Mark Walsh didn’t know whether he would make the Cheltenham Festival a few weeks ago due to injury but his hard work was rewarded when steering Sire Du Berlais to a shock 33/1 success in the Stayers’ Hurdle yesterday.
Rachael Blackmore can do little wrong around Cheltenham but trainer Henry de Bromhead paid tribute to her exploits off the track having guided Envoi Allen (13/2) to Ryanair Chase glory yesterday.
Last year’s Gold Cup was more a ballet than a brawl, and it played right into A Plus Tard’s speedy hands. There is a time in every champion’s life when they have it all. That was A Plus Tard last year. It doesn’t look the same this year, and I expect a few horses to try and take a hammer and a blowtorch to this race.
A critic once described Bundini Brown as someone who would “take the dimes off a dead man’s eyes and put back nickels”.
It’s all about the Gold Cup on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival as Galopin Des Champs bids to back up the hype by etching his place in racing history.
I backed Willie Mullins’ Galopin Des Champs in the Turners Novice Chase last year at the short odds of 5/6 – and as he stormed clear in the final stages, I was sure the money was in the bag.
The bookmakers had their way with a host of outsiders getting on the score sheet on day three of the Cheltenham Festival.
Gavin Sheehan gave You Wear It Well a fine front-running ride to claim the Jack De Bromhead Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Sire Du Berlais ground down Dashel Drasher late on in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle as the big-race outsiders fought out a thrilling finish to the Cheltenham Festival's day three feature.
There was Cheltenham redemption for Envoi Allen who made a triumphant return to the Festival winner's enclosure by winning the Ryanair Chase.
There was an icy bite to the otherwise mild Cotswold breeze before racing even began at Cheltenham today as Davy Russell prepared for his final two days in the weighing-room.
Stage Star jumped his rivals into submission in the Turners Novices’ Chase to end Paul Nicholls’ three-year drought at the Cheltenham Festival.
Patrick Mullins reckons Appreciate It, trained by his father Willie, can turn over hot favourite Mighty Potter in the opener on day three at the Cheltenham Festival.
Jockey Davy Russell has hit back at Michael O’Leary after the Ryanair boss suggested he should not have come out of retirement.
The Mares' Novices' Hurdle honours the memory of young Jack de Bromhead. Nicky Henderson's Ahorsewithnoname finished second last year so will be aiming to better that.
IT takes something special to win once at the Cheltenham Festival, let alone twice, but Flooring Porter has a Stayers’ Hurdle hat-trick in his sights today.
In a valley of ghost stories, there is but one enduring silhouette of certainty. It is of a brown trilby materialising in the winners’ enclosure.
How did you get started in racing?
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Keith Donoghue proved himself to be the Cross Country Chase king once again as Delta Work (11/10 favourite) made it back-to-back successes in this quirky Cheltenham Festival test.