Day 4 Review
In the Triumph Hurdle opening the card, Brian Cooper picked up a 2 day ban for excessive whip use when his mount Apple's Jade was beaten on the run in by the impressive Ivanovich Gorbatov. In the last race his mount Bright New Dawn was 18th of 18 finishers cantering in 23 lengths behind his nearest opponent... Oh, and smack bang between the two he won the Gold Cup!
His mount, Don Cossack, was imperious on the day and made what looked like a close contest look easy, scoring from four lengths to Djakadam, who had to settle for second for a second year in a row. Much had been made of 23 year old Cooper's previous rides on Don Cossack and he came into criticism for the ride he gave him in last year's Ryanair Chase. He was under pressure earlier in the week to choose between the two 'Don's' and the criticism in the run up had lead to some declaring that they'd back whichever Don he didn't ride! He chose right, with Don Poli struggling to go with the pace, but given a good patient ride by Davy Russell to finish third.
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Cooper chooses right and Don Cossack proves why he's the
highest rated steeplechaser in the world
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Cooper gave Don Cossack the perfect ride, sitting in a prominent position, pushing on at the right time and the horse jumped brilliantly and assuredly in the style of a proper Gold Cup winner - I think the step up in distance helped the horse have the time to get his feet in the right order and he was into a lovely rhythm throughout. He beat Djakadam easily enough in the end and looked like he may have had a little to spare if he needed it. He came in highest rated and proved comprehensively in the end that he is the best steeplechaser in the world.
But perhaps the story of the race and of the season in the staying chaser division is of the greatest rivalry that never was! When mounting his challenge and right in the mix three out, Cue Card took the first fall of his career; it is a fence that catches the best of jumpers out and Paddy Brennan just let him go into it a half stride early. The important news is that the horse got straight up and galloped home none the worse and non the wiser. But the fall, alongside Don Cossack's fall in the King George which Cue Card won, means that the question of who would've won either race up the run in will never be answered! So in the greatest rivalry that never was, it looks like they finish one a piece.
It is a shame for Cue Card's bid for the £million bonus end in that way; his jumping was less than fluent throughout but he was certainly on terms to be involved in the finish if standing up. He is a 10 year old now with a lot of mileage on the clock - perhaps connections will still give him a spin out at Aintree or Punchestown and perhaps he will be back in the staying chases in the Autumn next year, but the way he peaked this season and gave us all the memories of his Betfair and King George wins will live long in the memory. Still an absolutely super horse and the exciting news is that next year his stablemate and ultra impressive World Hurdle winner Thistlecrack will be trained over fences with this being the target.
Of the other Gold Cup runners, Smad Place went off in front as expected and set a blistering tempo that eventually saw his challenge fade when it couldn't be sustained, he finished a tired horse back in 6th. O'Faolins Boy did excellently to stay with him for so long but eventually faded back and met the same fate. Subsequently connections of Carlingford Lough and Irish Cavalier were rewarded picking up the prize money for 4th and 5th respectively.
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| How many future Cheltenham winners will Joseph O'Brien train? |
UknowwhatImeanharry showed that course and distance form counts for everything as the English form held up over the Irish in the Albert Bartlett. Barter's Hill didn't fully give his running and connections were expectant he would improve and deliver again in the future. His race probably wasn't helped by going head to head with Champers on Ice from a long way out, the two taking blows at eachother and eventually being outstayed by the winner. Fagan in second ran a blinder for Gordon Elliott at 33/1 as he hit the crossbar again.
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Nina Carberry times it right on On The Fringe
Victoria Pendelton did herself proud in 5th
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On the Fringe was slightly below his form of last year but still was always doing enough to give Nina Carberry a great victory again in the Foxhunters. Some of the best amateur riders were among the places, Jamie Codd, William Biddick and Sam Waley-Cohen so it is a massive credit to Victoria Pendleton to finish the race in 5th, staying on at the end - with another year of confidence under her belt perhaps she would've challenged earlier and placed, but just to get round and finish like that showed the 'switching saddles' campaign was a success and a great side story to follow this season.
I was delighted to see Dan Skelton off the mark at Cheltenham with Superb Story who was well treated at the bottom of the handicap in the county hurdle, Wait for Me stayed on well in 4th. Wayne Hutchinson took a nasty unseat and it was great to see him get up to ride Smad Place an hour later.
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Solar Impulse completed a handicap double for Paul Nicholls
levelling the Betbright Prestbury cup to 14-14
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In the end, just like Don Cossack vs Cue Card will finish with one win and one fall each, the Prestbury Cup also finished as a draw with Ireland and Great Britain both racking up 14 winners across the festival. With two races to go though it looked as though the cup may be going to Ireland who were 12-14 up - but roll on the super sub Paul Nicholls to pull out two superb handicap wins with Ibis Du Rheu in the Martin Pipe and Solar Impulse in the Grand Annual. Before the festival there were markets on him to have no winners here, and though he may not have the best horses in the world to win the big races with anymore he proved he is still a top top trainer who really knows how to win. The fact that trainers he mentored Harry Fry and Dan Skelton had winners today is of huge tribute to him too.
Shrew's Shrewdies Round Up
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Sprinter Sacre was the story of the week - winning the Champion
Chase again, 3 years after his first victory
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It has been another great festival and in their own ways the champions Annie Power, Sprinter Sacre, Thistlecrack and Don Cossack have provided class, guts and unrivalled emotion to what is one of the greatest sporting spectacles on earth. There were some great clues for Aintree and Punchestown and it's sure to be a great spectacle over the next few months.
Winners
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Douvan, perhaps the most exciting of all
the novices - where does he go next year?
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Douvan 1/3 (1st)
Vroum Vroum Mag 11/10 (Tuesday's NAP) (1st)
Blaklion 10/1 (1st)
Sprinter Sacre 5/1 (1st)
Diego Du Charmil 7/1 (1st)
Vautour 5/6 (1st)
Thistlecrack (Thursday's Nap) 11/10
Limini Evs (1st)
Unowhatimeanharry 11/1 (1st)
Don Cossack 11/4 (1st)
On The Fringe (Friday's Nap) 3/1 (1st)
Placed Horses (5 places in handicaps, 3 in Championship races)
Min 6/4 (2nd)
Buever D’Air 6/1 (3rd)
Hollywell 15/2 (2nd)
Southfield Royale 7/1 (4th)
Yanworth 11/8 (2nd)
Baoulet Delaroque 10/1 (5th)
Josie’s Orders 11/4 (Wednesday Nap) (2nd)
Bristol De Mai 5/1 (2nd)
Our Kaempfer 10/1 (5th)
Arpege D’Alene 11/1 (2nd)
Full Shift 12/1 (4th)
Knock House 20/1 (4th)
Footpad 10/1 (3rd)
Wait For Me 12/1 (4th)
And the ones that got away!
(Trifecta: Don Cossack, Cue Card, Djakadam!) - If only Cue Card had jumped round!
Zabana 10/1 - Davy Russell unseats before the race !- bookies pay the stake back
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