Padraig Roche delivered owner JP McManus with the ultimate birthday present at his favourite meeting after Saratoga turned in a career-best display to land the McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
A half-brother to the yard’s 2022 winner Brazil, the son of Camelot successfully followed in his hoofprints to ensure McManus enjoyed a 75th birthday to remember.
Always travelling well in the hands of Mark Walsh, the easy-to-back 10/1 chance came swinging into contention after the second last to join last time out Wetherby scorer Klycot on the run down to the last.
However, after meeting the final flight on a good stride the former Aidan O’Brien-trained four-year-old quickly scampered away up the run in to defeat the running on Winston Junior, who didn’t have the clearest of passages through the field, by two and a quarter lengths.
Roche said: “He travelled well and jumped well and Mark said he stayed well. They went a good gallop which helped so it was great.
“He ran well the last day against a good mare and we thought he would improve and he did. He is a half-brother to Brazil as well, who we won the race before with.
"After Christmas we thought he might have a chance in this race so we have had it in mind for a while.
“Getting the horses is half of the battle. I’m delighted that Frank Berry (racing manager to JP McManus) and JP agreed to buy him and we were delighted to have him.
“He has been a very straightforward horse to deal with. We wouldn’t have fifteen jumpers. We would have twelve or thirteen jumpers and five or six Flat horses and that would be it so this is great.
“Today mattered and we will find out if he is a better handicapper further down the road.”
14:40 Cheltenham - Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle result
1st Saratoga 10/1
2nd Winston Junior 5/1
3rd Klycot 40/1
4th Pourquoi Pas Papa 16/1
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As for McManus, who was celebrating his 85th Cheltenham Festival winner, he was pleased to see conditions turn in the favour of Saratoga, who finished second at Naas last time out in a race that has produced four of the last seven winners of £80,000 Premier Handicap.
McManus said: “I met Michael O’Leary today, who wished me a happy birthday, and he said only the good die young!
“Every winner at Cheltenham is very special. I go back a long time with Padraig’s father Christy and I won this race a few years ago with Brazil.
“They were praying that the ground would be fast as he bounces off it so they were worried it might have been a bit too soft a couple of weeks ago, but every day it was drying out they were much happier for this horse!"
Johnnywho leads home McManus one-two in Ultima
Richie McLernon rolled back the years to ensure his one ride at the Festival was a triumphant one after steering Johnnywho to glory in the Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase.
Having finished second in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase 12 months ago the Jonjo and AJ O’Neill-trained nine-year-old gained compensation to give McLernon his first winner at the meeting since 2014.
15:20 Cheltenham - Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase result
1st Johnnywho 18/1
2nd Jagwar 3/1
3rd Quebecois 10/1
4th Blow Your Wad 14/1
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsBuried amongst rivals for much of the race the 18/1 chance, who was sporting first time cheekpieces following a wind operation, always looked to be going well in the hands of McLernon provided he could find the gaps at the right time.
Turning for home it looked like early leader Quebecois had plenty of his rivals in trouble turning in to face up to the final two fences with most of those in behind coming under some kind of drive.
However, it looked like Search For Glory had come to pick his pocket on the run to the last before unseating James Smith a few strides after the fence leaving Quebecois to fend off the late rally of JP McManus-owned pair of Johnnywho and Jagwar.
But try as he might to make every yard of the running it was not to be with Johnnywho, under a determined McLernon, who won the race aboard Alfie Sherrin in 2012 and Holywell in 2014, forcing his way past before defeating Jawar by half a length.
AJ O’Neill, joint-trainer, said: “It is fantastic to get my first Cheltenham Festival winner since joining dad on the licence and Richie gave him an unbelievable ride. "He has threatened to land a big one a couple of times and it is great to do it here.
“It was absolutely fantastic as it was great to come back here after going so close in the Kim Muir last year and go one better. He had the headgear on and he seemed to be much more happy as well.
“Richie got a great tune out of him and he jumped like a stag. He had him in the right place throughout and it was great to get it done.
“I say Richie was always going to make space so there was always going to be a bit of room if Richie was there if he had the horse underneath him, and thankfully he had that.
“To be honest I was just hoping we could keep our nose in front when Jagwar was charging, and luckily we were able to do so. It was fantastic to do that.
“Richie gave him a fantastic ride so it was great to see it all work out. This was his only entry as he was too high for the Kim Muir so thankfully it all worked out.”
'One bullet'
McLernon said: “It was a long time since Holywell won and these winners are hard to get. I was quite young when I won them before and they are hard to get. When you get them you appreciate them. You come back every year hoping. I only had one bullet to fire this week and luckily we hit the target. I’m delighted.
“To be fair Jonjo (O’Neill, junior) rides him all the time and the team at home have done a super job. I’m just lucky to be on him today.
"Jonjo had Iroko and I’m just thrilled that JP’s team put me on him, and the O’Neill team as well as they have been long time supporters of me. It has paid dividends.
“He was quite calm to the start and I said to the lad leading him up I hope he picks up a bit more in the race. His jumping was very good and the ground was dry enough, and it took him a little while to warm up. But to be fair we went a nice gallop.
“He was very unlucky last year as the race panned out too well in front of him. He got there and missed the last a little bit whereas today he had something to aim at the last and that helped him.”
