That’s the end of a historic day at Cheltenham, as Willie Mullins overtook Nicky Henderson in the all-time trainer standings, winning two races to take his Festival tally to seven. Gordon Elliott won three, and is up to six for the week, as the Irish dominated. They lead Britain by an unassailable 16 wins to five after three days.
It was also a great day for Davy Russell and Paul Townend – Russell took three wins, including an upset for Balko Des Flos in the Ryanair Chase, while Townend bounced back from a string of near-misses to take the Stayers’ Hurdle and Dawn Run.
Join me on Friday for the final day of racing and the biggest race of all – the Gold Cup. Thanks for joining me. Bye!
Updated
Today's results
1.30 JLT Novices’ Chase – Shattered Love 4-1 (J Kennedy/G Elliott)
2.10 Pertemps Final – Delta Work 6-1 (D Russell/G Elliott)
2.50 Ryanair Chase – Balko des Flos 8-1 (Russell/De Bromhead)
3.30 Stayers’ Hurdle – Penhill 12-1 (P Townend/W Mullins)
4.10 Brown & Merriebelle – The Storyteller 5-1F (Russell/Elliott)
4.50 Mares Novices’ Hurdle – Laurina 4-7F (Townend/Mullins)
5.30 Kim Muir – Missed Approach 8-1 (N McParlan/W Greatrex)
So, Lambourn’s Warren Greatrex denies Ireland a clean sweep on St. Patrick’s Thursday. The trainer says that a wind operation, carried out after a frustrating patch of form, seems to have worked wonders for his horse.
Missed Approach wins the Kim Muir!
The die appeared cast as two Irish horses closed in on Britain’s Missed Approach, who had led from the front – but Noel McParlan is not to be denied, and brings the 8-1 shot home!
Result:
1 Missed Approach (Mr N McParlan) 8-1
2 Mall Dini (Mr P W Mullins) 4-1 Fav
3 Squouateur (Mr J J Codd) 5-1
4 Double Ross (Mr Z Baker) 40-1
20 ran
Updated
Mall Dini takes up the fight with two fences to go, with Squouateur joining him – it’ll be a three-way battle for victory...
Three from home, Missed Approach trying to up the pace but Mall Dini, Squouateur and Captain Buck’s are all well-placed...
The leading dozen horses tightly bunched over the water jump, with Squouateur making progress alongside Act In Pieces. Over the final open ditch, and Missed Approach still leads by two lengths...
Favourite Mall Dini is travelling well in seventh place, but Squouateur isn’t jumping smoothly. Pressurize is losing touch at the back, with Millanisi Boy moving up to third. Missed Approach still leads with Double Ross on his shoulder...
Wild West Wind unseats Noel George at the fifth, while Very First Time is also struggling over the jumps. Missed Approach leads from Pendra and Double Ross, Actinpieces and Milanisi Boy lead the chasing pack...
Missed Approach leads Pendra and Double Ross, the front three opening up a lead, but it’s very early in this three-miler...
They’re off – can Ireland complete a clean sweep?
Updated
One more race to go – and an outside chance from Chris Cook:
5.30 Kim Muir Handicap Chase
Here’s an amateur riders’ race which, for some reason, has worked out as a fair trial for the next year’s Grand National, thanks to winners like Ballabriggs, Sunnyhillboy and Cause Of Causes. Squouateur looks like starting favourite, though it’s hard to see what he’s done to earn that, other than starting favourite for Festival races for the past two years. He was still in the argument when unseating late in this race a year ago and the excellent Jamie Codd rides again. Mall Dini was fifth that day and gets to run from the same mark, with Patrick Mullins replacing Katie Walsh. Representing Pat ‘Presenting Percy’ Kelly, he won the Pertemps two years ago. Ms Walsh is this time on Sugar Baron, who can finish to great effect, as when second here in November. Band Of Blood has won his last two and probably has more to offer, coming from the yard of Dr Newland. West Wizard (50-1) is a bit of a bampot but talented and could get involved at a big price.
Betting latest: Mall Dini 9-2, Squouateur 5-1, Band of Blood 8-1, Sugar Baron 9-1, Missed Approach 11-1, Aubusson 12-1, Pendra 14-1, Final Nudge 14-1, Milanisi Boy 16-1, The Young Master 16-1, rest 20-1 bar
Here’s Willie Mullins, who is his usual unassuming self: “It’s unbelievable. When you start training, you hope you might get one winner at the Cheltenham Festival. We never thought we could achieve something like this from a base in Ireland.”
Could Laurina have won the Supreme? “I’d never thought of that, but she’s the type of mare you’d want in that type of race, so we’ll see. There’s a Grade One in Fairyhouse at Easter – we might go for that.”
Updated
A few nasty-looking falls in that race, but I’m happy to say the horses and jockeys involved are all up and looking OK. Robbie Power stayed down after falling at the last on Salsaretta, but is now back on his feet.
Willie Mullins becomes Cheltenham's most successful trainer
That victory means Willie Mullins overtakes Nicky Henderson at the top of the all-time standings, with 61 wins to 60.
The NEW all-time leading trainer at #TheFestival - @WillieMullinsNH 👏
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 15, 2018
Laurina notches up win no.61 for the Irish handler in the Trull House Mares' Novices' Hurdle#TheFestival pic.twitter.com/YaE0BTjOis
Laurina wins the Dawn Run Mares' Novice Hurdle!
All very easy for the red-hot favourite, with Paul Townend getting another win today, and taking Willie Mullins’ tally to seven. A real scrap for the places, with 80-1 shot Champayne Lady stealing third on the line.
