The Irish dominated proceedings at the Cheltenham Festival on St Patrick's Day as six horses trained in the Emerald Isle won their respective races.
After making history by becoming the first female jockey to win a Championship race at the meeting on Tuesday, Rachael Blackmore landed the opening contest yesterday on 6/4 favourite Bob Olinger for Henry de Bromhead.
And the Waterford trainer was celebrating once again after Put The Kettle On won the Queen Mother Champion Chase under Cork jockey Aidan Coleman, with odds on favourite Chacun Pour Soi finishing back in third.
Coleman said afterwards: “I had the partner with the attitude and ability. It’s fantastic.
“I don’t know what is about Cheltenham with her as this is the only place I’ve ridden her. As long as she can come here a couple of times a year and do the business we’re happy enough!
“If I could bottle what she has I wouldn’t have to ride again – I’d sell it, and be a rich man.”
He added: “When you ride something that loves it and wants to win as much as this, it’s just a pleasure, it brings you back to your roots and why you wanted to get into the game, and that’s for the love of the animal.
"You can’t not watch this race and the jumps she put in and her attitude from the back of the last [and not] really appreciate what they do for us.”
And one of the stories of the week came when dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll won at the Festival for an incredible fifth time by landing the Glenfarclas Chase under Meath rider Keith Donoghue.
Owned by Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary, the 11-year-old was running in Denise 'Sneezy' Foster's name because of Gordon Elliott's suspension over a photo of him sitting on a dead horse.
An emotional Donoghue said: “He really came alive today and jumped brilliant. I was in control of the race from halfway and within his comfort zone – when Tiger Roll is like that, you don’t take him back.
“We never doubted that we had him peaking for the right time. We were happy with his last run in Navan on ground that he absolutely hates.
“I knew the way he was going today, it would take a good horse to get by him.
“We had the faith and knew what this horse could show. There’s no better horse than Tiger Roll to silence the doubters.”
O'Leary's brother and Gigginstown House Stud racing manager Eddie added: "That was unbelievable – what a fantastic horse, we’re over the moon here. He’s a legend of a horse.
“There was a rush to retire this horse earlier in the season, but he’s a cross-country horse, that’s what he is, and we always said we’ll wait to see how he gets on over the cross-country fences once more. To win at five Festivals is amazing, what a horse.
“Aintree (the Grand National) is off the agenda and we’ve no regrets about that. Both him and Easysland are rated too high. He is rated the equal of our Gold Cup horse, Delta Work, and we know he’s not as good.
“It’s going to be hard to retire him after that, now, and he loves racing in any case."
Ireland's domination on day one led to Paddy Power paying out on us winning the Prestbury Cup before the action even got underway on Wednesday.
And there were more joyous scenes as young Cork rider Richie Condon rode Heaven Help Us to victory for Kilkenny trainer and multiple greyhound derby winning handler Paul Hennessey, who only trains three horses in total.
The 24-year-old didn't need any help from the Gods as he gave the 33/1 shot a brilliant ride from the front and nobody could get close to the mare as she powered up the hill.
An ecstatic Condon, who was given a guard of honour by the Irish jockeys after the race, said: “It’s my first experience over here and I’m absolutely delighted. You dream about these kind of things and for it to happen in such an early stage in my career it hasn’t sunk it in yet. That’s it now, one ride, one winner. I can go home to Ireland a happy boy.
“I’m disappointed the pubs aren’t open but back home in Ireland we are dairy farmers and there probably won’t be a cow milked for a week."
Hennessy added: “We took a chance – and wasn’t Richie brilliant? He’s never ridden round here before, and he just took the race by the scruff of the neck.
“She’s just amazing – I can’t describe her.
“We bred her – she was born in Rathbawn, and I’ve raised her. The places she’s taken us is just ridiculous. It’s amazing – she’s my Enable.”
Earlier in the day, Monkfish landed the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase for Willie Mullins and the Carlow trainer also had the winner in the final race with Sir Gerhard.