Well-handicapped Madara cruises to victory in Plate
Dan Skelton once again proved he is one of the best in the business at race planning after Madara looked a cut above his rivals when running out an impressive winner of the Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase.
After missing more than a year following his fine second in the 2024 December Gold Cup at the track, the talented Doctor Dino gelding, who secured Listed honours at the 2024 Dublin Racing Festival when trained by Sophie Leech, showed he was back to his best on his third start of the campaign.
Despite having plenty of horses around him for much of the two-and-a-half-mile test, victory never looked in doubt for the 3/1 favourite, who turned for home still pulling double in the hands of Harry Skelton.
It was simply a case of when not if for the market leader and, after putting in a big leap at the last, the seven-year-old sprouted wings up the run-in to score by seven and a half lengths and leave his connections dreaming of Graded glory in the future.
16:40 Cheltenham - Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase result
1st Madara 3/1 favourite
2nd Will The Wise 10/1
3rd Moon d'Orange 25/1
4th Downmexicoway 9/1
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsSkelton said: "He is a good horse. We thought we were going to win the December Gold Cup last year, but we didn’t quite manage that. He got a leg injury doing that, so we had to give him time off. The fact that he has had that time off meant I couldn’t race him.
"He came here as a fresh horse and he is relatively unexposed. He did a great bit of work at Warwick a few weeks ago. I can’t call him a Grade One horse, but he is definitely a Graded horse in a handicap.
"It is easier being a patient trainer than it is a patient owner. As a trainer we are lucky to have a lot of horses, but for the owners you have to be patient. That is hard as you just want to run them. It shows you if you are patient that it can work out.
"It is lovely to get a winner as that is what we all come for. If you said to me last night if we can get one then we will ask for more, but one is what is about, especially on day one as everyone can breathe a bit easier.
"I had no doubt he had plenty of pounds in hand today, it was just how it went on the way around. It was a great team effort and we are delighted with that.
"We just feel our way a little and we won’t push the boat out too hard. He will get ten pounds or more for today.
"You could think about the Melling at Aintree, but that is a big ask or you could go to Sandown Park on the last day of the season.
"We may just leave a bit more in the locker for another day."
Holloway Queen gives James Bowen a Festival first
James Bowen celebrated a well-deserved first Festival winner after Holloway Queen continued her recent resurgence over fences with a stylish success in the National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase.
Having appeared to lose her way over hurdles the six-year-old mare was on the verge of being put on the transfer list, however a switch to chasing has seemingly revived her career and she doubled her tally over fences in the three-mile-six-furlong contest.
In a race few truly got into, it looked as though long time leader Pic Roc had his rivals cooked with jockey Ben Jones appearing to still have plenty of horse left underneath him, but a shuddering mistake late on opened the door for Holloway Queen.
And after joining the Ben Pauling-trained runner, the 12/1 chance, who was a smart winner at Newbury last time out, swiftly moved on rounding the turn for home with just the two fences left in the straight to negotiate.
17:20 Cheltenham - National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' Handicap Chase result
1st Holloway Queen 12/1
2nd King of Answers 22/1
3rd One Big Bang 11/1
4th Union Station 28/1
Meeting both obstacles well, the daughter of Jukebox Jury found plenty when required late on to defeat the running-on King Of Answers by five and a half lengths to complete a double on the day for triumphant trainer Nicky Henderson.
Bowen said: “It is great to get a winner on the first day. It is a bit of redemption for last year when I missed the whole Festival and I might have missed a winner so it is great to do it the year after.
“We always thought she was a better mare on really soft ground until today. I was a bit negative on her beforehand because of the ground. If it would have come up soft I would have really fancied her chances.
"I suppose the ground didn’t make any difference over that trip today. She just wants a trip on good ground I think.
"I wasn’t really confident I had Ben (Jones) covered until jumping three out. I got in close to it and my arse hit the saddle and she took off then.
"Once I got past Pic Roc I thought 's**t, I’ve still got half a mile to go all on my own and something is bound to get me'.
"We went fast enough so there weren't any finishers which was good. It didn’t feel like I was clear.
"When you are in a normal race you normally hear the commentator quietly when you are in front by miles and you think you are definitely going to win, but he seemed to be very loud and I thought there was something up my rear!
"I’ve had some good days and this is up there. I’ve been at Seven Barrows eight years now and the boss has been extremely good to me.
"Nico (de Boinville) was sat in the weighing room watching it and he had every right to put him on her, but he stayed loyal to me which I’m thankful for."
'We had nearly given up on her'
And equally delighted to see Bowen notch his first Festival triumph was the master of Seven Barrows.
Henderson added: “They (James and Sean Bowen) are two of the best boys you will ever meet, but what a family. For James it is terrific.
“I waited until there had been a couple of chase races to see what the boys thought as she wants soft ground, but James said it is over three miles and six furlongs and the extra distance will help her.
“She is twice the horse in soft ground. I thought Ben’s horse was rocking away out in front and we would have been pushed to get to him.
“Jumping fences, and soft ground, have helped her, but she didn’t have the ground today.
“There was one stage early on in the year that she was on the transfer list big time. She was over hurdles and getting in the ruck and she wasn’t enjoying it.
“We had nearly given up on her, but we found a way to get her to enjoy life.
“This could be a dangerous night as they are some team!"
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