Ed Chamberlin column: 2018 Cheltenham Festival debrief
ITV Racing's main man Ed Chamberlin reflects on a magical week at Cheltenham as the sport 'got its romance back.'
There is no week like the Cheltenham Festival.
I'm very fortunate that every week and every racecourse is different. Ainteee is wonderful for the enormity of the Grand National, Royal Ascot is a week that just has everything, but nowhere is as intense as Cheltenham.
Cheltenham is the holy grail in National Hunt racing – the jumps season builds to this extraordinary crescendo and it's the place where every jockey, trainer and owner wants to win.
Our gratitude must go to all the stable staff, horses, trainers and owners that make it happen, because it is one of the greatest shows - not just in horse racing, but in sport.
The Cheltenham Festival is now a British sporting institution.
Particular credit this year goes to Simon Claisse and his ground staff. The elements threw everything at them with deluges of snow and rain, and they did a remarkable job making it run as smoothly as it did.
From an ITV point of view it was an epic week. Cheltenham are a great course to work with as they rarely say no when we come up with one of our ideas. They tend to try and help make it work.
The best examples are our new wire cam over the paddock, which is any presenter's dream. A lot of time the pictures it gives don’t need words – you can just let them breathe.
New this year was the social stable - Oli Bell had an absolute ball and did a magnificent job. It was designed to get people involved, both at the racecourse and at home, to get people up and down the country talking about racing.
The engagement sent our social media platforms into meltdown and Oli 'pretending' to down a pint of Guinness was an internet sensation!
The big-race presentations and behind-the-scenes access in the stables, and with the staff that work in the racecourse itself, proved particularly popular.
I'll spend the next few days watching back all the coverage and reading comments - both positive and negative - to see how we can improve. As Gary Neville has always said to me, in sport and in television you can never stand still.
Tuesday was as enjoyable an opening day at the Festival as I've experienced. On television sunshine always makes a big difference and it meant my director Paul McNamara was spoilt for choice with over 40 cameras to choose from.
On the track I almost looked away when Footpad made the first drastic mistake of his chasing career in the Racing Post Arkle, but I thought he was brilliant under the coolest of Ruby Walsh rides.
And a touch that few saw and nobody will talk about is that my fellow Sporting Life columnist Daryl Jacob watched the race with Footpad's owners and celebrated in their success - it shows the class of the man.
There were so many highlights on the day including round two of AP McCoy interviewing JP McManus after Buveur D'Air retained his Unibet Champion Hurdle crown – that's as nervous as I’d seen Sir Anthony watching a horse race.
Then I was in the mini-bus on the way home to the ITV hotel listening to Mister Whitaker. It was only when I got back did I realise the brilliance of Brian Hughes’ ride. It was the ride of the week for me.
I'm still excited about what Mister Whitaker might do when he gets the good ground that he wants! I was thrilled for Tim Radford who eats, breathes and lives Cheltenham, as sponsor of the Gold Cup, and my sporting idol Mick Channon - who still hasn't fulfilled his promise of the windmill celebration live on ITV.
And also for Henrietta Knight, who did such a lovely feature with us on Gold Cup day with Brough Scott – she actually bought Mister Whitaker so it was great to see her back in winner's enclosure.
On Wednesday I felt under enormous pressure. I'd begged my editor to build the start of the show around Samcro, even though we had the big clash later in the day between Altior and Douvan.
When I went to the Dublin Racing Festival I got immersed in Samcro fever, I almost wanted the day to have a Danoli-type feel to it as it’s one of my favourite days in Cheltenham history. Thankfully, Samcro delivered in spades. He was very special.
The RSA followed which didn’t look too special on paper, but we were treated to a mighty performance.
AP McCoy immediately said on the podium that Presenting Percy will win the Gold Cup. It also provided my favourite image of the week as Davy Russell looked to the skies - the only words it needed from me were 'that's for mum'.
The Altior-Douvan clash didn’t live up to expectations, but it does whet the appetite for another head-to-head as Douvan looked back to his mercurial best (though it was early days and who knows what he would have found up the hill).
He’ll have to be extra special to beat Altior, who is a winning machine. As Mick Fitzgerald says as well as the Champion Chase he could win a Champion Hurdle and a Champions League to boot.
I fear I let my professionalism slip for the Cross Country Chase, but Tiger Roll is an absolute little hero of mine. As I've said many times, he caught my eye in December and I’ve been backing him accordingly ever since.
When I gave Gordon Elliott a hug on the podium he just said to me 'well done for using your eyes'. As you probably saw on Twitter, that’ll go down as one of my greatest Cheltenham moments.
In truth Thursday felt a little bit flat – not everything can be wonderful.
First the battle between Cue Card and Un De Sceaux – two of racing’s greatest warriors with 22 years, 66 runs, 17 Grade Ones and nearly 200 miles of competitive running between them – failed to materialise.
It almost felt a shame that they didn’t retire Cue Card on the spot and let him feel Cheltenham’s adulation.
I have enormous respect for the Gigginstown operation but racing needs people at home to believe the dream can be attained, and on Thursday it was a domination of the Irish powerhouses.
Laurina was immense in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle and what a prospect she could be if kept over hurdles next season.
Penhill then won the Stayers' Hurdle, which gives racing another problem.
Penhill winning the staying championship having not been seen for the best part of a year, Altior winning the Champion Chase after just one start, Buveur D'Air had only raced three times – it gives the sport a problem.
I have no issue about the narrative before Christmas, but January and February could be very flat if every good horse is laid out for the spring.
It felt like Friday was a day that needed good stories and a victory for the 'small man'. And it didn’t disappoint.
Mohaayed winning the County produced one of the images of the week, with Harry Skelton first roaring home and then kissing his girlfriend, Bridget Andrews, followed by his brother Dan being overcome with emotion. This is what this great sport is all about.
Then it all cranked up another notch in the Gold Cup. You’d think a 15-runner race that basically turned into a two-horse race from the off would be boring. The Gold Cup was utterly compelling.
When Brough Scott, who has seen everything in racing, tells you live on ITV it is the greatest dual he’s ever seen, even better than Grundy against Bustino, then you know you’ve witnessed something very special. Two brilliant jockeys on two very brave horses.
It’s another race that throws up the possibility of an awesome rematch – who would come out on top in a Gold Cup on good to soft ground?
I think the general opinion would be Might Bite, but I feel Native River is a proper Cheltenham horse who will take a lot of passing up that hill.
I was thrilled for the Tizzard family who all spoke on the podium, from grandpa Colin through to grandson Freddy, it was a real family affair. Some of the nicest people in racing lifting the biggest prize the sport has to offer.
Fittingly, it felt like the day racing got its romance back.
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