Cheltenham Festival reaction: David Ord on day four | Week to savour for Henry De Bromhead
David Ord reflects on WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup day as Henry De Bromhead saddled a one-two in the week's feature to cap a terrific Festival.
It was a race that epitomised the week to perfection.
Minella Indo beat stablemate A Plus Tard to win the WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup with reigning champion Al Boum Photo carried out on his shield in third.
Henry De Bromhead saddled the one-two, Jack Kennedy and Rachael Blackmore fought out the finish ahead of a rival trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend.
There was a yawning gap back to Native River, the best of the British, in fourth. How fitting given what’s gone before for the home team that our best representative was the veteran 11-year-old, off the bridle from the moment the tapes rose but who responded, as ever, to the tireless urgings of Richard Johnson.
Frodon contributed more to the race with an exhilarating round of jumping up front under Bryony Frost but soon after the third last he was beaten.
And then it was down to the usual suspects, but what a race they served up.
Kennedy committed first on Minella Indo with Blackmore, full of confidence and momentum, taking aim.
Crucially the winner was slicker over the second last and quicker into stride upon landing after the final fence. He needed to be as A Plus Tard found the reserves for a final crack at him up the lung-bursting hill.
It wasn’t to be – he went down to an inspired stablemate at a track where he excels.
So does Al Boum Photo, who looked a huge threat until three strides after the turn in. He couldn’t go with the front two on the drying ground and his reign was over.
It was a stellar renewal of chasing’s blue riband, a pulsating clash between three horses at the top of their game, trained and ridden by people about whom the same comment applies.
It was the 21st winner of the week for Ireland, but we’d long stopped counting those, and a sixth for De Bromhead.
His Festival has been a little overshadowed by the exploits of his stable jockey but make no mistake here's a trainer who has arrived at the top table – after all he’s won the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup. No handler in the rich history of this meeting has ever completed that treble.
👏 What an incredible week it's been for @HenrydeBromhead!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) March 19, 2021
🤯 The first trainer EVER to do the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Gold Cup treble at a single #cheltenhamfestival
And it isn’t just the established stars - Honeysuckle, Put The Kettle On and Minella Indo - who point to a golden future.
He has the young talent too, Bob Olinger the brilliant winner of the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and Envoi Allen, beaten but not bowed after his early exit from the Marsh. And then there’s Quilixios who emerged as comfortably the best of what looked a vintage crop of juvenile hurdlers in the JCB Triumph.
De Bromhead is the first trainer since Kim Bailey in 1995 to win the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup in the same season. He is going to be a familiar name on racecards for all the major races for many years to come.
And so is Blackmore, denied a first win in the final day feature but the person who gave the Festival the feelgood factor we craved going into it.
Let’s be fair we didn’t know what to expect. Racing felt under siege after what had gone on in the preceding weeks and few outside the bubble had leapt to its defence.
But here at Cheltenham we were reminded of what’s so glorious about our sport.
Appreciate It running away with the Sky Bet Supreme, Shishkin sizzling in the Sporting Life Arkle, Honeysuckle’s Champion, Allaho breathtaking in the Ryanair and Tiger Roll, off the canvas and a five-time winner at the great meeting.
It was a week to savour for De Bromhead and Blackmore, one of unparalleled success for Ireland.
TV viewing figures soared, the stars shone and the smiles returned to the faces. There wouldn’t be a single person watching on desperate not to be there next year.
The Cheltenham Festival matters and even if not financially, we should all feel like winners on Friday evening.
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