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What now for Davy Russell?
THE 43-year-old postponed his retirement to help his friend Gordon Elliott who was in need of an experienced jockey while Jack Kennedy was sidelined.
Russell had 16 rides at Cheltenham. Seven of them were 10/1 or shorter, including three favourites. Eight of them were placed, several running out of their skin, but he will have been disappointed not to have had a winner.
His Festival came to a premature end when he stood himself down before the Gold Cup, giving up the ride on Conflated who finished third in the big one.
It would have been a great story if he had managed a winner, all the more so given he was publicly criticised last week by Michael O’Leary for coming out of retirement, which was unnecessary and embarrassing.
Between the injury and a suspension, Russell is not riding this week. Will there be a second send-off or will he quietly depart the stage? Jack Kennedy is expected to be back for Fairyhouse.
Will Russell be tempted by Aintree or Punchestown? He has nothing to prove to anyone. His fans and family only want to see him get out in one piece. We will watch with interest to see if this story has one more twist.
SPARE a thought for Martin Brassil, whose two runners at the meeting both finished second, beaten by inches.
Fastorslow was backed into 7/1 for the Ultima and lost out by a neck to Corach Rambler. And this came a year after the same horse was beaten by a short-head in the Coral Cup, a result Brassil described as “agony” at the time.
There was further pain for connections in this year’s Coral Cup when An Epic Song was denied by a head by Langer Dan.
You can’t deny that Brassil is some man to lay one out for a big pot. It’s only four years since he produced City Island to win the Ballymore for the race sponsor.
WHO remembers Berties Dream, 33/1 winner of the Albert Bartlett in 2010 for Co Galway trainer Paul Gilligan? A few weeks later the yard won the Grade 1 Power Gold Cup at Fairyhouse with Jadanli but things have been relatively quiet since.
Gilligan has won big handicap chases with Glamorgan Duke and Born By The Sea in recent seasons. Both those horses finished down the field at Cheltenham under Danny Gilligan but it was older brother Jack who almost got the family back in the winner’s enclosure with Buddy One in the Martin Pipe.
Buddy One was beaten off an Irish mark of 109 in January but seemed to improve massively a month later when just touched off in a Grade 3 novice hurdle at Thurles. That effort saw him get a BHA mark of 131 and he excelled again to finish third at Cheltenham in one of the most fiercely contested handicaps of the week, well clear of the rest of the field.
IT’S official – the staying hurdlers are a motley crew.
Sire Du Berlais beating Dashel Drasher (demoted later) was a real head-scratcher, though – to be fair – the winner had won a Grade 1 at Aintree last season, defeating an in-form Flooring Porter.
The 11-year-old is far from consistent, however, and perhaps his stable companion Teahupoo (promoted to second) will develop into a real champion of this division next season.
Or is there a potential top staying hurdler lurking in the Willie Mullins yard? Sir Gerhard was mooted as a possible runner in this race up to a week beforehand. Instead he ran in the Brown Advisory where his jumping let him down. Might he go back hurdling?
And did somebody say Monkfish might get a spin over hurdles at Punchestown? The crown is there for the taking.
WRITING in the Racing Post this week, Patrick Mullins suggested that graded race winners should perhaps carry penalties in the National Hunt Chase and the Cross Country. It was a generous suggestion as such a move would probably hinder his own chances of a winner – he rode Grade 1 winners in both races last week. Will the authorities take action?
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