Well we've had the first week of standard racing back under our belts since the amazing week that was the Cheltenham festival and hopefully the post-fest blues are dying down now. After I rounded up the Tuesday of the festival in depth in my previous blog I thought I'd go over the other days now and pick out a few key performances that really caught the eye.
The blue riband event of the festival, the Gold Cup, went to a trainer who's change of fortunes come festival time was astonishing! Without a winner since August Jim Culloty sent two horses to the festival and came back with two winners, some strike rate! Lord Windermere, last years RSA winner, came into this race fairy unfancied, with Bob's Worth (last years winner) and Silviniaco Conti heading the market. In fact coming over the last there were 6 horses all in a line, all in with a chance, and it was Davy Russel and Lord Windermere who grabbed their chance the hardest and got over the line first. However the drama continued post race with a stewards inquiry called, there was a fair bit of interference caused when the winner drifted across the eventual runner up On His Own. The result stood but there were plenty of conflicting opinions post race as to if the interference was enough to get the result overturned. My point of view is that I would hate to see the winner of a race of this calibre decided in the stewards room, however when the margin of victory is a shoulder and the winning rider has been found guilty of careless riding then you really have to feel sorry for the runner up who can be classed as an extremely very unlucky loser. I wouldn't really fancy the winner to follow up in next year's renewal, as Bob's Worth and the history books show this is an extremely difficult task, however take nothing away from Lord Windermere as he obviously loves Cheltenham and comes alive at this time of the year. Bob's Worth looked in with every chance but seemed to hang alarmingly got done by the top three for a turn of pace in what turned out to be a slowly run race. This years Gold Cup was only 6 seconds faster than the foxhunters race run over C&D which is the smallest differential for many a year. Silviniaco traveled like a dream once again, however he like BW might have appreciated Cue Card in the race to ensure a stronger pace.At 9&8 years of age respectively you couldn't rule out either from next year's race and they are both towards the head of the ante-post market for the 2015 race. It does look ripe for a young contender to enter the frame and I would love to see Champagne Fever step up to the plate. He is a horse with the pace for 2 miles and jumps beautifully but would surely appreciate a step up in trip and if I were to have a bet now he would be my early fancy. The RSA winner O'Faolins Boy will hopefully come to this race in 2015 as well and will be looking to continue the recent record of RSA winners in this race, and if More of That,Cue Card, Dynaste and Taquin De Seuil enter the frame we look sure to be in for an absolute belter of a renewal...however I must stop getting too excited as we've got a year to go and plenty of water to come under the bridge before then!
In that wishful thinking in regards to next year's Gold Cup I mentioned some other winners of races at the Festival this year. Dynaste didn't have to run to his best to win the Ryanair chase but the way he was going at the end of the race looked like he would be ready to have another go back up in trip and connections have been sounding like that is the plan for this gorgeous grey, starting at Aintree in a couple of weeks time. The 2nd from the Ryanair, Hidden Cyclone, ran really well considering this trip is definitely short of what he wants and will be one to follow if he goes back up in trip for the Punchestown festival. Al Ferof was the disappointment of the race for me and it looks like unfortunately he isn't the same horse he was before his injury last year.
Taquin De Seuil was one horse that I managed to back successfully this year at the festival and you can count the others that joined him on one hand! Not my most spectacular punting experience! He was a really brave winner under an equally brave AP McCoy who was hobbling before and after the race which just shows you how determined the Champ was to get a winner at the festival and just how important it is to even the most successful and experienced of jockeys - that's why he's the Champ! Another horse to wow the crowds on Thursday was More of That who managed to give 7lbs and a beating to the exciting mare Annie Power in the World Hurdle. This race really was a cracker and 4 time champion Big Bucks just wasn't up to the task sadly, however he was retired with all his dignity in tact and will be remembered as the greatest staying hurdler we have ever seen. Annie Power put to bed the debate over whether she would stay the 3 mile trip, she definitely did, but was just beaten by a better horse over this distance. It will be interesting what Willie Mullins does with Annie Power, if Quevega is retired she could mop up the Mares Hurdle for years to come or she could maybe even step back in trip to contest the Champion Hurdle next year - I'd definitely rather watch the latter of those two options. With the Mullins hurdle string including Briar Hill, Faugheen and Vautour for next year the debate over the right races for these horses, and indeed who should be sent over a fence, will certainly keep us going over the summer months before it all starts again next Autumn. However the impressive nature of More of That's win should not be forgotten and it was interesting to see AP McCoy quoted as claiming More of That was his best chance of a 2nd Gold Cup winner. Whether that comes next year or whether we see More of That try and regain his staying hurdle crown I'm not sure of but he is certainly another extremely exciting horse for the future.
Possibly the most popular winner of the race, certainly judging on the post race scenes, was the win of Sire De Grugy in the Queen Mother Champion Chase on the Wednesday. It seemed like every man and his dog was out to get Gary Moore's stable star beat however he was a really impressive and deserved winner of the Champion Chase. It was great to see Jamie Moore get his first Cheltenham winner and the scenes afterwards, when he was given a semi-guard of honor from the other jockeys, were great to see. I just hope we get to see a clash between Sprinter Sacre and Sire De Grudy next year, but make no mistake about it there should be no question over the validity of SDG's win in this race and his record this season shows him to be a deserved Champion. He has won the Tingle Creek, the Ascot race and now the Queen Mother - connections would certainly have taken that pre-season! Wednesday also saw Faugheen take the Neptune Hurdle under the classic Walsh-Mullins combination and this horse looks to have some future. The way he made a mistake at the 2nd last yet still came back on the bridle marks him out as a horse of tremendous ability and one another for the all conquering Mullins stable who looks to have a great future ahead of him. And as mentioned when taking of next year's Gold Cup O'Faolains Boy took the RSA by a neck from Smad Place, great too see Rebecca Curtis get this one back from a very disappointing run earlier in the season to claim some glory on the biggest stage of all for Jumps racing. The runner up Smad Place has now placed in World Hurdles and an RSA chase around Cheltenham so he will also be one to follow for next year given his love for the place.
I could go on for many more paragraphs about the festival, it really was a spectacular one in terms of drama and racing performances. However as thoughts now move on the the Grand National and Punchestown, as well as the return of the flat action, I'll wrap up this year's thoughts on Cheltenham and move on to the Cheltenham website to purchase my tickets for next year...bring it on!
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