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Picture of the Day
The Cheltenham Gold
Cup (Grade 1):
The winner returns – Sizing
John
trained by Jessica
Harrington and ridden by Robbie Power
I took my suitcase and sports bag to
the car before reporting to the main hall for breakfast at 07:00.
Breakfast today was a bowl of cornflakes,
plus a cooked breakfast of three rashers of bacon, scrambled egg and a giant
mushroom, plus two yoghurts. And a pot
of coffee, enough to make 3 cups thereof.
I then packed my remaining luggage
before paying the bill and checking out.
It had been my aim to leave Eynsham Hall at
08:00 but, in the event it was 08:20 when I set off. Having placed my car parking docket on the
passenger seat, I had to stop momentarily on the driveway because it had
slipped off when I took a sharp right turn on my way out!
My journey to Cheltenham went
smoothly, although it would have been even more so had I not encountered an
articulated lorry turning onto the A40 immediately ahead of me at the
roundabout on the Stow/Cirencester Road and, once that had departed via the
road to Gloucester, a dumper truck held me up slightly beyond the traffic
lights on the Andoversford bypass.
Having experimented with the Mill
Lane cut-through option the previous day, I decided to return to the Greenway
Lane route today. Close to the Harp
Hill junction, a white-bottomed roe deer bounded across the road and entered
the tree-lined garden of the house situated on the corner.
As a precaution, I stopped off at Sainburys in Priors Lane to fill the petrol tank in
preparation for the journey home. I
had been expecting more traffic in the locality of the racecourse today but, having
arrived at 09:30, I was directed to park on the first row of the public car
park, close to the steam train station and the entrance to the fenced walkway
which leads to the north entrance.
I set off to join the queue at 09:50,
with the gates opening at 10:30 as usual. I purchased a race-card whilst
waiting and, once inside, headed to the ladies loo before purchasing a bottle
of water. I then headed to the steppings above the Winners’ Enclosure; it was a windy
day, but this area was fairly sheltered fortunately.
Whilst there, I kept an eye on the
Weighing Room steps with the hope of spotting my favourite ex-jockey should
he attend today … but to no avail. My
jockey-spotting quest was probably handicapped by the fact that I’d then set
off for the course-side rails at noon, with the aim of reserving my favourite
spot ahead of racing. I later
discovered Choc, Jennie and Wolfie had been invited
to lunch at the racecourse, and I’d missed them. L I’d love
to meet Wolfie; he has a very characterful
face and a shock of dark hair too.
It proved to be far colder beside the
rails, so I put on my neon pink hat.
The first race of the day was the JCB
Triumph Hurdle. The favourite was Defi Du Seuil, trained by
Philip Hobbs and ridden by Richard Johnson; price 5-2.
He duly obliged and won by 5
lengths. The fourth-placed horse, Ex
Patriot, unseated his jockey on the way to post, but this adventure didn’t
faze him. This animal had been offered for purchase at the Tattersalls sale the previous evening, but had remained unsold
due to the high reserve price.
My runners of interest, the Alan
King-trained pair, Coeur De Lion and Master Blueyes,
ridden by Tom Cannon and Wayne Hutchinson respectively, finished 7th and
10th. The latter did, however, finish
lame.
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Race 1:
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JCB Triumph Hurdle
(Grade 1)
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15 ran
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Horse
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Trainer
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Jockey
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1st
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Defi
Du Seuil
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Philip Hobbs
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Richard Johnson
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2nd
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Mega Fortune
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Gordon Elliott
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Davy Russell
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3rd
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Bapaume
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Willie Mullins
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Ruby Walsh
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4th
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Ex Patriot
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Miss Ellmarie Holden
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Rachael Blackmore
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Additional
runner(s) of interest:
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7th
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Coeur De Lion
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Alan King
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Tom Cannon
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10th
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Master Blueyes
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Alan King
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Wayne Hutchinson
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The second race of the day was the
County Hurdle. The event favourite was
Ivanovich Gorbatov
trained by Joseph O’Brien; he won last year’s Triumph Hurdle. His price today was 5-1.
