APART from Rachael Blackmore, other winning Irish jockeys at the recent Cheltenham Festival are known for their riding skills beyond the confines of the racecourse.

Take for instance Keith Donoghue who recorded a fourth win over the cross-country course at Prestbury Park when landing Wednesday’s Glenfarclas Chase on the Gordon Elliott-trained, Gigginstown House Stud-owned Delta Work. Always well turned-out, as are his horses, Keith hunts each Tuesday during the season with the Ward Union and often acts as whipper-in.

Elliott ran four horses in that cross-country race including Mortal who finished fifth under Jody McGarvey but had been schooled around the course earlier in the week by leading British event rider Laura Collett.

When time allows, Ben Harvey (23) who competed for three seasons as a Junior with Eventing Ireland, also hunts with the Wards or with the Fingal Harriers.

The latter pack quickly took to Facebook to congratulate the Naul jockey, and neighbouring Stamullen trainer John McConnell, when they combined for a first Festival success with Seddon in Thursday’s Magners Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap).

One of the big stories on the opening day was the double for 23-year-old Co Cork jockey Michael O’Sullivan who landed the opening Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) on the Barry Connell-owned and trained Marine Nationale and the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) on the Gordon Elliott-trained Jazzy Matty.

Proper horseman

O’Sullivan, who is described as “a proper horseman” by Connell, was interviewed last year by irishracing.com when he revealed: “I started riding ponies when I was nine or 10 and then I did Pony Club with the Duhallow Hunt Pony Club and went out hunting as well. I also did a lot of show jumping and eventing, including dressage which I find very useful when I’m working with younger horses.

“Dad (William, who won the Christie’s Foxhunters’ Chase at the 1991 Festival on the family’s Lovely Citizen) was great, bringing me to show jumping under lights down in Waterford many an evening even though he had to organise all the milking on the farm as well.”

The Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1), also staged on the first day of the Festival, was won by Constitution Hill who, unbeaten on the racecourse, is trained in England by Nicky Henderson and was ridden by Nico de Boinville as he had been in all of his previous five starts.

The Blue Bresil gelding started his racing career in the care of Templepatrick point-to-point handler Warren Ewing for whom he ran once between the flags, finishing second under the above-mentioned Ben Harvey in a four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Tipperary in April 2021. Constitution Hill was led up that day by event rider and young horse producer Sarah Sproule who, a short time later, also led the bay up at the Goffs UK point-to-point sale where he was knocked down to his present connections for £120,000.

Among the winners Sarah has led up for Ewing this year was Intense Approach who, on his only start for the yard, landed the four-year-old maiden at Farmacaffley last month under Dara McGill. At the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale run during the Festival, that British-bred chesnut son of Jack Hobbs was sold for £210,000 to the also above-mentioned McConnell. Once the point-to-point season winds down, expect to see Sarah eventing her Irish Sport Horse mare Ballyneety Cavalier Imp, a five-year-old by Cavalier Land.