Cheltenham reports, replays and reaction: Sire Du Berlais lands Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle

Berlais springs Stayers' surprise

Sire Du Berlais sprang a 33/1 surprise in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle.

Now eleven, JP McManus' charge already had two Pertemps Final wins on his CV and enjoyed his finest hour on Thursday.

Going to the last it looked as though Dashel Drasher (40/1) was going to be the one to claim the headlines but the winner, under Mark Walsh, was stronger up the hill and went on to beat his rival by a widening three-quarters-of-a-length.

The 9/4 favourite Teahupoo, trained like the winner by Gordon Elliott, finished third but was promoted to second - with Dashel Drasher demoted a place - following a stewards' enquiry into late interference.

Elliott said: “After a hurdle or two I knew he was in a good rhythm. Of course it’s a surprise, but Sire Du Berlais can do that – he’s either first or last. He stayed on well up the hill in fairness to him and Mark (Walsh) gave him a brilliant ride. It’s great to win the race. We were beaten a short head in a Grade One yesterday (with Gerri Colombe), but it’s a great game and it’s great to be here.

“We couldn’t get him qualified for the Pertemps Final. It just didn’t work out for us with ground one day and he probably didn’t look that well handicapped. He doesn’t do anything too exciting as he minds himself, but that’s why he’s still going at his age. I thought Teahupoo would win. He travelled into it and ran well.”

Winning owner JP McManus said: “I thought he ran well in Navan the last day as he was giving a lot of weight away and was running on well at the end. I thought he deserved to take his chance. I’ve not had too many 33/1 winners here. Creon won at a big price, as did Kadoun (both 50-1 in the Pertemps Final). This fellow I’m afraid went unbacked! We’ll enjoy it just the same.

“Gordon has done some job on the horse. We were kind of training him for the Pertemps, but he didn’t get qualified and as a result he was in the Stayers’. I must say I thought he had a little chance and after the last I felt he would run up the hill well and give it his lot.”

Jeremy Scott, speaking before Dashel Drasher was placed third, said: “We came here but we weren’t necessarily thinking we belonged here as we hadn’t had the easiest lead into the race, but he just started bouncing again so we came. I’m delighted. Obviously I would have loved to have finished in the other spot, but I’m very proud of him. It’s the first time my wife has come to watch him and she bred him and quite frankly does most of the training so it was lovely to have her here.”

Good Time for Jonny backers

It was a case of mission complete in the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle as Good Time Jonny stormed to Cheltenham Festival success.

Trained to perfection by Tony Martin, he qualified for the big race by finishing third to Maxxum at Leopardstown over Christmas, before tuning-up for his Prestbury Park assignment over an inadequate two miles at the Dublin Racing Festival.

The money had been coming for the eight-year-old building up to the meeting and he was sent off at 9-1 as the tapes went up.

Given a brave steer by Liam McKenna up the inner, Good Time Jonny was out the back as the field headed for home. But his young rider held his nerve to pounce late and deliver his mount with precision, returning a three-and-a-quarter-length winning verdict.

It was a fitting reappearance in the Festival winner’s enclosure for Martin, who has proved synonymous with handicap success in the past and was securing his seventh success at the four-day showpiece.

McKenna said: “I don’t know how I did that. I had a willing partner from turning in and the long run in really suited him but everything else didn’t suit him how the race was run. I never got into a position that I was comfortable with and we were always a little bit further back than we wanted to be. The plan was not to get upsides until going to the last and somehow we were able to get upsides going to the last and then he just put his head down and toughed it out.

“That was the first problem (the start) and not too far along a horse fell in front of him and he had to step to the side to get by him. It all just worked out at the very end.

“I rode him at Leopardstown in the qualifier and he was a little bit the same (not jumping well) and I just put it down to the softer ground and that he is a better horse on better ground. When he started to pick up going to the last from there on, I knew he was going to do it. It took a furlong and a half for him to outstay them. It (that feeling) is indescribable, maybe next time I can tell you. It is just sinking in now.

