A review of Wednesday's action from Cheltenham where Tiger Roll was denied a fairytale ending to his remarkable career by stablemate Delta Work.
Famous five for L'Homme Presse
L’Homme Presse completed a five-timer over fences to remain unbeaten when cruising to success in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.
There was drama 20 minutes before the race as ante-post favourite Bravemansgame was pulled out by Paul Nicholls, owing to the increasingly soft ground, along with Irish challenger Fury Road.
That left the Venetia Williams-trained L’Homme Presse, who had won the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase by 21 lengths at Sandown, facing eight rivals under Charlie Deutsch and he duly put them to the sword.
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Ahoy Senor made the running in the early stages, tracked by L’Homme Presse, who took it up at the seventh of the 19th fences and jumped his rivals into submission.
Though Farouk D’alene threw down a challenge turning in, he came down after jumping the penultimate fence, but it never looked like the winner would be beaten.
To his credit, Ahoy Senor, whose jumping at times was still a little novicey, continued to stay on but in the end was still three and a half lengths adrift, with Gaillard Du Mesnil sticking on for third, a further length and three-quarters back.
Williams said: “I don’t think I’ve felt so sick during a race, which is rare, but I’m really looking forward to watching it again. I couldn’t be more thrilled. He’s such a spectacular jumper and even though he was favourite, it was lovely to hear the crowd cheer every time he put in a big leap.
“I think this race was always the most likely, but the only thing which would have changed our minds was if it was going to be heavy ground and even this rain has made it just soft ground.
“The horse was recommended to Andy (Edwards) after two runs in France, but then he picked up a tendon injury so he had to be very patient. He didn’t show a lot at home at first, it wasn’t until about three weeks before his first run for us that he showed us anything but he’s gone on and improved with every run.”
Deutsch said: “He just travels easily, jumps well and he was just having a look around going to the line. It was the first time over the trip on the ground, but he just felt comfortable the whole way.
“It’s just wonderful to have such a good season and then get a winner at Cheltenham. Venetia’s done such a good job of just handling this horse and Andy, the owner, is so easy. He’s very laid back and just leaves it to you. It’s a huge moment for me, it’s just wonderful and I’d like to thank anyone who has helped me.”
Lucinda Russell, meanwhile, was thrilled with the effort of Ahoy Senor in defeat. She said: “I’m totally proud of him. He’s grown up today. He’s always won his races by jumping better than everyone else, but today he had to knuckle down and be a racehorse. He made a mistake along the way and the ground is probably not perfect for him, but there were no excuses.
“He’s a good horse L’Homme Presse and well done to Venetia. She’s a good mate, so it’s nice she’s won. Ahoy Senor is a lovely, lovely horse and I can’t wait for next year.”
Rain fails to thwart Sir Gerhard
Sir Gerhard powered through the soft ground to justify favouritism in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The 8-11 favourite, trained by Willie Mullins, followed up his Grade One success over two miles at Leopardstown with another – handling the step up to two miles and five furlongs with aplomb under Paul Townend.
Ahead of racing, conditions changed to soft after heavy rain fell on watered ground, making conditions gruelling, and the early pace did not help the keen Stage Star, who emptied quickly after the third-last.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsRachael Blackmore increased the tempo on Journey With Me approaching the stands for the first time, but was always tracked by Sir Gerhard, who was also very keen in the early stages, and the writing was on the wall turning in.
Townend swept to the front and held off the staying-on Three Stripe Life (8-1) to score by three and a half lengths. A tired Journey With Me fell at the last, leaving Whatdeawant (18-1) to fill the minor honours.
Townend said: “He showed his class, as keen as he was, to stay going. I was afraid going around that we were in the wrong race, but he showed his true ability to stay going. He jumped the best he has ever jumped on the course. His jumping the last day wasn’t great, but he jumped well there.”
Mullins can now look forward to a huge future with the winner.
“I’m absolutely delighted with that. He did everything we thought he might do,” he said. “He was a little bit more free than I thought he would be, but then there was probably very little pace. Anyway, Paul kept a lot in reserve and he won as he liked.
“He jumped like a professional the first day, wasn’t so good the second day and then jumped like a professional today. There is obviously a little quirk in him, but he was fantastic today. You’d think he’s a chaser, but could he be a Champion Hurdle horse? He could be.”
