OLBG MARES’ HURDLE (GRADE 1)

IF anyone thought the drama for the day was finished with the Champion Hurdle they were sorely mistaken as racing’s ephemeral nature was graphically illustrated by the last-flight disaster that befell Benie Des Dieux and Ruby Walsh.

Four years after Annie Power’s final-flight fall in this race, Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh again suffered the cruellest misfortune. On her first start of the season, Benie Des Dieux had victory in the bag but she just clipped the top of that flight and came down to hand victory to Roksana (10/1) who struck for Dan Skelton and his brother Harry.

When he reflected on the Champion Hurdle fall of Buveur D’Air, which came hot on the heels of the victory of Beware The Bear, Nicky Henderson remarked “you have a winner and then you are back to square one.” That statement which neatly encapsulates racing’s ever-present pitfalls, could easily have been uttered by Mullins and Walsh, but most importantly both horse and rider emerged unscathed from this incident.

In the race itself the classy Roksana, who was placed at Grade 1 level against the geldings last spring, was in the process of running a fine race. She was providing by far the most meaningful opposition to Benie Des Dieux when the last-named fell and this left her in a clear lead. The winner hung across the track and flashed her tail to give the rallying Stormy Ireland some hope but she righted herself to prevail by two and a quarter lengths.

Owner Rich Ricci, who attracted his share of criticism after last week’s closure of the bookmaker BetBright, was philosophical as he reflected on seeing his mare come down.

“The horse is great and Ruby is fine which is the most important thing. Benie Des Dieux was going very well and she is a very good mare.

“Her getting up is the most important thing and that’s what we have to remember,” he said.

LANDMARK

This was a landmark success for the Skeltons as it was their first Grade 1 and their second at this fixture.

“It’s been a great team effort. Sarah Faulks, who owns her, is an owner-breeder and the mare will have a home for life. We hope we get plenty of her foals and that they come back here. Sarah’s a real stalwart of National Hunt breeding,” commented Dan Skelton. “I thought we had a great team coming here in great form, and Harry is riding brilliantly. It’s a magic day – to win on Tuesday just sets your week up.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Ruby and he taught me so much when I was assistant trainer to Paul Nicholls. He’ll get up, dust himself off and go again for the rest of the week,” he added.

Another landmark for Blackmore with Chase victory

A first Cheltenham Festival win for Rachael Blackmore as she drives home A Plus Tard in the Close Brothers Novices Handicap Chase Photo Healy Racing

CLOSE BROTHERS NOVICES’ HANDICAP CHASE (LISTED)

A MOMENTOUS season that has yielded one landmark after another reached another high for Rachael Blackmore as she registered her first Festival win on A Plus Tard who was operating on an entirely different level to his rivals.

A cornerstone of the rider’s stirring campaign, which sees her pushing strongly for championship honours at home, has been the support of Henry de Bromhead so it was entirely fitting that he should train this winner. The winning rider’s exploits in recent times have been such that an initial success at this meeting was an inevitability.

When the victory did arrive it did so in scarcely credible style as the Cheveley Park Stud-owned five-year-old won with any amount to spare. On a day when the form of his Naas beginners’ chase win over Duc Des Genievres received quite a boost, A Plus Tard travelled powerfully and jumped well throughout and the eye was continually drawn to the son of Kapgarde.

When he strode to the front before the straight, A Plus Tard still had a number of rivals for company but he hadn’t been subjected to any degree of meaningful pressure and he produced an electric response to surge clear from the turn in. Nothing could land any sort of a meaningful blow as the 5/1 favourite finished some 16 lengths ahead of compatriots Tower Bridge and Ben Dundee.

“He’s won incredibly well, I never thought that I’d be coming up the hill like that. Henry has put a lot of faith in me this week and I’m so grateful that I can repay him with this. I’ve never visualised riding a winner here like that and I’m just so grateful for the opportunity,” exclaimed Blackmore.

This was a sixth Cheltenham victory for de Bromhead who indicated that the Grade 1 Growise Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival could be next for his charge.

“He looked really good there and he got a super ride. He’s a horse we have always liked and he had some very nice form so this looked the right race for him,” stated the trainer. “Rachael is a brilliant jockey and I’m delighted to be associated with her. I’m really happy that we’ve been able to give her a first Cheltenham winner.”

Beware The Bear and Jerry McGrath jump to win the Ultima Handicap Chase Photo Healy Racing

Beware The Bear roars home for McGrath

ULTIMA HANDICAP CHASE (GRADE 3)

NICKY Henderson bridged a gap of some 19 years in the first of the week’s handicaps as Beware The Bear gave the most successful British trainer in the meeting’s history his first success in this race since Marlborough in 2000.

The rain that fell over the course of the morning and early afternoon turned the going testing and this certainly played to the strengths of the winner who previously won over three and a quarter miles at the track on New Year’s Day. A staying-on fourth in this race last year, Beware The Bear (10/1) has sometimes struggled to get into contention at vital stages in his races.

CONTENTION

Indeed on this occasion he looked a little laboured early on but Jerry McGrath, riding his first winner at the meeting for seven years, gradually got his mount into contention on the outer and his stamina really came into play over the last half mile. Beware The Bear (10/1) had come under strong pressure sooner than several of his rivals but he was much too strong late on. He powered away from the last fence to hold a useful lead and then lasted home to prevail by a length and a quarter.

The joint-favourite Up For Review’s chances weren’t helped by a bad mistake at the third last and he ran considerably better than his eighth place would suggest.

“Normally we try and get up there with him and he drops himself out and comes home with a rattle,” commented Henderson.

“So I said to Jerry (McGrath), let’s start where he’s going to put himself – start out the back, then he can come and work past horses, rather than having to press. He had lots of daylight, lots of time to just find himself.

It’s nice to get one on the board and settle everything down.”

Le Breuil edges it in war of attrition

NATIONAL HUNT CHALLENGE CUP AMATEUR RIDERS’ NOVICES’ CHASE (GRADE 2)

WHEN it comes to the amateur rider races this week the choice of Jamie Codd is often a safe default option and the Cheltenham Festival’s leading amateur delivered yet again as he struck on Le Breuil who edged out Discorama in a stirring finish.

This race turned into a decidedly exacting test and of the 18 horses that set out just four managed to complete the course with Codd’s mount and Discorama finishing some 47 lengths clear of the third placed runner.

On a sad note the favourite, Mullins-trained Ballyward had to be put down as a result of his fall on the final circuit.

DEPLETED

As a much depleted field neared the straight for the final time, Le Breuil (14/1) and Discorama separated themselves from the others and served up a tremendous tussle that ebbed and flowed. Even in the last 100 yards or so victory hung in the balance before Codd got the Ben Pauling-trained gelding home by half a length.

“Gordon [Elliott] had a ride for me in the race but then he told me that he wasn’t going to run and I have to thank Niall who came up with Ben’s horse,” said Codd. “We went through the form and felt that his third to Santini at Newbury earlier in the season was a good run. He had the form and a good rating so I rang Ben who was very good to put me. I must also thank Tessa Greatrex who I rang up to get Ben’s number.

“It was a real war of attrition and a slog but my horse has really battled and pulled it out.”