Cheltenham Saturday review and free video replays

Road leads to Cheltenham

There was drama at the first flight of the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle when Parish Star unseated her rider before running loose, hampering Galactic Jack and forcing Knight Of Allen off the course.

That left Gifted Angel and An Bradan Feasa leading the remaining nine runners with 6/4 favourite Milan Tino prominent in the next rank.

An Bradan Feasa led by two lengths at the top of the hill and was still there at the last but by then the distress signals were visible as the patiently ridden Burdett Road (9/4) moved through stylishly on the inside under Harry Cobden.

Burdett Road duly picked up his rival despite rapping the top bar of the final flight, running on well to record a stylish success and earning quotes of 8/1 from Sky Bet for the JCB Triumph Hurdle back at Cheltenham in March.

Paddy Power cut the winner from 20/1 to 7/1 for the juvenile crown.

An Bradan Feasa had enough left in the tank to hold on for second in the Grade 2 with third home Milan Tino belatedly closing the gap close home.

Cobden said: "He missed a few hurdles on the way round and could have easily got keen; I was just trying to put him into the bottom of them so I didn't light him up with a good jump and take off through the field.

"He's obviously a very good horse and March is obviously on the agenda now."

Trainer James Owen saddled Burdett Road to make a winning debut over hurdles at Huntingdon 13 days ago and has a Cheltenham Festival contender on his hands in the Muhaarar gelding, who secured victory in the Golden Gates Stakes at the Royal meeting when trained by Michael Bell.

Owen said: “We had to ride him like that. When the rain came last night I was like ‘Oh my God’, but he is a fair animal. A lot of the hurdles he hasn’t seen, but he has learnt a lot. On good ground he is going to be exciting come March.

“I’m in a privileged position to have these horses, but I’m delighted it is going well. We had to do one of two things, either make it or drop him in, and we have done the right thing. He was a bit more amenable today as he settled and jumped better. He has got some engine. He is tough. For a flat horse he has got plenty of guts about him. I knew he would keep coming.

“Harry is a lot cooler than me as I’ve been so nervous, but I love it.

“This is massive. We have brought a few hunter chasers here in the past and you always go home thinking it is so hard to win here, but to get the job done is brilliant.

“This is a Triumph Hurdle trial and that is now the aim. On good ground he will be exciting. We are loving the game and we have got a great team. I need more horses and we have proven we can do the job. I would love to get more horses as this is what we want to do. Hopefully this is a good advert.”

Broadway Boy plays leading role

The well backed Broadway Boy (9/4 joint-favourite) made almost every yard when leading home a one-two for Nigel Twiston-Davies in the From The Horse's Mouth Podcast Novices' Chase under Tom Bellamy.

The winner, who chased home Flooring Porter last month, had Mister Coffey for company for much of the contest but that one had cried enough before three out and, on landing, it soon looked as though Good Risk At All had run his race.

That left stablemate Weveallbeencaught as the nearest pursuer but Harry Skelton had been at work aboard the six-year-old for some way and they never looked like closing the gap. Indeed, Broadway Boy extended the lead from there on in, keeping up to his work to score by 20 lengths.

Good Risk At All and Mister Coffey did belatedly rally to some extent and the former pushed a tiring Weveallbeencaught close for second.

Broadway Boy did make one notable mistake at the top of the hill and Bellamy was quick to take the blame for the error: "That was horrendous from the saddle. He went down, he was a little bit cold, he was having a good look and I half-panicked and threw him at it when there was no stride there but luckily I had a brave horse under me because if I didn't that could have been a different story.

"He was ultra-tough. I was off it a long way out and I had to keep rolling because ultimately he's quite a galloping, slow horse and I wanted to put that to full use. His two best jumps were his last two and it was game over then."

Twiston-Davies said: “I thought he was very impressive, and he beat our other horse by a long way and he is pretty good so it is happy days. Funnily enough he didn’t school that well when he started (over fences) but he soon warmed up to it. That is the way he has always been ridden and he did it beautifully.

“That was a good run behind Flooring Porter the last day and he as obviously improved for it.

“There is no point rushing into anything at the moment and we will see how he comes out of this. There is always the three-mile race at Kempton (Kauto Star Novices’ Chase) which is a possibility, but we will see.

“As it stands I think his credentials (for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase) are superb. It does look like he will stay all day, but I think we will stay at three miles for the moment as he seems to have a bit of speed, but let’s see as he has plenty of time.”

“We are going to celebrate this by drinking lots of beer!”

