Ben Linfoot reflects on day two of the Cheltenham Festival after Tiger Roll sauntered to a fifth success at the meeting, while Henry de Bromhead had another superb day.
Five-star Tiger stings like a bee
“It’s about knowing how much ability this horse has still got,” said BHA handicapper Martin Greenwood about Gordon Elliott’s and Gigginstown’s TIGER ROLL, when he unveiled the Randox Grand National weights last month.
Not taking any chances with the dual-National winner, he settled on a mark of 166. Not unfair, considering he bolted up off 159 at Aintree in 2019 – after which he was rated 171 – but a world away from the ability he had shown on his previous four starts.
Beaten 17 lengths by Easysland in last year’s Cross Country, he was 12 lengths further in arrears in a Navan maiden on the Flat, was pulled up in the Cross Country handicap at Cheltenham’s November meeting and was then a 65-length last of six in the Boyne Hurdle, his now traditional spring prep, in February.
There was a glimmer at Navan last time. He looked well and he tracked the slow pace like he was enjoying himself for a long way. But then the lights went out – and we simply didn’t know.
Now we know. As traditional as the sighting of a daffodil, crocus, bluebell or bumblebee, Tiger Roll just comes alive at this time of year. Even at the age of 11. Even after a patchy campaign where retirement has been whispered, if not at his home of Cullentra House.
Drying good to soft ground, afternoon sunshine of the like we haven’t seen all year and Tiger Roll was racing with the verve and prance that we haven’t seen since he last won the National.
The signs were there at a very early stage that he was on a going day – and though Easysland and Some Neck cut into his lead the Tiger soon skipped away from them again. Miles clear jumping the last, it was like watching a lap of honour from the little horse who has now won at five Cheltenham Festivals.
A Triumph, a National Hunt Chase and now three Cross Country Chases. It’s an incredible record, but what a shame he can’t go for a third Grand National after being taken out at the latest forfeit stage on account of his handicap mark being too high.
It wasn’t – and now he’s been denied a crack at Red Rum-style history for reasons that are hard to fathom. But Tiger Roll’s story has never been about his connections, it’s about the horse, and what a brilliant one he is.
So brilliant he takes the headlines away from Henry de Bromhead, whose terrific week got even better after a thrilling Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase went to his plucky mare PUT THE KETTLE ON.
That was the race of the meeting so far in terms of a thrilling finish and heightened drama, and while Willie Mullins and Rich Ricci were denied with Chacun Pour Soi at least their highly-talented novice chaser MONKFISH got the job done in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
He didn’t jump brilliantly and he might not have won had he not scared off a handful of rivals, but he bagged a second Festival win despite adversity, despite not getting into a rhythm, and he clearly has some engine. He’ll jump better on other days.
You sense he’ll have to if he’s to mature into a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner in 12 months’ time. But he’s the general 5/1 favourite for the 2022 renewal before the 2021 race has been run and you can absolutely see why.
Who is Bob Olinger?
So many questions about BOB OLINGER. Not the gun-slinging frontier lawman who was the last known victim of Billy the Kid, but his debonair equine namesake who you’d just about fancy in any shootout after his ridiculous Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle romp.
What is he? A Champion Hurdler? A novice chaser? If so - are we talking Sporting Life Arkle or Marsh? Or even Brown Advisory? How long could the Henry De Bromhead-Rachael Blackmore axis dominate at Cheltenham with Honeysuckle and Bob Olinger and Envoi Allen and A Plus Tard and Put The Kettle On and others? And how bloody good is Ferny Hollow?
He’s 6/1 for the 2022 Champion Hurdle and the same price and lower for the 2022 Marsh. Perhaps the presence of the same stable’s Honeysuckle will force him down the novice chasing path, perhaps not, but there’s no doubting he’s a Ballymore winner who could, quite easily, drop back in trip to two miles.
They didn’t go a strong gallop here and Bob Olinger was keen, both in the early stages and coming down the hill, but while those exertions might’ve scuppered the chances of a lesser horse it would’ve taken more than that to stop this one today.
He was simply too good and too quick for both Gaillard Du Mesnil and Bravemansgame – both solid 150-rated horses who ran well – his seven and a half-length winning distance by no means an exaggeration of his domination.
It’s his pace that marks him out as a special talent. He sprinted away from them off a slow gallop when he won the Lawlor’s of Naas Grade One in January and he did the same again here – on much quicker ground conditions. Typical of Sholokhov progeny, he looked right at home on the quicker terrain.
Imagine De Bromhead doesn’t train Honeysuckle and you’d just say next year’s Champion Hurdle for this horse. Istabraq, Hardy Eustace and Faugheen all won the Ballymore before dropping back and winning the Champion. Rock On Ruby was runner-up in the novice and dropped back to win the Champion, too.
Bob Olinger looks cut from the same cloth. But wherever he goes, be it over hurdles or fences, he’ll be expected to lay down the law with style and a swagger after this.
Out with the Old, in with the New
We’re at the halfway point and that means we switch courses, from the sharper Old Course to the more galloping New Course.
The differences are fairly modest, but there is more of an emphasis on stamina on the New Course and it’s less of a jumping test for the hurdlers in the closing stages with a long run to the last.
There’s fresh ground to consider, as well, and different styles of rides can prosper where they might not have earlier in the week. But the most important thing is to look for those horses that have thrived on the New Course before and, on Thursday, there are plenty to go at.
Take the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, for example. There are former winners Paisley Park and Lisnagar Oscar, there are horses that have been placed in the race before like Sam Spinner and Lil Rockerfeller, and then there’s last year’s Pertemps one-two, SIRE DU BERLAIS and The Storyteller.
Both of Denise Foster’s horses have chances. Both are graded performers, both have triumphed at the Festival. Both are threats to Paisley Park, but I prefer the claims of Sire Du Berlais, the dual Pertemps winner, who gave 3lb and a beating to his stablemate in last year’s handicap.
He’s the one for me in the feature but the Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase has some New Course specialists as well.
I can see three that are on the radar and I’ll be mixing them up with a few better-fancied ones in Placepots and reverse forecasts given their ‘previous’ on this track.
MISTER WHITAKER (14/1) loves the New Course. He’s a Cheltenham Festival winner on the Old Course, but his very best efforts have come on the New. He’s won twice on the New and was third in this race last year off a mark of 152, so he appeals off a 2lb lower mark.
HAPPY DIVA (20/1) is a similar type. She won the BetVictor Gold Cup on the Old Course but has a terrific New Course record of 2-2-2. She was second in this race last year – off a 4lb higher mark – while she’s versatile when it comes to the ground and won’t mind the drying conditions one bit.
And then there’s EAMON AN CNOIC (40/1). Fourth in this race two years ago off a mark of 137, he’s been second on the New Course over two miles, as well, and is looking well treated now off a rating of 130. He comes into this with a bit of confidence after recently taking advantage of his lower hurdles mark.
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