He added: “I think the rain is good for our horses. We felt the ground was good yesterday, maybe a little too good for us. It’s proper National Hunt weather today, anyway.
“On yesterday’s ground, if we were at home maybe we mightn’t have run. I’m much happier with this. I wasn’t disappointed with the ground yesterday. It just walked a little bit slower than maybe it rode on some of our horses. When you’re breaking records it means the ground is fast, so there we are.”
Richard Thompson, director of owners Cheveley Park Stud, did not mind welcoming his winner back, despite being drenched by the rain.
He said: “My three sons went to watch it outside so I thought I’d better go watch it with them. What better way to see a winner, who cares about the rain when you’ve won a race like that? Fantastic. It’s great to have all the options and we’ll be discussing it in time, my instinct will go with what Willie says, as far as I’m concerned.”
Fleet is Commander of Coral Cup
Commander Of Fleet got up on the line in a thrilling, head-bobbing finish to the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle under a well-judged ride from 5lb claimer Shane Fitzgerald.
The Gordon Elliott-trained winner, sent off at 50-1, was one of the few guaranteed to enjoy the testing ground and big field, having won a 23-runner handicap at Navan in early December.
The Jessica Harrington-trained Ashdale Bob set sensible fractions in front for the conditions and was still going well in front turning for home, jumping the last three lengths clear of his 22 rivals.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsHowever, the stamina-sapping ground proved his undoing. Jack Foley’s mount tired soon after, as Fastorslow and Commander Of Fleet bore down on the seven-year-old, who faded quickly, eventually finishing third, a further five and a half lengths behind the front two in the two-miles-five-furlong contest.
Darragh O’Keefe’s mount looked to have got the better of the scrap to the line and in a titanic battle, briefly got his head in front, only for Commander Of Fleet to get his head down when it mattered to score by a short head. Camprond who was always stalking the pace, did not find much from the second-last and finished fourth.
The victory was the first for Elliott at the Festival after missing last year’s meeting due to suspension.
Bumper win for Facile Vega
Facile Vega won the Weatherbys Champion Bumper for Patrick and Willie Mullins.
The race was delayed as Cheltenham officials sought to find a route through the pooling water on the track, but conditions were no hinderance to the 15-8 favourite.
Out of Cheltenham legend Quevega, Facile Vega defeated Gordon Elliott’s well-regarded American Mike on his debut at the track his mother was unbeaten around.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsTrainer Willie Mullins said: “Facile Vega was very good, he’s shown me at home that he’s always good. We were really worried about conditions here today, but he relished it. It was a tough decision by the stewards to do what they did and it was great that they did it quickly and they got the race run.
“That’s what I see every day, this horse just travels when we do work – now you’re seeing what I see. He’s a real sort. Gordon thinks a huge amount of American Mike and he just ranged up beside him and went forward when he wanted to.”
Pauling joy as Citizen strikes
Elliott, who made it a double on the afternoon with Delta Work beating stablemate Tiger Roll in a thrilling finish to the cross-country race, was denied a treble when Global Citizen caused a 28-1 shock in the two-mile Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase.
The Elliott-trained Andy Dufresne (100-30 favourite), named after the main protagonist in the blockbuster movie Shawshank Redemption, eventually got out of jail and threw down a challenge approaching the second-last, but by then the bird had flown.
The 10-year-old Global Citizen, who was having his first run over fences since December 2020, was always up with the pace, although looked cooked for the minor honours when Editeur Du Gite went on four out.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsYet Kielan Woods’ mount was soon on terms again and after jumping upsides at the second-last, drew readily clear.
Though he got lonely in front as Editeur Du Gite tired, the Ben Pauling-trained Global Citizen never looked like being collared by Andy Dufresne, and went on to score by three lengths, with Frero Banbou, almost tailed off approaching the top of the hill, staying on stoutly another three lengths further back in third.
Pauling, who moves into a new yard the week after Aintree, said: “He’d needed time to come back to himself and dropped to a good mark having completely lost his way. But I’ve always had faith in him. He filled himself up and went for home on a track that suited him. It was a great ride by Kielan who had won the race before.”