1 Laurina (P Townend) 4-7 Fav
2 Cap Soleil (P J Brennan) 10-1
3 Champayne Lady (D F O’Regan) 80-1
14 ran | 9-2 Maria’s Benefit 4th
Updated
Paul Townend has Laurina pulling away now, over the last almost 10 lengths clear. Salsaretta goes down at the last, but Laurina will win by a country mile...
Laurina motors into third place, catching up to the leading pair as they approach the final turn – and Countister has plenty of momentum too...
Laurina moves to the front of the chasing group alongside Ellie Mac, with Salsaretta in touch as Maria’s Benefit and Cut The Mustard continue to lead. Dawn Shadow falls, and Davy Russell’s High School Days is hampered and drops to the back of the field...
The front pair open up a gap of about five lengths, moving at a whip. Larina still in the middle of the pack as they head down the back straight...
And they’re off in today’s penultimate race! Maria’s Benefit leads over the first hurdle, joined by Cut the Mustard with Spice Girl well placed on the inside...
Willie Mullins has the odds-on favourite in this race in the mare Laurina. If she wins, he’ll overtake Nicky Henderson in the all-time standings – and Ireland will have wrapped up the Bet Bright Cup with eight races to spare. Davy Russell is looking for a fourth win of the day on Gigginstown’s High School Days.
Updated
4.50 Dawn Run Mares’ Novice Hurdle
A race seemingly invented to give Willie Mullins another winner at each Festival. It has certainly performed that function for its first two years and looks set to do so again, as Laurina (1-2) is likely to start at odds-on. She has hacked up on both starts since joining Mullins from France, including in a Grade Three last time. Maria’s Benefit is just about a match for Laurina on ratings, but she has taken six runs since September to get to that point and the suspicion must be that Laurina has rather more scope for building on what she has so far shown. If there was to be a danger to Laurina, it might come instead from her stablemate, Pietralunga, who has had just one run since leaving France. She did not impress that day at Clonmel but at least she won and there is no shortage of possible excuses. Mullins may very well have improved her since then.
Betting latest: Laurina 1-2, Maria’s Benefit 11-2, High School Days 9-1, Cap Soleil 12-1, Countiser 16-1, Salsaretta 20-1, Cut The Mustard 33-1, rest 40-1 bar
Updated
This is what's being said in Ireland about our version of the great game https://t.co/ksZbdE6P44
— chris cook (@claimsfive) March 15, 2018
Worth noting that Mullins and Elliott have now both won more races this week than all British trainers combined...
Updated
The Storyteller wins the Brown & Merriebelle Plate!
Another brilliant ride from Davy Russell for his third win of the day and fourth of the week – and a sixth of the week for Gordon Elliott!
1 The Storyteller (D N Russell) 5-1 Fav
2 Splash of Ginge (Jamie Bargary) 25-1
3 King’s Odyssey (Adam Wedge) 14-1
4 Ballyalton (T J O’Brien) 16-1
22 ran | Non Runners: 2,4
Updated
The Storyteller closes in as they approach the final fence, and Davy Russell guides his horse down the outside track and into the lead, ahead of surprise contender Splash of Ginge...
Village Vic drops back, with King’s Odyssey taking up the race with Splash of Ginge. The Storyteller and King’s Socks both still in touch with two to jump, as Splash of Ginge continues to lead by a length...
Willie Boy edges into the leading group down the outside, with King’s Odyssey and Ballybolley well placed behind the two leaders as the pack take on an open ditch. All horses over safely, but Drumcliff and Movewiththetimes, both JP McManus horses, are pulled up...
Village Vic, in Wycombe Wanderers silks, leads from Splash of Ginge with 14 to jump. Viconte Du Noyer and Oldgrangewood currently mudding along at the back...
Under starter’s orders in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate. The Storyteller starts as 5-1 favourite...
Here’s our report from the Stayers’ Hurdle, where Penhill rolled in after 323 days away, won one of Cheltenham’s classics, and will now roll off again until next year:
4.10 Brown Advisory Plate Handicap Chase
A handicap which has been a reliable source of shocks, if that’s not an oxymoron, with winners in the past decade at 66-1, 50-1, 33-1 and 33-1. David Pipe and Venetia Williams have won it five times between them in that decade and both have fancied runners this time in King’s Socks and Willie Boy, though both trainers have also been operating well below their usual strike-rates in recent weeks. Gordon Elliott, who has found success easier to come by, runs The Storyteller, who was favourite for last year’s Martin Pipe until pulling a muscle the week before. He could be nicely weighted if he can brush up his jumping a bit. The same owner has Guitar Pete (14-1), a course winner in December, trained by Nicky Richards. Drumcliff couldn’t go with Saint Calvados in a quality contest at Warwick last time but had previously won two handicaps and looks a contender again.
Betting latest: King’s Socks 6-1, The Storyteller 6-1, Last Goodbye 8-1, Movewiththetimes 8-1, Guitar Pete 12-1, Willie Boy 14-1, King’s Odyssey 14-1, Ballyalton 16-1, Pougne Bobbi 18-1, rest 20-1 bar
If anyone is still bothering to keep score, that’s four wins for Ireland today – they lead Britain 13-5 through the week.
"I'm just relieved"
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 15, 2018
Winning jockey Paul Townend gets his win after playing second fiddle this festival pic.twitter.com/yT4IzkENWL
That’s a great result for Paul Townend, particularly as he could have switched to Bacardys, who fell at the last under Patrick Mullins. Perhaps Townend knew this horse’s potential, even though he hadn’t raced for almost a year.
Willie Mullins now has six wins this week, and is level with Nicky Henderson in the all-time rankings. A great day too for Brighton chairman and Penhill owner Tony Bloom, who hands Townend a scarf in the winners’ enclosure.
Penhill performs strongly to win the Stayers' Hurdle at 12-1, awarding @WillieMullinsNH with his SIXTH win of the festival pic.twitter.com/1HwhCpaiTM
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 15, 2018
Penhill wins the Stayers' Hurdle!