“My first ride back from breaking my collarbone was the Galway Hurdle then I got going after that then I broke my cheekbone and eye socket a month after and was out again for a while. It has been touch and go but the highs have been very high and I’m happy with that.”

Martin added: “He was last at the top of the hill, but Liam had the patience to sit and wait, and it turned out well. Days like this are the ones you live for. It’s been a few years now since we had a winner here, but it is worth the agony and the hardship. It’s absolutely brilliant. A bit of a gap makes it better! We had a lot of good years and some bad luck, and it’s nice to be back with some good horses. They are not Grade One horses, but in their own category they are alright. Great men [jockeys and staff] are behind me this year and I’m just so happy for them.

“As they turned in he began to pick up a bit again. I know it is a long way and a long call. He never chased them when he could have, when 10 lads, including non-claiming professionals, would have chased them. I know Liam is a claimer but he had the balls to sit and think they had done very little, and he judged it to perfection. The horse answered him the whole way through the last two furlongs.

“These colours, the Beneficial colours, have given us great days. It’s unfortunate that Liam is claiming five pounds - he just never got the rub of the green and things didn’t quite happen for him, but he is a more than capable rider and I wouldn’t look past him when I want to claim. He’s as good as any, he just didn’t get the rub of the green at the right time in life. The horse has been coming real well since Leopardstown last time, I just thought the ground might not suit him - he likes better ground, but he went through it well.”

Seddon Festival first for McConnell

There was further success for the Irish raiders when Seddon gave John McConnell his first Festival winner in the Magners Plate Handicap Chase.

It was also a first winner at the big meeting for Ben Harvey, who never missed a beat aboard the 10-year-old – bringing him home ahead of Richard Hobson’s Fugitif to strike at 20/1.

McConnell said: “I don’t know what to say. He’s the horse of a lifetime. Top jockey, top worker rider, I don’t do anything. I’m just a chancer, that’s all I am. He’s some horse, and the most beautiful, kindest horse you can ever imagine as well.

“He’s just a happy horse. He loves being a racehorse, people talk about welfare and this is a horse that just loves being a racehorse. He would lay down for you, he’s an amazing horse. With Ben on board it was like robbing 5lb, it’s unbelievable.”

Dawn completes Irish clean-sweep

Sam Curling’s Angels Dawn ensured a clean sweep of the St Patrick’s Thursday handicaps went to Ireland when holding off Stumptown to claim the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase by a neck.

The eight-year-old unseated her rider when sent off favourite for Punchestown’s Grand National Trial last month, but bounced back in style here, travelling with real menace in the hands of Patrick King and showing plenty of guts when challenged by Gavin Cromwell’s 7/2 favourite in the closing stages.

Curling said: “That was brilliant – I’m delighted. She was unlucky the last day in Punchestown and she’s always promised a lot. We’re only a small team and only have about six horses for the track. We have maybe 70 point-to-pointers and mainly buy and sell horses. We sold Marine Nationale, so it was special to see him here earlier in the week. That’s our game.

“This mare jumps well and loves the bit of extra distance and Pat gave her a very cool ride. When the rain came I was very hopeful. If she’d won the last day she would have gone up in the weights, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise. She’s in the Irish National, but she probably wouldn’t get into that. I hadn’t really looked beyond today, to be honest.”

King said: “It’s unbelievable, I didn’t think I’d ever have this feeling, it’s surreal, it’s my first ride at the Festival. I’ve had a winner at the October meeting but to ride this for Sam, who has been a big part of my career, I’m delighted.

“I was nearly at the end of riding as things had gone very quiet for me but I joined Sam and since then I’m back, he’s been a big part. I’ve known Sam a long time and he told me if I joined him there’d be chances for him and I’ve never looked back. I was in front far too soon, I wasn’t supposed to be in front before the last but I thought from a long way out I was going very well and thankfully it worked out.”

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