Cheltenham Review and Results: Ireland win all seven races on Friday

Wodhooh (9/2) had been the talk of the town in the build-up with the form of her course victory in December working out brilliantly well but confidence was tempered by the presence of French import Kopeck De Mee who was thought to be very well handicapped on debut for Mullins.

Kopeck De Mee was made 5/2 favourite but didn't hurdle at all well in behind the pace set by Nurse Susan.

Another well backed runner in East India Express was also in close attendance but as they came down the hill the eye was always drawn back to Danny Gilligan in the blue and red silks of Wodhooh and it transpired that she had as much in the locker as it appeared.

The runners spread out across the track but Wodhooh sliced through them to put the race to bed in a matter of strides and although Act Of Authority burst onto the scene late, the result never looked in doubt.

Raglan Road was third, one place ahead of better fancied stablemate Taponthego, with the winning distances four and a half lengths and the same.

Elliott had endured a week of near misses and disappointments and struggled to hold back the tears in an interview with Tom Stanley on Racing TV having won a race he has a deep association with through his time with Martin Pipe.

"We were thinking of supplementing her [for the Mares' Hurdle]," he said.

"She's owned by a lot of good friends of mine. There's going to be great celebrations here in the ring.

"This is special. We've had a real tough week, all the horses have run well. I watched the horse with Sean Bowen and Olly Murphy [trainer of Act Of Authority] and if I'd got beat, I wouldn't have minded getting beat by him but to finish the week off, to win the Martin Pipe - he's my hero.

"Just want to thank all my staff and all my owners for standing by me. We've had a tough week."

Gilligan, riding his second winner of the week, also won the Martin Pipe last year and he said: "It's been a tough week for Gordon, he's hit the crossbar plenty of times and it's a relief to get one on the board. Big thanks to him and all his owners, they've given me a lot of big chances this week and I can't thank them enough.

"I won on her here in December and since then it's been the plan to come here. I didn't think I'd be in front as soon as I was but thankfully she galloped the whole way to the line.

"At halfway I was just trying to hold on to her as long as I could and turning in I got after her small and she just picked up so easy for me and got me to the front and I was just hoping from the last to the line, something wouldn't come and nab me.

"I think she's getting better with every run and she's unbeaten too, so she's well entitled to step up to graded company."

Mullins and Townend in pole position

Willie Mullins and Paul Townend combined with Kargese to win the William Hill County Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival for the third time in four years.

Successful with Absurde 12 months ago and with State Man in 2022, the market latched onto Kargese after declarations for the two mile handicap and she was sent off the 3/1 favourite.

Runner-up to Majborough in last year's Triumph Hurdle, Kargese had only raced once since Punchestown in May when second to Take No Chances in a Grade 2 mares' hurdle at Ascot in January and showed the benefit of her reappearance in battling on well to see off a strong challenge from last year's Fred Winter third Ndaawi.

The pace set by Our Champ and Spirit d'Aunou appeared to be only steady - backed up by their finishing positions of sixth and fifth respectively - and there were plenty of chances as the field spread across the track in the run to the final hurdle but none were going better than Kargese.

She jumped the last marginally in front of Ndaawi but had to be tough to maintain her advantage which she extended to a length and a half at the line.

There was the same distance back to last year's winner Absurde in third with stablemate Ethical Diamond coming from a long way back to finish fourth.

Mullins, who was completing a double on the card after Poniros' shock success in the Triumph Hurdle, said: "She's tough. You saw her here last year and then she went on to Liverpool and Punchestown and, usually, four-year-olds aren't able to do that sort of thing and she's come out again this year and she's as tough as nails, as tough a filly as I've ever seen.

"We thought she was nicely handicapped. We thought all last year's four-year-olds were better handicapped than this year's juveniles and we'd take a chance and they've run well.

"Mentally she's so tough as well. She can do that and you bring her home and she'll eat and drink and that's what stands to her you know. she doesn't fall apart after her races, she keeps coming.

“She was too keen at Ascot, but I wanted to get a run into her and it was going to be very hard to bring her here without a run. We did [intend to bring her back after Christmas] as she was so hard on herself last season. I didn’t want her for the autumn. I wanted her for the spring and we gave her every chance.

“You saw how hard she raced last season and she is hard enough on herself in every race so we felt better to give her an easier autumn then concentrate on the spring."