Alan King had a runner in the race,
Winter Escape ridden by Wayne Hutchinson.
The race was won by Arctic Fire for
Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend; he came
with a last minute rattle to mow down Ozzie The Oscar, and out-run the fast
finishing L’Ami Serge too.
Winter Escape finished a creditable
5th.
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Race 2:
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County Handicap
Hurdle (Grade 3)
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25 ran
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Horse
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Trainer
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Jockey
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1st
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Arctic Fire
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Willie Mullins
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Paul Townend
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2nd
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L’Ami
Serge
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Nicky Henderson
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Daryl Jacob
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3rd
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Ozzie The Oscar
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Philip Hobbs
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Tom O’Brien
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4th
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Air Horse One
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Harry Fry
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Noel Fehily
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Additional
runner(s) of interest:
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5th
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Winter Escape
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Alan King
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Wayne Hutchinson
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The favourite for the Albert Bartlett
race was Death Duty, trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Bryan Cooper;
price 13-8.
I had a runner of interest in this
race, the very admirable Ami Desbois representing
EPDS Racing and trained by Graeme McPherson; he was ridden by stable jockey Kielan Woods.
The race was won by Penhill, for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend. Death Duty
unseated his rider at the last, when already well beaten. Having led for much of the race, Ami Desbois claimed a very credible 5th place and
£2,800 for EPDS Racing and Partners.
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Race 3:
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Albert Bartlett
Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
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15 ran
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Horse
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Trainer
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Jockey
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1st
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Penhill
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Willie Mullins
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Paul Townend
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2nd
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Monalee
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Henry de Bromhead
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David Mullins
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3rd
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Wholestone
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Nigel Twiston-Davies
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Daryl Jacob
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4th
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Constantine Bay
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Nicky Henderson
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Nico
de Boinville
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Additional
runner(s) of interest:
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5th
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Ami Desbois
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Graeme McPherson
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Kielan
Woods
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It was now time for the feature race
of the day … and the Festival, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. There was a pre-race parade ahead of the
event.
The favourite was Djakadam
trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Ruby Walsh; price 3-1.
My runner of interest was the fabulous
grey, Smad Place, trained by Alan King and ridden
by Wayne Hutchinson.
The race was won by Sizing John, for
trainer Jessica Harrington and jockey Robbie Power. Minella Rocco
stormed up the straight to finish second, just collaring Native River at the
line, with the favourite completing in fourth place and Smad
Place in 8th position.
Cue Card fell at the third last
fence, the same obstacle as last year coincidently; but the best news was
that he appeared none the worse for this mishap.
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Race 4:
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Cheltenham Gold Cup
(Grade 1)
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13 ran
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Horse
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Trainer
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Jockey
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1st
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Sizing John
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Jessica Harrington
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Robbie Power
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2nd
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Minella
Rocco
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Jonjo
O’Neill
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Noel Fehily
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3rd
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Native River
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Colin Tizzard
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Richard Johnson
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4th
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Djakadam
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Willie Mullins
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Ruby Walsh
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Additional
runner(s) of interest:
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8th
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Smad
Place
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Alan King
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Wayne Hutchinson
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I decided to head across the track to
reach the inside of the racecourse at this point, because I was seizing up
having been standing in the same place since noon!
Pacha Du Polder which finished 5th last year under
Victoria Pendleton, won today’s race piloted by Miss Bryony Frost. His trainer, Paul Nicholls, also trained
the runner-up. The winner in 2015 and
2016, On The Fringe, could only manage 4th place
this time around.
Sadly the race proved too much for
Current Event, which finished distressed in 16th position and passed away
later. RIP.