Townend gets there by a length, to earn Willie Mullins his first win of the day, and turn a tough week around after falling short on Min, Melon and Un De Sceaux.
1 Penhill (P Townend) 12-1
2 Supasundae (R M Power) 6-1
3 Wholestone (Aidan Coleman) 14-1
15 ran | 9-4 Fav Sam Spinner, 33-1 Colin’s Sister 4th
Updated
Supasundae and Penhill take up the initiative, and the latter edges into the lead as they approach the last. Those two head for the line – is Paul Townend about to end his run of second-places?
Two to jump, and Joe Colliver hasn’t been able to thin out the chasing pack. Still very much up for grabs, with Uknowhatimeanharry moving down the outside, and Penhill making up ground...
Penhill and Bacardys among those jostling for the best line in midfield, while Yanworth is still in a good spot in third. Let’s Dance falls at the fourth-last; he and jockey Danny Mullins are both up.
No early front-runner has managed to win this week – can Sam Spinner buck the trend? Still more than a circuit to travel, but the favourite leads by a length from Donna’s Diamond. L’Ami Serge is currently the back marker, but still in touch...
Updated
Yanworth and the New One both well placed behind the leading pair, with Lil Rockerfeller also in touch. The whole field over the first four jumps safely...
They're off in the Stayers' Hurdle!
Joe Colliver made a big effort to keep Sam Spinner away from the pack and relaxed before the start. The favourite leads them off, followed by the grey Donna’s Diamond...
After a week dominated by the Irish big-name trainers, the Stayers’ Hurdle favourite is out of a modest stable in North Yorkshire. Sam Spinner is certainly the romantic’s choice, but there’ll be plenty of love for Nigel Twiston-Davies’ The New One, appearing at his sixth Festival.
Ten minutes to get your bets in for the Stayers’ Hurdle, one of Cheltenham’s traditional classics – and to sign up for our weekly Recap newsletter. Just type your email address in below:
Stayers’ Hurdle betting latest:
- Sam Spinner 11-4 (J Colliver/J O’Keeffe)
- Yanworth 6-1 (B Geraghty/A King)
- Supasundae 7-1 (R Power/J Harrington)
- Unowhatimeanharry 8-1 (N Fehily/H Fry)
- Bacardys 12-1 (P Mullins/W Mullins)
- L’Ami Serge 12-1 (D Jacob/N Henderson)
- Penhill 12-1 (P Townend/W Mullins)
- The New One 16-1 (S Twiston-Davies/N Twiston-Davies)
- Wholestone 16-1 (A Coleman/N Twiston-Davies)
- Augusta Kate 16-1 (D Mullins/W Mullins)
Stayers' Hurdle preview
Here’s the week’s against-all-odds story, about Sam Spinner, who became hot favourite for this when he bolted up in a Grade One at Ascot two days before Christmas. He’s trained by Jedd O’Keeffe, who seemed at death’s door two or three years ago and had to be persuaded to keep training by his owners, and ridden by Joe Colliver, who went to jail for lying to the police after crashing his car while drunk. Sam Spinner is good enough but we’ve already seen this week how hard it is for inexperienced connections to get everything right for a Festival race, while taking on Mullins and Henderson, who have been winning such races for years.
Mullins has Bacardys (10-1), who comes here as a failed chaser but whose hurdles form last year entitles him to go close. Henderson has L’Ami Serge, who has seemed to lack resolution and may need to be fooled into sticking his head in front on the line by Daryl Jacob. Yanworth, who started favourite for the Champion Hurdle last year, put his name in the frame for this by winning over three miles at Aintree last spring. This will be even more of a stamina test, however. Supasundae won a handicap hurdle at the last Festival and followed up in the Irish Champion Hurdle last month. He has not so far been a strong finisher over three miles and his stamina must be in doubt.
So, a good day for Jack Kennedy and Davy Russell, who have moved to the top of the jockeys’ standings, and Gordon Elliott, who is level with Willie Mullins on five wins each. It’s been tougher for Mullins, winless today with Ruby Walsh out injured and Paul Townend still landing in second place. Michael O’Leary’s had the best day of all – all three races have been won by his Gigginstown horses.
Updated
Cue Card’s Colin Tizzard: “I was disappointed that his race ended so suddenly. Paddy had to make a split-second decision... he said it was the heavy ground, but he’s raced on it before. We don’t want to see him racing like that, but we’ll take him home and make a decision.”
All told, it seems odds-on that Cue Card will head to retirement. Tizzard looked pretty fed up with that turn of events, and has had a shocking Festival so far.
#TheFestival says goodbye to a hero...
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 15, 2018
Thank you for the good time, Cue Card 👏 pic.twitter.com/Yug0MMnO2H
Updated
Davy Russell, returning to the winners’ enclosure after a victory, and then a heavy fall, on Tuesday, pays tribute to Brian Hughes who stepped in for the jockey yesterday and came in third here on Cloudy Dream. Russell is also reminded that owner O’Leary has won his own race. “He’ll get all his money back, isn’t that an awful shame?”
That’s also a first win of the Festival for trainer Henry De Bromhead, but another painful second place for jockey Paul Townend on Un De Sceaux, crucially overtaken at the third out.
Updated
Balko Des Flos wins the Ryanair Chase!
Russell holds his lead and upsets Un De Sceaux – and Michael O’Leary gets his third win of the day in his own race!
1 Balko Des Flos (D N Russell) 8-1
2 Un De Sceaux (P Townend) 8-11 Fav
3 Cloudy Dream (B Hughes) 10-1
6 ran, 18-1 Sub Lieutenant 4th
Updated
Over the last and Balko Des Flos has a five-length lead! Can the favourite rally? He’s making up ground, but running out of track... a big surprise could be on the cards here...