Mullins confirmed that graded races would soon be on the agenda for Kargese but didn't have an immediate target in mind, saying: "I’m going to celebrate today and then we will decide what we are going to do. Normally I go to Punchestown, but I would have to look if there is something either at Ayr or maybe Aintree.

“She will in time go over a longer trip, but I think she would be too hard on herself and too hard on the jockey.”

It was a record-extending eighth victory in the race for Mullins and a fifth for Townend who became the winning-most jockey of the County Hurdle; he said: “She was keen today alright!

"That’s her though, she has the heart of a lion. I was in front a lot sooner than I wanted. But it might have actually helped me that when I got there, she parked a little bit and gave herself a breath of air, and that meant she could repel what was coming at me at the back of the last.”

Dinoblue completes Mullins treble

The Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase was close to a repeat of the 2024 running with three of the first four home lining up again but this time it was Dinoblue (6/4 favourite) who came out on top to record her first Cheltenham Festival success at the fourth time of asking.

Runner-up in the County Hurdle and this Grade 2, victory looked assured from some way out in the two and a half mile contest in which few got involved.

Allegorie De Vassy, trained like the winner by Mullins, jumped off in front and despite going markedly right and giving the first obstacle plenty of air, she went on by a couple of lengths under Paul Townend but Dinoblue and Mark Walsh were never far behind.

Market rivals Limerick Lace, last year's heroine, and Brides Hill were keeping tabs on them but by the time the field approached the second last there were only two horses in it. Dinoblue jumped into the lead at the second last and extended her advantage to the last where Allegorie De Vassy crumpled on landing to leave the JP McManus owned runner to come home in relative isolation.

Brides Hill chased her home, some eight and a half lengths adrift, and she, in turn was five and a half lengths clear of Shecouldbeanything in third.

It was a third winner of the week for Walsh who felt the quicker ground helped Dinoblue reverse last year's placings.

"It was heavy ground last year," he said. "A lot of people were saying I was giving her too much to do but I actually couldn't go on heavy ground last year, she's a different mare on better ground today.

"Travelled way better, jumped brilliant and I'm delighted. Another thing with good ground, she just jumps off it way better than with heavy ground so good ground is key to her.

"Keith Donoghue [rider of Brides Hill] made sure we were inside Paul [Townend and Allegorie De Vassy] so it worked out great, had a little pocket behind Paul and he was jumping right most of the way so it was straightforward.

"I think she probably wants this trip now, she hasn't the pace for two miles anymore; she ran at Leopardstown at Christmas and she was on her head for a lot of the way so I think two and a half is her trip now."

Mullins said of the winner: “She ran a great race last year and it didn’t work out, today everything worked out for her.

"I’m just sorry for Allegorie De Vassy, she’d run a cracker of a race. She was jumping too big, would have preferred a bit of company up the front with her, I think. Might have just had her a little bit sharper. She was just ballooning fences and once I saw her doing that early in play, I didn’t think she could be still challenging going to the last, because that takes a lot of energy out of them. Keeping fingers crossed that Paul is ok for the big one.

"Both of them [Allegorie De Vassy and Paul Townend] look okay, but I was just watching from the stands."

Deadly duo at it again with 'one of the worst jumpers in racing'

Mullins and Townend were at it again in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle as Jasmin De Vaux (6/1) came from last to first to deny The Big Westerner.

Jasmin De Vaux, successful in last season's Champion Bumper, has taken a while to warm to hurdling in his novice season but recent reports of his homework had been more encouraging and that was backed up in the betting ring.

Fitted with cheekpieces for the first time, Jasmin De Vaux was still far from fluent but the field were still tightly grouped with three hurdles to jump and Townend was able to make a positive move around the field to take closer order. Luck was certainly on the winner's side as favourite The Big Westerner appeared to be travelling strongly on the inside but long-time leader Wingmen made a mistake at the second last, hampering both The Big Westerner and eventual fifth Wendigo just as the pace was quickening.

Jasmin De Vaux had daylight to play with although he had been joined going to the last by The Big Westerner but he was good enough when it mattered and had enough in hand to keep his rival at bay, winning by two and a half lengths.

Derryhassen Paddy, close to the pace throughout, was a four and a half length third, denying The Yellow Car by a head.

Jasmin De Vaux was Mullins' 10th winner of Cheltenham Festival week.