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Race 5:
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Foxhunter Challenge
Cup Open Hunters’ Chase
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23 ran
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Horse
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Trainer
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Jockey
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1st
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Pacha
Du Polder
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Paul Nicholls
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Miss Bryony Frost
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2nd
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Wonderful Charm
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Paul Nicholls
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Ms Katie Walsh
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3rd
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Barel
of Laughs
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Philip Rowley
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Mr Alex Edwards
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4th
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On The Fringe
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Enda
Bolger
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Mr Jamie Codd
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Fatality:
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16th
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Current Event
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Mrs Rose Loxton
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Ms Lisa O’Neill
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Reported to have finished distressed and later sadly
passed away
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There was a delay before spectators
were allowed to cross back to the grandstands-side of the racecourse. This was due to Sweet As A Nut falling at
the last; the green screens were erected and the horse ambulance called
too. Another horse ambulance trundled
up the horse-walk in front of the grandstands, presumably to collect Current
Event. The stewards eventually
marshalled us across the track whilst Sweet As A Nut was still down –
fortunately he later recovered and was led back up the track to the stables.
I returned to my original place
beside the rails ahead of the sixth race.
The favourite for this event was Battleford, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Adam
Short; price 9-2.
I had one runner of interest in this
race, Gibralfaro trained by Alan King and ridden by
Tom Bellamy. However, he fell at the
second and Rather Be’s jockey was unseated when
hampered as a result too. Subsequently
the horses charged up the straight to the winning line as the remainder of
the field set out on their final circuit.
The race was won by Champagne
Classic, trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by JJ Slevin.
Owner Michael O’Leary joked that the horse was probably the worst one in his
ownership; why don’t people boycott Ryanair so that
he cannot afford to buy so many horses and continue to spoil everyone’s
enjoyment of the races?
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Race 6:
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Martin Pipe
Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
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23 ran
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Horse
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Trainer
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Jockey
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1st
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Champagne Classic
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Gordon Elliott
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JJ Slevin
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2nd
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Verni
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Philip Hobbs
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Thomas Cheesman
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3rd
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Runfordave
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Gordon Elliott
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Donagh
Meyler
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4th
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Coo Star Sivola
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Nick Williams
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Lizzie Kelly
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Additional
runner(s) of interest:
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Fell
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Gibralfaro
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Alan King
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Tom Bellamy
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I remained beside the course-side
rails for the final race of the Festival. I also enjoyed a chat with the
young lad beside me – he’d placed bets on Eastlake and Pairofbrowneyes.
Alan King’s chance of a 2017 Festival
winner had run out with the fall of Gibralfaro, as
he had no runner entered in the ‘lucky
last’. In fact, he currently has a
drought with regards to top-class chasers, notwithstanding Smad Place.
Hopefully Messire
Des Obeaux will prove to be a useful novice chaser
next season.
Anyway, the favourite for the final
race of the Festival was Le Prezien, trained by
Paul Nicholls and ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies;
price 7-2.
It always seems to be a manic charge
to gain the final triumph of the Festival each year and it was Rock The World
which gained victory on this occasion.
He is trained by the Gold Cup winning trainer Jessica Harrington and was
ridden by the Gold Cup winning jockey Robbie Power.
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Race 7:
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Johnny Henderson
Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase
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24 ran
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Horse
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Trainer
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Jockey
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1st
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Rock The World
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Jessica Harrington
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Robbie Power
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2nd
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Gardefort
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Venetia Williams
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Daryl Jacob
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3rd
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Theinval
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Nicky Henderson
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Jeremiah McGrath
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4th
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Dandridge
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Arthur Moore
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Davy Russell
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I returned to the Winners’ Enclosure
following the final race, before heading to the ladies loo for a comfort
break before I began my journey home to Hertfordshire.
Despite a number of the Irish star
horses being absent, team GB had been annihilated in the Betbright
Prestbury Cup. L
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Betbright Prestbury Cup
Score at the end of the Festival
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GB
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Ireland
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9
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19
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Gordon Elliott snatched the Leading
Trainer award from Willie Mullins.
Ruby Walsh claimed the Leading Jockey prize yet again … boring!