Cue Card is pulled up!
Not to be for Brennan and Cue Card, who loses touch in dramatic fashion and is swiftly pulled up. Two to jump, and Davy Russell’s Balko Des Flos has taken the lead from Un De Sceaux!
Cue Card looks a bit laboured, and Paddy Brennan a little concerned, as Un De Sceaux sets the pace and opens up a big lead. The favourite soars over the eighth-last, and Gigginstown stable-mates Balko Des Flos and Sub Lieutenant move ahead of Cue Card...
With 12 to jump, Un De Sceaux moves up to take the lead, with that front three still tightly packed. Balko Des Flos is in fourth, ahead of Frodon with Cloudy Dream bringing up the rear as they begin the final circuit...
Cue Card still making the running, half a length ahead of last year’s runner-up, Sub Lieutenant. As for last year’s winner, Paul Townend has Un De Sceaux a length back in third.
They’re off in the Ryanair Chase!
Cue Card is sent straight on into the lead, with Sub Lieutenant in behind him.
Ryanair Chase preview
One of today’s feature races, the Ryanair Chase (2.50, 2m 4f) has never actually been won by the Ryanair chief executive, Michael O’Leary, which is starting to become A Thing – although O’Leary has won today’s first two races. He would clearly like to win it and has chucked quite a few of his talented steeplechasers at it without hitting the bullseye, including some who might have been better off in the Gold Cup. This time, he fields Sub Lieutenant, a game second last year but winless in 11 Grade Ones, and Balko Des Flos, a Galway Plate winner who was second in the Christmas Chase. Neither looks quite good enough but Balko may very well have more to offer.
Still, Un De Sceaux (8-11) is the most likely winner, having put up a formidable show to win this race last year. He’s unbeaten in two this season and is trained by that Mullins chap you may have heard of. Also here, probably for the last time at the Festival, is Cue Card, who won this race five years ago, the last time he lined up in it. The Champion Bumper winner of 2010, he’s become immensely popular for his durability and the roof would come off if he managed to win this. At the age of 12, it doesn’t seem likely and he hasn’t won for over a year but he put up a game effort at Ascot last time.
Betting: Un de Sceaux 8-11, Cue Card 5-1, Frodon 8-1, Balko Des Flos 11-1, Cloudy Dream 12-1, Sub Lieutenant 16-1.
Interesting discussion below the line on Mullins and Elliott, who have won 10 of the 16 races so far this week:
All getting a little testy on ITV, as Matt Chapman suggests Barry Geraghty rather gave that away on Glenloe. AP McCoy’s view? “Barry’s won a lot more races than that clown.” Eek.
What a finish!
It’s a fifth festival success for @gelliott_racing as @_Davy_Russel_ wins the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle for the third time in a row aboard Delta Work#TheFestival pic.twitter.com/hzKZ6DRcUX
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 15, 2018
Delta Work wins the Pertemps Final!
Davy Russell looked to have got there by a hair’s breadth, and it’s Delta Work who takes it! Gordon Elliott gets a 1-2, either way, and is level with Mullins for the week. A couple of useful each-way results too – Connetable and Taj Badalandabad come home third and fourth.
Result:
1 Delta Work (D N Russell) 6-1
2 Glenloe (B J Geraghty) 9-2 Fav
3 Connetable (Harry Cobden) 33-1
4 Taj Badalandabad (T Scudamore) 40-1
Updated
Who Dares Wins strikes for home as they climb the final hill. Glenloe is in pursuit with Connetable still in the running, and Delta Work coming through between them... Elliott’s two horses go for the line neck-and-neck - it’s a photo finish!
Updated
Forza Milan is losing touch at the back – that will disappoint a lot of punters – with Mine Now and Louis’ Vac Pouch still towards the rear. Glenloe and Delta Work are in touch, Prime Venture is making ground down the inside, but Sykes and Connetable continue to lead as they approach the last...
Kansas City Chief, Dadsintrouble and Sort It Out are among those edging forwards from midfield. Sykes still leads by a nose from Connetable, with Thomas Campbell taking up a position on the outside. Lovenormoney up to third as the pace begins to crank up, with four hurdles to go...
A long run to the only hurdle on the downhill stretch, with Glenloe and Delta Work both racing fiercely. Forza Milan is towards the back as they turn towards home...
Louis’ Vac Pouch is held up early on with Sykes and Connetable leading, and Who Dares Wins well placed behind those two. Eight to jump...
The 23 runners are off in The Pertemps Handicap Hurdle...
Some very late betting moves in this race – Delta Work is in to 11-2 and Forza Milan cut to 15-2. They’ll be under way any moment...
It seems horse racing is taking darts’ lead when it comes to the walk-on...
Equal opportunities pic.twitter.com/bNw6LhRPxk
— Lee Mottershead (@leemottershead) March 15, 2018
Richard Johnson is firmly among the contenders for this next race on Louis’ Vac Pouch and will be hoping to hand Philip Hobbs’ yard, which has struggled with a virus this winter, a boost in the process. It would also be good preparation for another tilt at the Gold Cup tomorrow. Chris Cook caught up with the veteran jockey before the Festival started:
Betting latest for the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle, which gets under way in 20 minutes. Gordon Elliott looks to have a great chance of drawing level with Mullins – he trains the favourite, Glenloe, and Delta Work, who is moving up the betting.