Gavin Cromwell has been enjoying a fine run of success at Cheltenham and sent out yet another winner at Prestbury Park as Hascoeur Clermont (12/1) stuck to the task gamely in the Wienerberger Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase.

There was a ragged start to the staying contest but there were plenty of runners in contention racing down the hill for the final time.

Hascoeur Clermont and Chambard were to the fore, ahead of Undersupervision and Mole Court, and the eventual winner had to be game for Noel McParlan to see off the challenge of Chambard who could never quite get on terms.

Wick Green was fourth and Read To Return fifth having made notable late progress from the rear of the field.

Read To Return's inexperienced jockey, Mr B M Coonan, was handed a 20-day ban following a stewards' enquiry which found he failed 'to take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race, in that he failed to ride his mount in such a way that he could be seen to ask for timely, real and substantial effort to obtain the best possible placing until too late in the race'.

McParlan said: "The plan was to drop in and take our time and come home late but he was running away with me after four fences and I thought we'll have to let him go, he was jumping out of my hands.

"There was a couple of times he just come up out of my hands; I watched videos back and he was always wanting to pop and pop and pop and I was expecting him to do that and he kept coming up and he took me there.

"I just wanted to try and keep filling him up (when Chambard came alongside) because he'd used himself up too much early on; I wanted to hold onto him as long as I can before I can go for him because it's a long way up the hill."

Cromwell said: “He has been frustrating over fences, but I can’t put my finger on why. At Punchestown he was maybe a little unlucky, although maybe he wouldn’t have won, as he unseated at the last. I’m delighted. He had a lovely weight out there today and I knew he would love that ground.

“It wasn’t the plan (to take a lead mid race). We were supposed to take a lead but it was kind of out of his control, but at least when he got to the front he settled and jumped very well. He came from Colin Bowe from the point-to-point circuit and he would have had an awful lot of schooling there. He has always jumped well.

“I don’t know where we go from here but it is fantastic for the syndicate. This is their second horse as the first one didn’t work out. It is great for them. It is a brilliant experience for the owners. I said after he won at Galway the last day that he should get into this race or Cheltenham and I said whether he is good enough or not he should go for the experience.

“He would have a long way to go (to reach the Cheltenham Festival), but I wouldn’t rule it out. He was good today so you never know.”

Richie Fitzsimons, of the Riverview Racing Syndicate, said: “We know he would stay all day. He has no pace, but he just keeps going. It was a brilliant ride from the jockey.

“We were delighted he got into the race as we didn’t know he was in until Thursday and that is when we booked the flights over. Gavin was happy with conditions and he loved the trip and the jockey was happy as well. He loved everything and we are delighted.

“It is easy to say it now that I thought he would hold on, but at the time I didn’t think he would hold on, but he kept on going.

“We are going to celebrate this by drinking lots of beer!”

Buddy is punters' pal

Buddy One (9/4 favourite) justified market support when holding off The Newest One in the Paddy Power Games Handicap Hurdle.

The top-weight travelled well, skipping over his hurdles and catching the eye throughout. It appeared as though he would win more easily than he did but The Newest One kept him honest and chased Buddy One all the way to the line.

Buddy One, placed at both the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals in 2023, was a length to the good as they passed the post, allowing jockey Jack Gilligan the luxury of standing up in the saddle and punching the air as he saluted the crowd.

Grade 1 winning chaser Chantry House shaped with some promise on his seasonal return, making ground from off the pace to finish third albeit a long way behind the first two, but there was less encouragement in the run of Shan Blue who was pulled up having raced in rear.

Paul Gilligan, trainer and father of the winning jockey, said: “We have had a Cheltenham winner before at The Festival which was brilliant, but we come here this weekend and we fancied a couple of horses.

"To watch your son coming up the hill on a horse you train is heaven. This is a field of dreams. It can be heaven or hell. The dream has come true here. He is owned by great people and he is a really good horse.

“He was very unlucky in the Martin Pipe, but he was as straight as a gun barrel there today when he jumped the last. This is magic. It is just a pity my wife isn’t here as she is back at home keeping the yard going. I didn’t think he would be beaten today. His Galway run last time was really good. He was winning this race today off top-weight. He has gone out of handicaps now.

“This horse stays and he jumps. He never put a foot wrong. He was very foot perfect around there today and he was getting there too easy if anything.

While earmarking the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival in March, which he was introduced for at 33/1 by the race sponsor. as a long-term target Gilligan hinted that a Grade One outing in the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on December 3rd could be next on the agenda.