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LEADING TRAINER –
TOP 10
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Position
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Trainer
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1st
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2nd
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3rd
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4th
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1
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Gordon Elliott
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6
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3
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3
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1
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2
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Willie Mullins
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6
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2
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4
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4
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3
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Nicky Henderson
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3
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6
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4
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3
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4
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Jessica Harrington
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3
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0
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0
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0
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5
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Henry de Bromhead
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1
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2
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2
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0
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6
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Paul Nicholls
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1
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1
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1
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2
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7
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Philip Hobbs
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1
|
1
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1
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0
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8
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Noel Meade
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1
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0
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1
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1
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9
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Nick Williams
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1
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0
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0
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1
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10
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David Pipe
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1
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0
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0
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0
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10
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Stuart Edmunds
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1
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0
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0
|
0
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10
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Ben Pauling
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1
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0
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0
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0
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10
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Alan Fleming
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1
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0
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0
|
0
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10
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Patrick G Kelly
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1
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0
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0
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0
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|
|
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|
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27
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Alan King
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0
|
0
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3
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1
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LEADING JOCKEY - TOP
10
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Position
|
Jockey
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1st
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2nd
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3rd
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4th
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|
1
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Ruby Walsh
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4
|
1
|
3
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4
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2
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Robbie Power
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3
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0
|
0
|
1
|
|
3
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Noel Fehily
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2
|
3
|
1
|
2
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4
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Bryan Cooper
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2
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1
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2
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2
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5
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Paul Townend
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2
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1
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0
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0
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6
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Nico de Boinville
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2
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0
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2
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1
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7
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Richard Johnson
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2
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0
|
1
|
0
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8
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Mr Jamie Codd
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2
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0
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0
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2
|
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9
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Davy Russell
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1
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3
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3
|
2
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|
10
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Jack Kennedy
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1
|
0
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1
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0
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I began my journey at 19:00; it had
been dampening in the air since around 18:00.
Fortunately the exit queues which had been such a problem for me on
Tuesday and Wednesday, were non-existent this evening. However, it was touch and go whether I’d have
enough impetus to make it up the slope onto the Southam
Road, being heavily laden, because the car in front of me didn’t seem to
understand that a green temporary traffic light meant go!
There was no traffic jam tailing back
through Prestbury either; unfortunately this
resulted in my driving glasses slipping off the passenger seat because I took
the right-hand turn into the High Street with speed! I then had to stop briefly in Greenway Lane
to search in the footwell for them.
The glasses didn’t seem to help quite
as much as on the previous three evenings, but I put this down to the fact
that it was now raining, although not heavily, as I drove across the
Cotswolds.
Having been staying near Witney for
the duration of the Festival, I was hopeful that I’d be okay driving home on
Friday night. However, I had ‘hit the wall’ by Oxford and spent much
of the remaining journey yawning my head off – not recommended when driving
on the M40 and M25. I did make good
time despite this, and arrived home at 21:15.
It also made me realise that I might
not have had the energy to drive to Cheltenham and back in one day, let alone
on four consecutive days, at any time in the future. Although one day, I’d like to attend the
Saturday of the Open Meeting which would probably mean driving there and back
in a day.
Tickets for the 2018 Cheltenham
Festival went on sale on 21 March 2017; I usually purchase mine in September
or October, as this gives me time to save up for them once more.
Next up, is the Aintree Festival …
and I’m looking forward to meeting up with my friend Sandra for the three
days of fabulous racing on Merseyside.
It’s far more relaxed than Cheltenham and, hopefully, the Irish will
be concentrating on the Punchestown Festival at the
end of next month rather than Aintree!
I’m also thinking about attending the
Lambourn Open Day this year … I’m usually prevented
from doing so because I’m always mindful of writing my diaries, which is a
shame. I wonder if a visit to Newbury
is on the cards for 25 March, as Pride of Pemberley
might be competing in the DBS Sales Bumper, although he has two
or three other options at that time. There’s
also a visit to Noel Williams’ yard on the same day.
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