- Glenloe 10-3 (B Geraghty/G Elliott)
- Delta Work 9-1 (D Russell/G Elliott)
- Sort It Out 9-1 (M Walsh/E Harty)
- Louis’ Vac Pouch 10-1 (R Johnson/P Hobbs)
- A Great View 12-1 (J McGarvey/D Cullen)
- Forza Milan 12-1 (K Moore/J O’Neill)
- Who Dares Wins 14-1 (W Hutchinson/A King)
- Protek des Flos 16-1 (A Coleman/N Henderson)
- Rest 25-1 bar
Casual followers of racing might best remember Jack Kennedy for this piece of in-race acrobatics, back in December. He also delivered perhaps the stand-out performance of the week so far on Samcro yesterday:
Jack Kennedy: “She’s a super mare, she’s been improving. She’s done it so easily today! Thanks to Gordon [Elliott] and the team, they’ve been so good for me. She jumps really well, I’m just delighted.”
The 18-year-old is now the Festival’s leading jockey, while Elliott is one behind Willie Mullins in the trainers’ standings. It’s also another win for Ireland, who have started St. Patrick’s Thursday as they mean to go on.
Shattered Love is now 5-6 over fences after winning the JLT Novices' Chase for trainer @gelliott_racing, who chalks up his 4th win of #TheFestival pic.twitter.com/2wADbbyl56
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 15, 2018
Updated
Shattered Love wins the JLT Novices' Hurdle!
1 Shattered Love (J W Kennedy) 4-1
2 Terrefort (D A Jacob) 3-1 Fav
3 Benatar (J E Moore) 10-1
9 ran, 15-2 Kemboy 4th
Shattered Love makes a mess of the final fence but looks to have the legs, and pulls away from Terrefort in style. Jack Kennedy is going to get his third win of the week...
Updated
Shattered Love now well placed, and Invitation Only is gaining ground – until another poor jump four to finish puts him out of the race! With two to go, Terrefort begins to move away from Bigmartre, with Shattered Love closing the gap...
Invitation Only has drifted to the back under Paul Townend, while Kemboy, Modus and Finian’s Oscar are struggling for rhythm over the jumps. Four to jump...
Benatar is running a lively race and jumping well, moving up to fourth just behind Finian’s Oscar. Terrefort switches to the inside of Bigmartre at the front, with 10 to jump and all runners still in touch...
They’re off! Bigmartre leads the way from the grey Terrefort, with Kemboy bringing up the rear. 14 fences to jump...
Under starter's orders
The third day is about to begin as we switch to the new course, with the JLT Novices’ Chase moments away.
Here’s the latest betting for the JLT Novices’ Chase, with Terrefort overtaking Invitation Only, and both Shattered Loe and Kemboy big movers with the bookies:
- Terrefort 3-1 (D Jacob/N Henderson)
- Invitation Only 4-1 (P Townend/W Mullins)
- Shattered Love 5-1 (J Kennedy/G Elliott)
- Finian’s Oscar 6-1 (R Power/C Tizzard)
- Kemboy 9-1 (D Mullins/W Mullins)
- Benatar 10-1 (J Moore/G Moore)
- Modus 11-1 (B Geraghty/P Nicholls)
- Bigmartre 25-1 (H Bannister/H Whittington)
- West Approach 33-1 (T Scudamore/C Tizzard)
Will the Big Three continue their domination today?
70% of Festival prizemoney mopped up by the Big Three so far https://t.co/CMeKeV2pn5
— chris cook (@claimsfive) March 15, 2018
4.10 Brown Advisory Plate Handicap Chase
A handicap which has been a reliable source of shocks, if that’s not an oxymoron, with winners in the past decade at 66-1, 50-1, 33-1 and 33-1. David Pipe and Venetia Williams have won it five times between them in that decade and both have fancied runners this time in King’s Socks and Willie Boy, though both trainers have also been operating well below their usual strike-rates in recent weeks. Gordon Elliott, who has found success easier to come by, runs The Storyteller, who was favourite for last year’s Martin Pipe until pulling a muscle the week before. He could be nicely weighted if he can brush up his jumping a bit. The same owner has Guitar Pete (14-1), a course winner in December, trained by Nicky Richards. Drumcliff couldn’t go with Saint Calvados in a quality contest at Warwick last time but had previously won two handicaps and looks a contender again.
4.50 Mares’ Novice Hurdle
A race seemingly invented to give Willie Mullins another winner at each Festival. It has certainly performed that function for its first two years and looks set to do so again, as Laurina (4-6) is likely to start at odds-on. She has hacked up on both starts since joining Mullins from France, including in a Grade Three last time. Maria’s Benefit is just about a match for Laurina on ratings, but she has taken six runs since September to get to that point and the suspicion must be that Laurina has rather more scope for building on what she has so far shown. If there was to be a danger to Laurina, it might come instead from her stablemate, Pietralunga, who has had just one run since leaving France. She did not impress that day at Clonmel but at least she won and there is no shortage of possible excuses. Mullins may very well have improved her since then.
5.30 Kim Muir Handicap Chase
Here’s an amateur riders’ race which, for some reason, has worked out as a fair trial for the next year’s Grand National, thanks to winners like Ballabriggs, Sunnyhillboy and Cause Of Causes. Squouateur looks like starting favourite, though it’s hard to see what he’s done to earn that, other than starting favourite for Festival races for the past two years. He was still in the argument when unseating late in this race a year ago and the excellent Jamie Codd rides again. Mall Dini was fifth that day and gets to run from the same mark, with Patrick Mullins replacing Katie Walsh. Representing Pat ‘Presenting Percy’ Kelly, he won the Pertemps two years ago. Ms Walsh is this time on Sugar Baron, who can finish to great effect, as when second here in November. Band Of Blood has won his last two and probably has more to offer, coming from the yard of Dr Newland. West Wizard (50-1) is a bit of a bampot but talented and could get involved at a big price.
