To say the 2019 Cheltenham Festival was bizarre, topsyturvy, chaotic yet wonderful would still not be doing it justice.
There seemed three certainties in that Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins would train hatfuls of winners and Davy Russell would partner at least one into the winner’s enclosure.
In reality Willie Mullins won the first two races then had 31 beaten horses before the awful Mares, Novice Hurdle, two full days later which he won with a 50/1 shot from his seven runners! Then between that winner and a horse even he thought of as his least chance of winning the Gold Cup he ran up another 16 losers before Al Boum Photo finished off with another five of his all failing to make the frame.
I think it fair to say that Gordon Elliott was badly out of form at Cheltenham, too, drawing an unaccustomed blank on day one. Apart from the brilliant Tiger Roll in the Cross Country and the impressive Envoi Allen in the Bumper, he scored in just one handicap with 42 losers, including favourites and other well-fancied types.
Davy Russell, with at least one winner every year since 2006, came home empty-handed while on the training front Nigel Twiston-Davies, Colin Tizzard, Gordon McCain, David Pipe, Alan King, and Jonjo O’Neill couldn’t muster a single winner between them. A closer look reveals that O’Neill, McCain, and Pipe fielded just nine runners between them. With all of this, “bizarre” barely comes close.
Perhaps the strangest thing of the first day was the Champion Hurdle. Billed almost exclusively as a three-horse race between Buveur D’Air, Apples Jade and Laurina, what price could you have gotten on none of them making the first three home?!
To top it, the winner was a five-year-old. The last from that age group to win was Katchit 21 years earlier and he never won another race, yet Espoir D’Allen won by a record-breaking margin, smashing Istabraq’s previous record.
Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Racing Ahead.
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Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Racing Ahead.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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CAL'S UP TO TOP SPEED
John Anthony keeps close watch on the top ranking track fliers
ACTION REPLAY
Graham Buddry recalls the exploits of legendary hurdler Large Action
SHADOW IN THE LIMELIGHT
lan Heitman follows the fortunes of next year’s leading Classic prospects
GONE WILDE
Rolf Johnson fears the effects of a thoroughbred market bubble’
DIGGING OUT THE JUMPERS
The former Sky Racing frontman is all geared up for the change of codes and clothing
MORE AMO FOR RALPH
Dave Youngman shares the joy and gossip from the Newmarket gallops
GO COSMIC NEXT YEAR
Andy Ayres shares his pick of punting prospects from the autumn action
NICO'S CAREER LEAP TO GLORY
Nick Townsend talks to Nico de Boinville about his life-changing choices
ALL SET FOR FRESH START
Karl Hedley is on the spot for the new season action across Ireland
DAN'S GRAND BID DAWNING
Paul Ferguson tracks a route for Skeltons from Carlisle to Aintree