Quevega won the Mares Hurdle for the sixth successive year. This was her most close victory and like last year coming to the home turn it looked like she wouldn't win. However, she battled again bravely to the line. She's 3/1 to win the race next year but I suspect that would be going to the well too much and she'll be eleven years old by then.
The other side of the spectrum was the awful fall of the five-year-old Our Conor in the Champion Hurdle who injured his back and had to be put down. He was a devastating winner of the Triumph Hurdle last year and looked in good form this year. His death reminds me of the exciting Gloria Victis who died as a six-year-old after a fall in the 2000 Gold Cup.
Supreme Novices Hurdle
Well at least I got this one right. For the second year in a row I got the winner of the opening race but no other winners. Vautour had the same owner, trainer and rider as last year's winner Champagne Fever and was pretty much given the same ride by Ruby Walsh. The difference from last year was that Vautour had the race won when jumping the final flight. Vautour's sire Robin Des Champs' most successive progeny are intermediate/staying horses. These are top-class staying chaser Sir Des Champs, wonder mare Quevega (who I'll mention again later), Racing Post Chase winner Quinz and French Grade 1 winning staying hurdler Oeil Du Maitre. Given this I wouldn't be surprised to see him stepped up in trip and he doesn't appeal as a Champion Hurdle horse.Of the other horses the joint favourite with Vantour was the Paul Nicholls trained Irving. He was under pressure by half-way and finished a well beaten ninth. It was no surprise to hear his jockey Nick Schofield saying the horse felt beaten before the third flight. Nicky Henderson continued his consistent record in the race by training the second and third home (Josses Hill and Vaniteux). He keeps on having placed horses in this race (My Tent Or Yours 2013, Darlan 2012, Spirit Son and Sprinter Sacre 2011, Binocular 2008, Amaretto Rose 2007). Sgt Reckless finished fourth and did better than I thought he would. He was well beaten on this previous visit to Cheltenham. Wilde Blue Yonder finished fifth. He'd shown very promising form but ruined his last two races by falling late on. Gilgamboa finished 13th after making a serious mistake two hurdles from home.
Arkle Chase
My selection Trifolium made an early mistake and after that was never travelling all that well. I'm rather surprised that he finished in third place given that.
Former Champion Hurdler Rock On Ruby made an even worse mistake at the same fence and Noel Fehily did well to stay on him. His jumping suffered badly after that. He didn't make any more mistakes but jumped slowly and at that top of the hill was talied off.
I previously mentioned how difficult it is make all the running in the Arkle. Champagne Fever nearly did today until he was mugged on the line by the 33/1 Western Warhorse. The latter horse is frankly a nutter and it took all of Martin Pipe's many years of experience to lead him safely into the winner's enclosure. Martin Pipe won the race four times as a trainer and now his son David Pipe has trained the winner as well. Jockey Tom Scudamore gets one over on his old man as the legendary Peter Scudamore never won this race in his long and distinguished career (he 'd retired before his employer Pipe started winning his race). Martin's four winners were for owner David Johnson who was a major supporter of jumps racing and sadly passed away last year. Western Warhorse only had one previous run over fences. I've now remembered that I watched that previous ru and was impressed by the his jumping. The previous trainer to win the Arkle with a horse who'd only ran once over fences was Martin Pipe with Well Chief in 2004.
Dodging Bullets was close enough if good enough (although again I suspect his resolution was again a problem),
Baylis & Harding Affordable Luxury Handicap Chase
My selection was Time For Rupert. To be honest he looked in trouble going around the first bend! He never looked comfortable and gradually went further and further back down the field. He finished stone last out of the eighteen runners and I'm a little surprised Dennis O'Regan didn't pull him up.
Ma Filleule may have been a little unlucky in second place as Nico de Boinville lost an iron for a while after the horse made a mistake at the third last fence. However, given the horse hasn't won over longer than 19 furlongs I suspect he was just outstayed by Holywell. The latter horse joins the list of horses who have won more than one race at the Cheltenham Festival as he also won the Pertemps Hurdle last year over three miles. The Package keeps being placed in this race and has now been placed in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
Champion Hurdle
This race ended up as little unsatisfactory even if we ignore the fate of Our Conor. The interference causes by the fall of Our Conor was significant to The New One and he wasn't beaten all that far storming up the hill like he did last year. However, his didn't jump well after the interference keeping jumping stickily and to the right. That as much as anything caused him problems. He was unlucky but I'm not convinced the best horse didn't win the race. He has problems with his jumping and I wonder what future plans are for the horse.
Jezki gives trainer Jessica Harrington her first Champion Hurdle victory. In 2001 I was keen on the chances of her Moscow Flyer for this race at 16/1 in what looked like a poor year. Foot and mouth stopped the race taking place and we'll never whether that great chaser would have been a Champion Hurdle winner. Barry Geraghty has now ridden Jezki five times and he's won on him every time. He held off My Tent Or Yours who again finishes second at the Cheltenham Festival. Both horses will surely be back next year and I assume that The New One will join them. However, this looks like the end of the Festival road for Hurricane Fly. I expect that he'll add to his world record number of Grade 1 wins at some point. However, I can only see that happening in Ireland (he has a 100% record at Leopardstown). He has never looked quite as good at Cheltenham. The rest of the field weren't good enough today and my selection Melodic Rendezvous was always outpaced. It was a fair bet at the prices with the worry that he wouldn't cope with the ground. I suspect that is exactly what happened.
Mares Hurdle
The wonder mare wins again! Quevega has now won this race for six successive years which overtakes Golden Miller's Festival record of five successive Gold Cups in the 1930s. She had to battle a lot more today and like last year it was hard work but she always storms up the Cheltenham hill. I would have liked to have seen Annie Power run in this race and I do feel that she would have beaten Quevega. Anyway, this is Quevega's day. She is on offer at 3/1 to win next year but I just feel that it would be asking too much. My tip Cailin Annamh was never dangerous and finished well beaten.
Terry Biddlecombe National Hunt Chase Amateur Riders' Novices' Chase
Named in honour of the late national hunt legend Terry Biddlecombe. A gusty win from Midnight Prayer who held on from Shotgun Paddy. The latter coped with the ground better than I thought he would. The young Foxrock made a couple of late mistakes. My selection Shutthefrontdoor made two successive mistakes which ruined his chance. I'm not sure what Patrick Mullins was trying on the third placed Suntiep. He left the horse an awful amount of ground to make up from the top of the hill. The horse did make a mistake at the third and second last. Frankly though Mullins has judged this race badly as the horse was flying late on.
Rewards4Racing Novices' Handicap Chase
Brendan Powell junior won the three mile handicap chase on this day last year and now this young jockey has won another handicap chase. His ride Present View held on narrowly from Attaglance. There was some minor interference between the two but not enough to alter the result. My choice Ericht made a terrible mistake and that was the end of his chances. He was eventually pulled up.
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