Half an hour until the first race, so there’s still time to enter our tipping competition. You could win a £100 Betfair account credit by picking a single selection for each of today’s races, and posting in the comment section below. Take a look at Chris Cook’s tips below, and I’ll post previews for the later races shortly. Personally, I’m a whopping +0.35 over the first two days – impressive even by my cautious, even-Stephen standards.
If you’re at the races today, and can find your way out of the Craic Marquee, why not take on the Cheltenham Hill Challenge? Organised by Great British Racing, it gives you the chance to tackle the famous hill on foot (and on a treadmill simulator, don’t worry). And it’s all for a good cause – helping the nation walk a billion steps for Sport Relief. You can find the challenge between the main grandstand and Centaur building today and tomorrow.
You can find more info here.
Stayers' Hurdle preview
Here’s the week’s against-all-odds story, about Sam Spinner, who became hot favourite for this when he bolted up in a Grade One at Ascot two days before Christmas. He’s trained by Jedd O’Keeffe, who seemed at death’s door two or three years ago and had to be persuaded to keep training by his owners, and ridden by Joe Colliver, who went to jail for lying to the police after crashing his car while drunk. Sam Spinner is good enough but we’ve already seen this week how hard it is for inexperienced connections to get everything right for a Festival race, while taking on Mullins and Henderson, who have been winning such races for years.
Mullins has Bacardys (10-1), who comes here as a failed chaser but whose hurdles form last year entitles him to go close. Henderson has L’Ami Serge, who has seemed to lack resolution and may need to be fooled into sticking his head in front on the line by Daryl Jacob. Yanworth, who started favourite for the Champion Hurdle last year, put his name in the frame for this by winning over three miles at Aintree last spring. This will be even more of a stamina test, however. Supasundae won a handicap hurdle at the last Festival and followed up in the Irish Champion Hurdle last month. He has not so far been a strong finisher over three miles and his stamina must be in doubt.
Ryanair Chase preview
One of today’s feature races, the Ryanair Chase (2.50, 2m 4f) has never actually been won by the Ryanair chief executive, Michael O’Leary, which is starting to become A Thing. O’Leary would clearly like to win it and has chucked quite a few of his talented steeplechasers at it without hitting the bullseye, including some who might have been better off in the Gold Cup. This time, he fields Sub Lieutenant, a game second last year but winless in 11 Grade Ones, and Balko Des Flos, a Galway Plate winner who was second in the Christmas Chase. Neither looks quite good enough but Balko may very well have more to offer.
Still, Un De Sceaux (8-13) is the most likely winner, having put up a formidable show to win this race last year. He’s unbeaten in two this season and is trained by that Mullins chap you may have heard of. Also here, probably for the last time at the Festival, is Cue Card, who won this race five years ago, the last time he lined up in it. The Champion Bumper winner of 2010, he’s become immensely popular for his durability and the roof would come off if he managed to win this. At the age of 12, it doesn’t seem likely and he hasn’t won for over a year but he put up a game effort at Ascot last time.
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Could YOUR name be a winner on St. Patrick's Thursday? 🍀#TheFestival pic.twitter.com/U9dHQ3Y4ud
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 15, 2018
With St. Patrick’s Day falling outside the Festival – we’ll have to make do with Ireland v England in the rugby – today is St. Patrick’s Thursday. There’s a ‘craic marquee’ on site – a phrase that immediately paints a vivid picture in the mind of any British Isles native.
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Time for some race previews then, starting with Chris Cook’s look at the day’s first two races:
1.30 JLT Novice Chase (2m 4f)
Nicky Henderson vs Willie Mullins is the story for today’s opening race, as so often during Festival week. The market reckons this is between Henderson’s Terrefort (3-1), the winner of both his races since leaving France, and Mullins’s Invitation Only, who went close behind Monalee and Al Boum Photo last time. Invitation Only’s jumping has been a bit of an issue so far and he needs to show here that he has learned from his mistakes. Terrefort doesn’t show much at home, we’re told, but he has impressed on the track and any rain will help. Finian’s Oscar was building a big reputation last spring, when he won a Grade One over hurdles, but he has yet to show anything like that ability over fences and a wind operation since his last run raises as many questions as answers. Modus has won three of his four starts over fences, albeit at a lower level. He was twice well held in handicap hurdles at past Festivals.
2.10 Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle (2m 7f)
The next of the week’s tricky handicaps is what counts as a marathon in the world of hurdle races, a three-miler which has been won for the past two years by Pat Kelly from his small yard near Galway. Kelly has no runner this time, so someone else can have a turn. JP McManus has a couple of obvious candidates to carry his colours. Glenloe is a half-brother to the Festival winner Alfie Sherrin, suggesting plenty of stamina, and he ran well at Leopardstown over Christmas. Sort It Out was second in the County Hurdle at the 2015 Festival and now seems more suited by this sort of distance. He was running on at the finish last time in a way that suggested he had more to offer. Louis’ Vac Pouch has had this as his target since scoring impressively at Aintree in November. Unfortunately, his stablemates at Philip Hobbs’s yard have since struggled to shake off a virus and Hobbs’s other runners this week have not fared well. Forza Milan (12-1), a brother to a Grand National winner, has been sparingly campaigned by that master tactician Jonjo O’Neill, though Jonjo has also had a quiet season.
Today’s other feature race, and officially headlining Thursday for the first time, is the Ryanair Chase, which will put defending champion Un De Sceaux against old favourite Cue Card. Colin Tizzard’s horse has fallen three from home in the last two Gold Cups – and in 2016 under Paddy Brennan, he had the race at his mercy. Donald McRae caught up with Brennan as he returns to Cheltenham seeking redemption:
Sam Spinner is the current favourite for this afternoon’s Stayers’ Hurdle – and victory would complete a fairytale revival for both jockey and trainer. Joe Colliver spent three months in prison after a drink-driving charge, but was given a chance to rebuild his career by Jedd and Andrea O’Keeffe, who run a modest stable in North Yorkshire.
