Tiger set to enjoy victorious farewell
Tiger Roll can bring the curtain down on an incredible career by raising the roof with a fourth win in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase – and a sixth Cheltenham Festival win in all.
The 12-year-old will be best remembered for winning the Grand National twice and it is a shame that he never got the chance to emulate Red Rum.
Nevertheless, his Cheltenham exploits are simply incredible and while Quevega has six victories to her name, they all came in the same race.
What makes Tiger Roll’s achievements far more meritorious for many is that eight years ago he won the Triumph Hurdle and he also won the National Hunt Chase back in 2017.
Even if those were his only career highlights it would be some record, but to add two victories at Aintree as well and we are talking about a little living legend.
It is because of that all the talk about his handicap mark should not sour his achievements, but Gordon Elliott could not have been more bullish in a recent update about his well being.
At the turn of the year French import Prengarde was all the rage for this, but there was very little encouragement to take from his only run in Ireland to date and Easysland seems a shadow of the horse who beat a below-par Tiger Roll a couple of years ago.
A victory for the Tiger will send the returning crowds wild. In the opening Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, Willie Mullins’ decision to swerve the much stronger Supreme on the opening day can pay off with Sir Gerhard.
He looked a strong stayer when seeing off stablemate Kilcruit in the Champion Bumper last season and nothing he has done over hurdles has suggested he will not reach the very top.
While he does lack experience having had only two outings, it shows the regard in which he is held that some were a little disappointed that he only won a Grade One by six lengths at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Bank on Mullins to have sorted his jumping out since then.
The most successful trainer in Festival history might have to give best in the feature on day two, the Betway Queen Mother Champion
Chase, however.
While he does hold an extremely strong hand with Energumene and Chacun Pour
Soi, they face an immovable object in the shape of Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin.
It is hard to see how Energumene
can turn the tables on Shishkin from their Ascot meeting given the Irish raider met every fence on the perfect stride, had the rail to help and Shishkin made a few niggly mistakes but still came out on top.