He added: “Depending how he comes out of today he will go for the Hatton’s Grace and why not. You meet Willie (Mullins) and Gordon (Elliott) wherever you go, but today is so special. I thought after Galway he might go for the Pertemps, but he is not going for that now. It is quite possible he will come back for the Stayers’ Hurdle. He is an exciting prospect.”

Springwell Bay makes winning return

It wasn't entirely straightforward but there was no doubting Springwell Bay's (85/40 favourite) ability as he made a winning return in the Paddy Power Intermediate Handicap Hurdle.

The second season novice travelled strongly and appeared set to win as he liked but was slow at the last allowing the field to close-up and his supremacy was under threat. However he picked up again and readily asserted, winning a shade cosily.

It was tight for the minors with Gyenyame claiming second from Tiger Jet and Wonderful Eagle.

Winning trainer Jonjo O’Neill said: “He travelled well. He was a bit free early on then he settled in well and jumped well. He did everything sweetly. You would be very pleased with the run.

“I was a bit worried with him having plenty of weight on that he might get swallowed up, but he is a game horse and he keeps galloping.

“We will go back and have a look at the calendar and see what there is. There are no plans at the moment. He needed to do that today to be that type of horse (Grade One).

While O’Neill intends to let the dust settle before making a firm plan an outing in the Grade Two Relkeel Hurdle back at the track on New Year’s Day could be an option on route to a possible tilt at the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival in March.

O’Neill added:“Those are the kind of races you would have to be looking at (the Relkeel Hurdle). I wasn’t really coming with plenty of confidence because he had 12 stone and it was his first run. He was grand. I liked what I saw.

“We have been very lucky with the owner and let’s hope he is another Black Jack Ketchum or better. If he is as good as him that will do, if he is better than him I don’t know about that. We will let the horse do the talking. That was a nice starting point and we have a nice horse to go to war with.

“I wouldn’t be frightened of doing that (going up to three miles). That would be my dream plan to get him to the Stayers’ Hurdle.”

Springwell Bay was ridden by Jonjo O'Neill Jr who said: "He was a nice novice and it looked a nice race to start him off. He's bred to get three miles, we saw he had plenty of speed, he's a good work horse but I'd imagine we'd be sticking to two and a half plus from now on.

"He definitely looks like he's improving, he's stronger this year. He's a horse we've always loved and we're just happy to get a winner back at Cheltenham; it's been a while since we've had a winner here."

Bumper joy for Mullins

Willie Mullins' record in bumpers needs no introduction and punters were delighted with the 7/2 starting price of Baby Kate in the Karndean Designflooring Mares' Open National Hunt Flat Race.

It looked quite hard work on the rain-softened ground but Baby Kate moved quite strongly into contention on the inside. On the stands' side Jeune Belle threw down the strongest challenge to the eventual winner but Baby Kate powered up the Cheltenham hill to score in good fashion.

Micks Jet, who cut out much of the running, fared best of the remainder with a resolute run in third.

Brian Hayes, standing in for the suspended Patrick Mullins, was the man in the saddle and said: "I was getting squeezed up and it was just if I got a bit of light I knew she'd take off because she's a Willie Mullins bumper horse and she did thankfully so it was great."

Baby Kate is out of the smart racemare Augusta Kate and Hayes believes she's inherited plenty of her dam's talent.

"She was idling, she was pricking her ears when she got to the line and she really went up the hill; she's as good as her mother maybe," he continued.

"She's very handy, she rides a little bit bigger (than her size) and she's brave as a lion. She was right down the inside and had a big horse on her outside and someone on her inside but she battled and she fought her own corner."

Patrick Mullins, son and assistant trainer, commented: “She has a superb pedigree. She is out of Augusta Kate, who is out of Feathard Lady, so it is a real fillies' pedigree.

“We were lucky to lease her off Kevin Doyle. Jamie Codd broke her in and pre-trained her. The lads are a group of local lads and they are living the dream.

“She didn’t win impressively at Ballinrobe, but the penny only dropped late with her and this was a black type race. It was either come here or go to Navan and we thought the ground might be nicer here.

“She is one of the smallest horses in the yard. She is tiny, but strong and has the ability. With the pedigree she had we were hopeful, and she looks incredibly like her mother.

“For Kevin, who owns her, and leased her to us, to get black type is fantastic with that pedigree and we will look at the black type bumpers in the spring. She will get a little break now as she is only four.

"We will probably go to the Dublin Racing Festival and see where we are after that.”

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