Trainer Jedd O’Keeffe has had an even tougher time, battling throat cancer and nearly walking away from racing as financial troubles mounted. Now, he has an unexpected favourite in one of Cheltenham’s feature races, with £192,000 up for grabs. Find out more in this interview with Colliver.
Talking tactics
So far at Cheltenham, it has been a tough week for front-runners, which makes sense in view of the testing conditions. It’s hard to make all the running, in any case, when the level of competition is so very high but it has been possible at past Festivals; like when Annie Power and Faugheen won their Champion Hurdles, for example.
No horse this week has won after setting the early pace and some have been held up a long way off the lead, like Footpad and Presenting Percy. Those who may have suffered from being on the front end include Getabird, Faugheen and Apple’s Jade.
We’ll see if this seeming bias holds up today, when Sam Spinner lines up as favourite in the Stayers’ Hurdle. He’s made all to win his last two starts.
Top trainers – how they stand
Gordon Elliott bounced back to life after a brutal opening day but Willie Mullins still holds the upper hand. And let’s remember that Mullins, having been blanked through the first two days last year, then had a four-timer on the Thursday; this time, he’s clearly in the form to do something similar. That would stretch Ireland’s lead over Britain even further – it’s Ireland 9-5 Britain after six Irish successes on Tuesday.
Mullins is now just one win behind Nicky Henderson in career Festival successes. Today could be the day when he becomes the winningmost trainer in Festival history. Meanwhile, some big names are still waiting to get a look-in. Paul Nicholls was beaten just a neck in the Coral Cup while Alan King came up short by half a length in the Mares’ Hurdle. Colin Tizzard is 0/10 and hasn’t had a horse finish within six lengths of a winner yet.
Willie Mullins 5 wins; Gordon Elliott 3; Nicky Henderson 2; Tom George, Mick Channon, Nick Williams, Pat Kelly one win each
Betting: Willie Mullins 1-12, Gordon Elliott 7-1, Nicky Henderson 66-1
Top jockeys – how they stand
With Ruby Walsh set to miss the rest of the week, teenage Jack Kennedy is the new favourite with the bookies, with Paul Townend moving up the betting after taking most of Walsh’s planned rides - including Killultagh Vic in Friday’s Gold Cup. Davy Russell has been passed fit to race today after a bad fall in the Cross Country Chase.
Ruby Walsh, Jack Kennedy 2 wins; Noel Fehily, Barry Geraghty, Brian Hughes, Lizzie Kelly, Patrick Mullins, Nico De Boinville, Davy Russell, Keith Donoghue, Katie Walsh, Mark Walsh all one win each
Betting: Jack Kennedy 6-4, Barry Geraghty 9-4, Paul Townend 11-4, Davy Russell 8-1, Noel Fehily 10-1
JOCKEY CHANGES: DAY 3
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 15, 2018
1330
Invitation Only = Paul Townend 📷
Kemboy = David Mullins
1450
Un De Sceaux = Paul Townend
1530
Bacardys = Patrick Mullins
1650
Laurina = Paul Townend
Salsaretta = Robbie Power#TheFestival pic.twitter.com/CXbKLYrQbC
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Today’s non-runners
As Greg mentioned below, Tully East is a non-runner in the Brown Advisory Plate, along with Go Conquer. There are a few other withdrawals on today’s card, with Douvan (already back in Ireland) and Apple’s Jade missing the Ryanair Chase and Stayers’ Hurdle, to the surprise of absolutely no one.
1.30 Snow Falcon
2.10 Shantou Bob
2.50 Douvan
3.30 Apple’s Jade
4.10 Go Conquer, Tully East
4.50 Dame De Compagnie
5.30 Heron Heights, Racing Pulse
The bookies have had a bruising time of it over the first two days of the meeting, and one punter who is sure to finish the week in front is golfer (and keen racehorse owner) Lee Westwood, who managed to land a share of the Tote’s Jackpot bet by finding the first six winners on the opening day, and then backed Mr Whitaker, the last winner on the card, for good measure.
In all, Westwood has found 11 of the first 14 winners at this year’s Festival, and he could yet round things off by getting off the mark as an owner too. He is the driving force behind the syndicate which owns Augusta Kate, a 33-1 chance for today’s Stayers’ Hurdle, and also has an interest in Ballyalton, who lines up for the Plate at 4.10.
Augusta Kate’s owners also include Alan Shearer and the TV presenters Ant and Dec, who were persuaded to chip in by Westwood and leading owner Graham Wylie while they were all watching Westwood play in the Masters a few years ago. “Because of where the idea started, we decided to name her after Augusta,” Wylie once recalled, “and we just felt Kate was a nice name for a filly. We’re also called the Masters Syndicate and she runs in green colours because of the green jacket the winner of the Masters gets.”
Westwood has already posted his picks for today on Twitter, and his fellow owners may be disappointed to hear that he does not seem to fancy either Augusta Kate or Ballyalton. He picked Sam Spinner and Yanworth in the Stayers’, and King’s Socks and Tully East – who has since been ruled out – in the Plate.
A bit of breakfast for Augusta Kate before the @SunBets Stayers' Hurdle later... 🙋🏼♂️#TheFestival pic.twitter.com/lwt4bTAz3c
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 15, 2018
Paul Townend has had a decent couple of days here, without landing a winner. He’s finished second, and pushed the favourite, with Melon and Min in the Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase, and came home third on Tornado Flyer in yesterday’s closing race. With three first-string rides today in place of Walsh, he’ll be disappointed to stay winless going into the final day.
The jiggling of jockeys in the Willie Mullins team following Ruby Walsh’s injury on Wednesday has now been finalised.
