Marsh Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)

WITH all due respect to the winner, Chantry House, and other contestants involved at the business end of this race there was an utterly anti-climactic feel to last Grade 1 novice chase of the week as the early departure of Envoi Allen cast a long shadow over this race.

Firstly to the winner, who was providing J.P. McManus with his initial success of the meeting, and moved Nicky Henderson on to the outstanding tally of 70 festival winners – a total only bettered by Willie Mullins.

Promising

Apart from a major disappointment at this track in December, Chantry House boasted a highly promising profile which featured a good third in last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and a confidence-boosting success at Wetherby last month evidently left him in excellent shape for this assignment.

Before this race everything revolved around one horse and one horse only as Envoi Allen attempted to make it 12 wins from as many starts.

Exciting jumper

The overwhelming 4/9 favourite and possibly the most exciting jumper in Ireland or Britain lined up with compelling credentials but it all went wrong for one of the shortest priced favourites of the meeting as he clipped the top of the fourth fence and crashed out. Happily both Envoi Allen and Jack Kennedy emerged unscathed from this incident.

At the other end of the race Chantry House and Nico de Boinville loomed up to hold every chance two out.

At this point Shan Blue wilted having set sail rather a long way from home and Chantry House was left with stablemate Fusil Raffles to beat. The McManus-owned son of Yeats duly held the upper hand from the last onwards and he defeated Fusil Raffles by three lengths, with Asterion Forlonge another two lengths away in third.

“I suppose you have to take your opportunities when they come your way,” remarked Henderson. “We all felt we were up against it at the start and I just hope Envoi Allen is okay.

“It was a true run race and you’d be delighted with how both our horses performed. Chantry is a good horse.

“We felt when he ran in the Supreme last year that he’d want another half mile to be at his best and he looks there like he’d like another half mile so it’s quite exciting.”

Mrs Milner bolts home and ends fallow period for Cooper

Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)

A FALLOW period for both trainer Paul Nolan and jockey Bryan Cooper on the biggest stage of all finally came to a close as Mrs Milner overcame notable trouble in running to bolt up.

For Nolan this success came 10 years after his last which was achieved with Noble Prince in what is now the Marsh Novices’ Chase and former Gold Cup-winning rider Cooper had gone four years since making it eight Cheltenham Festival wins in 2017.

The Nolan yard has endured its share of tough times in recent years and Cooper went through a very testing period after losing his position as Gigginstown House Stud’s first jockey.

However, Nolan and Cooper have established quite a rapport over the last couple of years and the Wexford trainer’s support has been central in the rider’s steady revival.

Twelve months ago the Nolan-Cooper alliance came so close to Cheltenham glory with Latest Exhibition and they could have been forgiven for asking would their time ever come again.

It arrived courtesy of a mare who has held her form so well since winning at last summer’s Galway Festival. A fourth in the Leopardstown Qualifier for this race pointed to her prospects and she came good in some style as she absolutely bolted up.

In the colours of Jim Coffey’s Manverton Limited, Mrs Milner needed all of Cooper’s expertise and finesse and the rider’s coolness under pressure provided yet further evidence of just what a talent in the saddle he remains.

At the top of the hill the winner got badly impeded in some scrimmaging and this cost her at least four or five lengths. Such interference in a handicap of this nature could be extremely costly but a cool Cooper never panicked, let his mount work her way back in contention and then produced her to lead at the last. She then stormed clear on the run-in to defeat compatriot and top-weight The Bosses Oscar by five lengths.

“It’s great. It’s been a lonely few years walking out of this place with no winner,” exclaimed Cooper. “I can’t thank Paul and James Nolan enough. They gave me support when I had none and I also have to thank the owner Jim Coffey who puts so much into this sport.”

As he reflected on some tough times in his career Cooper’s candour was refreshing and engaging: “I had to start at the bottom and work my way up – there was nobody going to hold my hand and do it for me. I’m a big boy now and it was up to me to change things around and I’m just so grateful to be getting these rides and these opportunities.”