2013

Grade 1 Stan James

Champion Hurdle

HURRICANE Fly, winner of the Champion Hurdle in 2011, but a little disappointing last year, put everything right in the Stan James-sponsored event at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

On a glorious opening day for the Irish, and especially Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh, the 13/8 favourite made ground before two out, jumped that flight in front and went clear to beat last year’s hero Rock On Ruby by two and a half lengths. Countrywide Flame came next, followed by Zarkandar.

Apart from being a wonderfully consistent horse with a tremendous strike-rate, Hurricane Fly is prepared to battle when things do not go his way. He would not have been called the winner at halfway, where Rock On Ruby, blinkered, tongue-tied and hurdling particularly well, was racing keenly in the lead.

Zarkandar was tracking him, while Walsh, if not exactly niggling the favourite along, still had a few lengths to find running to the top of the hill. However, when asked for an effort, Hurricane Fly closed down his rivals most impressively, powering through to challenge on the outside. There could be only one winner in the closing stages and the crowd erupted as the nine-year-old, the first horse to regain the hurdling crown since Comedy Of Errors in 1975, returned to the unsaddling enclosure.

“This means a great deal”, said Mullins, who had already scored with Champagne Fever and went on to saddle the remarkable Quevega in the Mares’ Hurdle. “I knew if I could get him here in the order he was at Leopardstown, all he needed was luck in running.

“Last season he was never as strong. He probably put all his effort into winning the Irish Champion Hurdle and maybe it took too much out of him. I’m keen to give the French Champion Hurdle a go; I know it’s over three miles and one but I know he’ll stay it.’’

Walsh admitted he had his moments of worry during the contest. “He was never travelling like he can do and he made a few mistakes,’’ he said. “But what he has along with all the class is an unbelievably big heart for a small horse. I’m pleased I got it back because he’s a true champion hurdler.’’

Grade 1 Betfred

Cheltenham Gold Cup

A DRAMATIC and absorbing Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup saw 11/4 favourite Bobs Worth claim the crown with a powerful, gritty display that carried him past the post seven lengths ahead of Sir Des Champs, with former winner Long Run just under three lengths behind and The Giant Bolster an honourable fourth.

If that sounds straightforward, it was anything but. Never in a million years would anyone have made Bobs Worth a seven lengths winner at the top of the hill, and it is impossible to say whether he would still have triumphed had Silviniaco Conti not come down three out when close up and travelling well for Ruby Walsh.

However, Bobs Worth, though small, is as hard as nails. Stepping nimbly around Silviniaco Conti for Barry Geraghty, he started closing down Long Run and Sir Des Champs and called upon such remarkable reserves of energy that he was soon opening up a gap and leaving them for dead. They were, in truth, very tired and had no answer.

Long Run started down the hill in front, at which point favourite backers could see Geraghty working away, quietly but insistently, on Bobs Worth. Holding to the inside, Long Run was giving it everything as they came to the third last, but Sir Des Champs was going the better. Then the picture changed dramatically as Silviniaco Conti made his mistake, pitching Walsh out of the side door, though neither horse nor jockey was hurt.

Sir Des Champs was making hard work of getting past Long Run but eventually did so, only for Bobs Worth to reel in the pair of them. There was simply no answer to a sustained run like this and it is a measure of his courage and durability that he made it five out of five at Cheltenham by such a wide margin. He becomes the first horse since Flyingbolt to win three different races at the Festival in three years.

Geraghty, who was winning his second Gold Cup following Kicking King for Tom Taaffe in 2005, was almost lost for words. Geraghty and Bobs Worth go back a long way because the jockey sold him on to the trainer for just 20,000gns at the sales many moons ago and he runs now for The Not Afraid Partnership. Henderson himself generally remains dry-eyed but it was difficult with the winner and third crossing the last almost as one. He said: “If you’d said to me 50 years ago when I was at school that there’d be a day like this I wouldn’t have believed you!”

Grade 1 Sportingbet

Queen Mother Champion Chase

ON a day when the bookmakers hit back in spectacular style, the starting price of brilliant Sprinter Sacre (1/4) did not matter to many Cheltenham racegoers.

All that counted was the performance, and Nicky Henderson’s brilliant two-miler duly landed the Queen Mother Champion Chase in scintillating style, coasting home by 19 lengths from Sizing Europe, with Wishfull Thinking another six lengths back in third.

Mail De Bievre led to the eighth but was soon taken on and headed by Sizing Europe. Meanwhile, Barry Geraghty was moving Sprinter Sacre into contention, the favourite merely cantering as he joined issue four from home. In front soon afterwards, it became a question of the winning distance. Sprinter Sacre pulled a long way clear without ever coming off the bridle. It is hard to believe there has ever been a more impressive performance in this famous old race.

Sprinter Sacre is still only seven and appears to have the top two-mile chases at his mercy for a long time to come. As things are going, he will add a couple of thousand to the gate at major fixtures and is the latest star in a glittering era for National Hunt racing. Punchestown will be hoping that a final outing this term comes in the Champion Chase there and Henderson is certainly thinking along those lines.

Geraghty, associated with the great Moscow Flyer a few years ago, was understandably unwilling to make comparisons but paid tribute to this week’s outstanding performer. “I’ve never ridden a horse that does it all so easily,” he said.

Grade 1 Ladbrokes World Hurdle

THE Ladbrokes World Hurdle certainly provided a more open market this time without Big Buck’s, and there could hardly have been a more deserving winner than Charles Byrnes’s Solwhit.

The nine-year-old, a genuine Grade 1 horse attempting three miles for the first time, was given a perfect waiting ride by Paul Carberry and came to dispute the lead with Celestial Halo between the last two flights. From then on it was going to be quite a story either way because Celestial Halo, the same age as the winner and a regular at the Festival, carries the familiar red, white and black colours of the Stewart family, associated with Big Buck’s.

Yet Solwhit derives every last ounce of praise for the way he battled on to score by two and a half lengths because this is a horse with his share of problems, leg trouble keeping him out of action for the better part of two years. Bog Warrior made most of the running for Bryan Cooper and was still there as they straightened up for home. By then the very disappointing favourite Oscar Whisky had been pulled up, but Reve De Sivola was clinging on with some sort of chance.

However, it was Celestial Halo who looked the likeliest winner as everything came under pressure. He kept on bravely but Solwhit, arriving with a perfectly-timed challenge, was level when Celestial Halo blundered at the last, and forged clear to score at 17/2, with Celestial Halo holding second from Smad Place, ahead of Reve De Sivola.

Carberry was fortunate to be on the winner because his intended mount Monksland picked up an injury during the week, and he missed Wednesday following a fall on the opening day. “He was idling a bit and I was always afraid to take it up too early,’’ he said. “Charles said to attack at the last so I timed it as well as I could. He pricked his ears a bit but kept going to the line.

Byrnes added: “He’s a serious horse. He’s the only horse that could run Hurricane Fly close and he hasn’t lost it. Paul rode him exactly the way I wanted him to’’