As expected, Paul Townend has been confirmed aboard Un De Sceaux (Ryanair Chase) and Laurina (Mares’ Novice Hurdle), while the trainer’s son, Patrick, will replace Walsh aboard Bacardys in the Stayers’ Hurdle with Townend staying put on Penhill, the winner of the Albert Bartlett here 12 months ago.
In the opening JLT Novice Chase, Townend will switch to ride Invitation Only with Mullins taking over on Kemboy, while the ride on Salsaretta in the Mares’ Hurdle goes to Robbie Power.
The going
Overnight rain means the going remains soft, heavy in places – but that could change as the turf dries out this morning. The forecast for Friday is dry, and races switch to the New course today. As the course clerk points out, that means some patches of ground will be used for the first time since last April.
Clerk of the Course, Simon Claisse discusses todays going after receiving 9mm of rain overnight - currently Soft (Heavy in places) pic.twitter.com/sek8qat1Ay
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 15, 2018
Today’s races and our tips
1.30 JLT Novice Chase Terrefort 9-2
2.10 Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Forza Milan 14-1
2.50 Ryanair Chase Un De Sceaux 5-4
3.30 Stayers’ Hurdle Bacardys 10-1
4.10 Brown Advisory Plate Handicap Chase Guitar Pete 22-1
4.50 Mares Novice Hurdle Laurina 4-6
5.30 Kim Muir Handicap Chase West Wizard 100-1
Bacardys and Un De Sceaux would be a double in the feature races for Willie Mullins and I’ve got him down for a treble, thanks to Laurina. All three would have been ridden by Ruby Walsh had he remained healthy, so I fear today’s results are going to rub some metaphorical salt in his all-too-real wounds.
Nicky Henderson may land the opener with Terrefort and yet still lose his crown as winningmost Festival trainer to Mullins, who starts the day just one win behind the Lambourn man. Forza Milan would be a needed pick-me-up for the underperfoming yard of Jonjo O’Neill, while Guitar Pete, from the Nicky Richards yard, could provide the north with its first Festival success for four years.
As for West Wizard, all I can say is I really do think he has a winning chance and is a fair each-way play. But perhaps I’m short of sleep.
- Read our tips in more detail here
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The Betfair Cheltenham Festival tipping competition
Congratulations to one of our Talking Horses regulars diegoisgod, who won Wednesday’s competition on a final score of +28.73. He found Relegate, Tiger Roll and Samcro to finish just ahead of wasserkinder (+27). Diego, we’ll be in touch by email to arrange your prize.
You could win a £100 account credit from Betfair by proving your tipping prowess on today’s races. All you have to do is give us your selections for all of today’s races at Cheltenham. As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional stakes of £1 at starting price on each tip. Non-runners count as losers.
Please post all your tips in a single posting, using the comment facility below, before the first race at 1.30pm.
There are seven races at Cheltenham today and you must post a single selection for each race. Our usual terms and conditions, which you can read here, will apply, except that this will be a strictly one-day thing. If we get a tie after all the races have been run, the winner will be the one who posted their tips earliest out of those with the highest score. If an entrant has to repost their selections because of a non-runner, we will use the time of their later posting for tiebreak purposes.
If you don’t win today, don’t despair. You’ll have one more shot at our Cheltenham competition tomorrow (Friday).
Preamble
Rain returned to Cheltenham overnight after two dry days of racing on the Old Course, but since the action moves to fresh ground on the New Course for the second half of the Festival, the official going this afternoon is unchanged.
“The rain that we’ve had overnight is hopefully petering out and we’re looking forward to a dry afternoon and a spectacular afternoon’s racing,” Simon Claisse, the clerk of the course, said in his morning briefing.
“Nine millimetres of rainfall overnight has left the New Course soft, heavy in places, [but] most most of this track that we’re running on today, chase and hurdle, we’ve not set foot on for 12 months, it’s in pristine condition and will be perfect for the afternoon’s sport.”
Claisse’s optimism seems justified – it is now dry at the track and brightening up ahead of an afternoon that is often seen as the weakest of the four days in terms of quality but has as much potential for high drama as any other.
Cue Card would certainly receive one of the great Festival welcomes if he could win the Ryanair Chase, five years after his first success in the race and eight years after winning the Bumper at 40-1. He goes up against Un De Sceaux, last year’s winner, in what will be only a six-strong field in the predictable absence of Douvan, a faller at the fourth-last in Wednesday’s Champion Chase.
The favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle would also be a popular winner, as Sam Spinner is one of very few market leaders at this year’s Festival who hails from outside the “Big Three” stables of Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Nicky Henderson. Jedd O’Keeffe’s hurdler started the season in a handicap off a mark of 136, but his win in the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December is the best bit of recent form in the field. He will surely go close for jockey Joe Colliver, who has a well-known back story of his own, having served three months of a 10-month sentence for drink-driving and perverting the course of justice less than two years ago.
There is still no official confirmation of the riding plans for the Willie Mullins team in the absence of Ruby Walsh, though Paul Townend will be expected to get the nod for his two odds-on favourites, Un De Sceaux and Laurina, in the Mares’ Novice Hurdle. Mullins is now just one winner behind Henderson in the all-time list at the Festival, and could be the outright leader by this evening – though it would be all the more memorable for all concerned if Mullins could overtake Henderson with a first success in tomorrow’s Gold Cup.
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Can someone explain to me why the Irish are so dominant, and between just 2 trainers as well?
It seems the sheer number of quality horses those 2 trainers are able to run far exceeds anyone else, and so I presume they just get the lion's share of quality horses going around?
Only Nicky Henderson can stand up to this, but what about Paul Nicholls? He record confirms he is as good a trainer as anyone but he is a non entity here.