Corker of a week at Cheltenham: Rebel jockeys deliver at the Festival
Paul Townend after Galopin Des Champs won the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. Picture: Healy Racing
THE 2023 Cheltenham festival concluded here at Prestbury Park on St Patrick's Day after a week that will live long in the memory.
One constant all week was the dominance of Willie Mullins and Paul Townend and they were again the headline makers in front of 68,814 people.
Racing is a sport that can turn you upside down and 12 months ago Lisgoold's Townend experienced a cruel final fence exit when clear on Galopin Des Champs in the Turners.
This time, despite a few jumping errors, he scaled new heights winning a vintage renewal of the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Townend exuding confidence in a tactical masterclass. He beat the gallant King George winner Bravemansgame whose trainer Paul Nicholls told me afterwards that it was as good a Gold Cup as he was involved in and he was immensely proud of his charge.
Paul Townend started the day by landing the Triumph Hurdle on the keen-going Lossiemouth who lead home a 1-2-4 for Willie Mullins almost matching the achievement of Michael Dickinson's famous five in the Cheltenham Gold Cup 40 years ago.
Mullins has assumed the mantle that Dickinson once held and has brought national hunt racing to new levels and unprecedented heights.
The Hunters Chase 66/1 and the County Hurdle provided screamers for Bookmakers who were hard hit by Townend's Triumph Hurdle-Gold Cup double. Maxine O'Sullivan from Lombardstown had a lovely spin in fifth on Chris's Dream who finished and might have benefited from softer ground given his undoubted stamina reserves.
To cap it off, Roscarberry native Brian Hayes rode his first Cheltenham winner aboard Impervious.
It started on Tuesday with the brilliance of Constitution Hill, the raw emotion of Honeysuckle and the emergence of the tactically brilliant Lombardstown jockey Michael O'Sullivan; the Corkonian lit up a magical day one with a double.
A super festival for Cork jockeys and owners saw a debut victory for Doneraile jockey Darragh O'Keeffe on Wednesday. He also had a terrific ride in fourth in the Ryanair.
It wasn't Davy Russell's week he had a few near misses and gave Galvin a brilliant ride in the Cross Country on Wednesday, just behind Delta Work.
One horse that attracted lots of interest following his victory on Wednesday was Langer Dan for owner Colm Donlon trained by Dan Skelton. The oft-used Cork slang expression was the butt of many post-race jokes.
The Irish dominance at the festival shows no signs of abating and but for Consitution Hill it would have been a clean sweep for Irish horses in the marquee championship races.
Stay Away Faye saved the blushes for English Novices by landing the Albert Bartlett at 18/1. Former Cork-trained horse Corbett's Cross ran out at the last but looked beaten at the time.
It will be a meeting that will be remembered for the coronation of two racing superstars Constitution Hill and Galopin Des Champs and the departure of the queen of national hunt racing Honeysuckle who has earned a well-deserved retirement.
