridden a lot of winners (lately), there were no instructions just do your best. I’m absolutely delighted for the whole team.”
Cawley, who rode his first Cheltenham winner in the 2012 Grade Two Dipper Novices’ Chase on Martin Keighley’s Champion Court, said his winning mount is a horse to keep on side.
“It’s always great to ride winners around here,” he said.
“He’s a nice horse and had the form in the book. We had planned to come here for some time.
“A trip and fences is where you are going to see this horse in the future. He’s a big raw horse with bags of ability.”
O’brien has a line to the form of another of his talented bumper horses from last season, Jarveys Plate.
The Yes No Wait Sorries’ prospect and Strong Glance both defeated Tom George’s Doctor Dex last season.