Timico Cheltenham

Gold Cup –

Cheltenham

March 16th

TO their eternal credit, Native River and Might Bite served up a spectacle for the ages in this year’s Gold Cup. These two outstanding chasers went toe to toe from the very outset of the most coveted prize in chasing and they were absolutely faultless throughout. Ultimately only one could win and it was Native River, with his relentless style and abundant stamina, who eventually carried the day.

Often times we are quick to brand races as being substandard or not on a par with other renewals and such talk accompanied this year’s Gold Cup. However, the reality is that this was staying chasing at its finest as these two giants of the staying division served up an enthralling duel.

Native River was never better, while Might Bite channelled all his prodigious abilities in the right direction only to come up just short against the doughtiest of opponents.

Winning trainer Colin Tizzard had endured his share of Gold Cup heartbreak in the past – notably when Cue Card crashed out with three to jump in 2016 – but at long last he was able to get his hands on this famous prize.

Coral Punchestown

Gold Cup –

Punchestown

April 25th

THE second day of the Punchestown Festival was the one that left Willie Mullins in pole position to see off Gordon Elliott’s latest title challenge. A three-strong effort from the champion trainer in the opening race of the card came up short but Mullins then went on to win the remaining six races which took in a trio of Grade 1 contests.

These top-level events featured the Punchestown Gold Cup where Bellshill showed just what he is capable of over fences. A comeback success in the Bobbyjo Chase in February suggested that Bellshill had Grade 1 potential, as befitted a horse who had won at the top level in bumpers and over hurdles. Next time out he nearly pulled off a stunning effort from the front under a big weight in the Irish Grand National before eventually being beaten by a length and a half. The gruelling conditions that prevailed on Easter Monday were such that any horse involved in the National could be forgiven a below par effort next time. Not so Bellshill who bounced out of Fairyhouse with a cracking display that enabled him to overcome stablemate and big race regular Djakadam. On this evidence the son of King’s Theatre is more than capable of mixing it with staying chasing’s elite over the coming months.

BARONERACING.COM

Hatton’s Grace

Hurdle – Fairyhouse

December 2nd

ONE race that is particularly fresh in the memory is the latest edition of the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle where Apple’s Jade turned up in all her glory to win the race for the third year in succession. This was an eighth Grade 1 success for Apple’s Jade but more significantly it showed that she had returned to her peak following a period which suggested that her powers were on the wane.

Apple's Jade produced a performance for the ages when destroying her rivals to win a third Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Punchestown. Photo Healy Racing

After carrying all before her through the first half of last season, the Gordon Elliott-traineee met with defeats at Cheltenham and Punchestown. On that latter occasion she looked a pale shadow of the mare who was more than a match for the best geldings around.

Indeed one wondered if the sun was setting on the highs of a career that yielded perhaps the greatest juvenile performance of all time when she won by 41 lengths at Aintree in April 2016.

After being in season for much of the spring – an issue attributed to her ending last season on a low key note – Apple’s Jade was outstanding in the Hatton’s Grace. She chased a strong pace before moving into an outright lead before the straight and she maintained an unrelenting tempo to hand out a 20 lengths beating to Supasundae.

The striking nature of this display indicated that this mare could actually be better than ever.

National Hunt season by numbers

6 – The number of times Gigginstown House Stud has been crowned champion National Hunt owner in Ireland

7– The number of Cheltenham Festival victories recorded by Nina Carberry over the course of her career

8 – Cheltenham Festival winners for Gordon Elliott in 2018

17 – The total number of Irish-trained winners at Cheltenham

18 – The number of victories notched up by Willie Mullins over the course of the five days of last season’s Punchestown Festival.

25 – Relegate, who was Katie Walsh’s final Cheltenham Festival winner, belied odds of 25/1 to win the bumper at Prestbury Park

33 – Edwulf was a 33/1 shot when winning the Irish Gold Cup in February but his price scarcely convey quite how this gelding defied the odds

38 – At 38, Davy Russell was the oldest jockey participating in the race when he won last season’s Grand National at Aintree

59 – The number of winners notched up by Barry O’Neill en route to a second consecutive national point-to-point riders’ championship

212 – Willie Mullins’ final tally of winners during the 2017/18 season. A record-breaking total