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Chases
On paper it looked a deep field for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, with the principals from virtually all of the top three mile chases from the past year lining up in a wide-open contest. However, none of those at the head of the betting ran their race, far too many failing to run to their best for a variety of reasons for it to be considered a great edition. For that reason, winner Al Boum Photo (170 from 166+) didn’t need to improve greatly to become his trainer Willie Mullins’ first Gold Cup winner, but he ran out a decisive winner given the increased test of stamina. He has a positive profile, too, one of the youngest in the field at the age of seven and beaten only once in completed starts over fences, so may still have more to offer.
Proven stayer Anibale Fly (168 from 163) was placed at long odds for the second year, improving a position on his third twelve months ago and staying on strongly to pick up the pieces. He’ll be a leading Grand National candidate again, having finished fourth at Aintree last year, while a better round of jumping than usual enabled Bristol de Mai (169x from 167x) to run a respectable third – he beat all his Betfair Chase rivals again here, hence a small revision in his rating from Haydock. Last year’s Gold Cup winner Native River (165+ from 171) never looked comfortable before plugging on for fourth.
When Willie Mullins finally had his golden moment in the @MagnersUK Cheltenham Gold Cup...#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/MZW1X3lO4t
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) 15 March 2019
Before leaving the Gold Cup, a mention for Tiger Roll (164 from 159) who won the Cross Country Chase for the second year running with such ease that in his current form he surely wouldn't have been out of place taking on Al Boum Photo and co instead.
Altior, on the other hand, retained his crown – and his unbeaten record over jumps – in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. It will come as little surprise that this wasn’t one of his best performances, and certainly not one to alter his master rating of 180p. However, in a two-mile division lacking strength in depth, both placed horses ran well in giving Altior a fright. Politologue (166 from 164), back at the trip for the first time since finishing a well-beaten fourth in last year’s Champion Chase, returned to his best in second, with Sceau Royal (164 from 161), a long way behind Altior in the Tingle Creek, leading briefly over the last before running a career-best in third. Politologue looks well placed for a repeat bid in the Melling at Aintree, while Sceau Royal, only a seven-year-old, will have other chances.
Frodon is only a seven-year-old, too and, while he’s had plenty of racing over fences, his improvement into a top-class chaser this season makes him a credit to both his trainer Paul Nicholls and his rider Bryony Frost who became the first female rider to win a Grade 1 at the Festival. Frodon ran up to his best (167) to land the Ryanair Chase, rather than needing to improve, but that consistency is one of his qualities, along with his superb jumping and ultra-game attitude which were both in evidence again here. It looked a strong edition of the Ryanair beforehand, but in the end it was only 33/1 runner-up Aso (166 from 161), who was third at even longer odds two years ago, who improved his rating.
Hurdles
What to make of a Champion Hurdle in which none of the trio who dominated the market were anywhere to be seen at the finish? It certainly makes the race harder to assess, but winner Espoir d’Allen (170 from 161) clearly improved stepping up to championship level after three wins in Grade 3 company in Ireland previously this season. He also has the profile of a top-class hurdler now; a record fifteen-length winning margin over last year’s runner-up Melon (162 from 166) was impressive and, as a rare five-year-old Champion Hurdle winner, Espoir d’Allen has now won eight of his nine starts over hurdles, clearly not himself when suffering his only defeat last term. Rank outsider Silver Streak (157 from 152) ran about as well could have been expected form-wise, though exceeded expectations in finishing third, his new rating reflecting the fact he split higher-rated rivals.
ICMYI: There was a real shock in the Unibet Champion Hurdle as Espoir D'Allen beat left Apple's Jade and Laurina trailing after Buveur D'Air fell early in the race
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) 12 March 2019
Catch up on Day One of the #CheltenhamFestival on the ITV Hub: https://t.co/o1JQY0UWa6 pic.twitter.com/j0I6OVKn0e
Other changes to the ratings resulting from the Champion Hurdle were negative ones, Apple’s Jade (162 from 167) a big disappointment, though she was reported to have scoped dirty, while the early fall of Buveur d’Air (163 from 167) robbed him of a chance to make it a hat-trick of wins in the race.
Benie des Dieux (151+ from 151p) was another significant faller on the first day of the Festival, looking to have a second Mares’ Hurdle wrapped up when crashing out at the final flight. That left Roksana (142 from 141) as the main beneficiary, though she didn’t need to improve much more to account for Benie des Dieux’s stablemates Stormy Ireland (140 from 137) and Good Thyne Tara (139 from 137).
The largest field for more than ten years lined up for the Stayers’ Hurdle, a bumper field often the sign of a division lacking a standout performer. Not in this case, though, as Paisley Park (166p) crowned an unbeaten campaign in which he’s become the undisputed star in staying hurdles, surging to the front in extraordinary fashion from well off the pace in the straight and surviving a blunder at the last. Whilst not needing to improve on this occasion to account for a field where quantity outweighed quality, he has the potential to be the dominant force in this division for a while yet. Runner-up Sam Spinner (162 from 154) ran much his best race of the season, ridden more positively than when a disappointing favourite for the same race twelve months ago.
Champion Bumper
Despite attracting its smallest ever field, the British challenge looking thin and Willie Mullins relying on a single runner, a positive view has been taken of the Champion Bumper. The well-backed winner Envoi Allen (123 from 115p) made it four out of four in bumpers for Gordon Elliott, knuckling down well to hold off the challenge of Mullins’ representative Blue Sari (119+ from 110p) who looks another good novice hurdling prospect, going close despite going lame very late on. Thyme Hill (119 from 111) for Philip Hobbs, fared much the best of the British contingent in third, while the winner’s stablemate Abacadabras (115 from 109p) was another who improved in completing the frame but threw away any chance he had by wandering badly.
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