Mullins said: “We have done a lot of schooling with him as he is just so unnatural jumping. I think Paul said he banked the third last, but I couldn’t quite see that on television. He jumped the last two well when he wanted him to. We know he has an engine, it is just about getting him from A to B. Going that bit slower over a trip has made a difference.

“He might even jump fences better than hurdles, but we will see, however he will probably go novice chasing next season.

“I thought Paul picked the wrong one as I thought he should have been on Argento Boy, who ran disappointingly. Paul has always felt this lad had an engine, it was just a case of getting him around. Most of those Champion Bumper winners turn out to be stayers. He had the pedigree and class so we felt it was worth going for this longer trip.

“It did surprise me how well he was travelling. Seeing him sit last in the early part of the race I thought can he come from that far back, but Paul just gave him a very confident ride and that is the sort of frame of mind Paul is in at the moment. He made things happen for him.

“Once he got over the second last I said it was his to lose; now that was my view, but then again, with one hurdle left, and with one of the worst jumpers in racing, I said he would probably do that (meet it untidily). I thought for a second once he landed over the last that he had thrown it away, but he did enough anyhow.”

Townend added: “This lad takes a bit of warming up, he’s not the most straightforward, but he’s a classy individual. He showed that here last year – that was a huge pick from Patrick and I said, ‘If he picked him last year, I couldn’t leave him behind this year’.

“I think a lot of it is just confidence with him and just getting into a rhythm – I thought there would be plenty go forward – and ride him for class.”

And after all it's Wonderwall

Wonderwall (28/1) and Rob James came out on top in a thrilling finish to the St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase.

Trained, like 3/1 favourite Angels Dawn, by Sam Curling, Wonderwall was finally delivering on the promise that he showed as a youngster for Richard Spencer. Wonderwall had finished seventh in the 2021 Champion Bumper - won by Sir Gerhard - for that stable but never really built on that first season for either Spencer or the Bowens for whom he last raced under Rules.

Revitalised by a switch to Curling, Wonderwall had won his last two starts in point-to-points and moved up on the outside of Its On The Line who was in the vanguard throughout.

Its On The Line is not the easiest conveyance and Derek O'Connor had to work hard but the pair both know plenty about this contest with Its On The Line having finished second in the last two renewals.

The pair settled down to a terrific tussle on the hill but once again Its On The Line couldn't quite put his head in front where it mattered with Wonderwall prevailing by a neck.

Willitgoahead was back in third with Music Drive edging out Shearer for fourth.

Angels Dawn travelled well for much of the three and a quarter mile contest but couldn't close on the leaders when the pace quickened, finishing in midfield.

Curling said: “A great bunch of lads own him, so they are going to enjoy themselves. It’s brilliant. He’s a very good horse, Wonderwall, he won his point-to-points well. We kept him fresh for the race.

"The ground probably dried too much for Angels Dawn. She likes soft ground, but she’s actually going to be covered now, so that was her last run, I would say. But the ground suited this horse. We fancied him well, Rob gave him a lovely ride. He jumped brilliantly for him. His jumping used to be the issue, but it’s come very good there. We gave him a big chance if he got into a rhythm, which he did, so it’s great.

“He was always very well thought of and ran well in the Festival bumper before. He had a lot of good form. Derek won a couple of point-to-points on him and has done a great job getting him jumping. We’ve just done plenty of jumping. Philip Enright schools him at home a lot. We’ve just done a lot of jumping with him and it seems to have come together. Rob gave him a great ride. They’ve all done their bit to help with the horse, so it’s great.

“Rob got him into a great rhythm. He kept it simple. He’s the type of horse who likes to have lots of confidence, and Rob kept giving him confidence. He said he wasn’t doing much when he got to the front. It all worked out great.

“We didn't really think much about after today, but probably Punchestown I would say. I haven’t really thought past today.

“We are big into point-to-pointing and this is the race you want to win for that. It’s brilliant. It’s our championship race, so it’s great to win it.”

James added: “Unbelievable. I was probably going too well and I just got there probably a bit too soon, but we held on. The line came in time, thank God!

“It’s the biggest race, it’s the one as an amateur you always want to win. It’s great. I can’t thank Sam and the owners enough, and Sam’s team at home who have done a wonderful job with this lad. It’s just top class. Absolutely brilliant.”

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