Memorable Moments of Cheltenham 2011

Last week’s centenary staging of the Cheltenham Festival was one of the best in recent history, containing four days of top class horseracing, glorious weather, close finishes and fine individual and team efforts which will not soon be forgotten. As always, there are a number of standout moments which made this year’s festival so very special, and these were my most memorable features of the Cheltenham Festival 2011.

Ruby’s hat-trick After breaking his leg in November in a horrible fall at Down Royal, it became doubtful whether Ruby Walsh would recover to fitness in time to ride at Cheltenham. Thankfully, he did; his return to the saddle on the Tuesday was eagerly anticipated and the mercurial Irishman did not disappoint. He partnered 11-1 shot Al Ferof in the Supreme Novices Hurdle, and on the run-in it looked like a three horse race between hot favourite Cue Card, Spirit Son and Sprinter Sacre. However, a great leap at the last flight and a perfectly timed run saw Walsh come from nowhere to burst through on Al Ferof, passing the leaders to claim a brilliant victory for the leading festival jockey of all time. Walsh’s pièce de résistance, however, came in the Champion Hurdle aboard the great Irish hope Hurricane Fly. A great ride saw the horse power through to take it up and shake off the attentions of the unbeaten Peddlers Cross, securing Ruby’s first Champion Hurdle success. After these two victories it was expected that Walsh would complete his hat-trick of winners on odds on favourite Quevega in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle. It couldn’t have been any easier for him, as he sat tight on a horse of true class to destroy the field, this marking Walsh’s 28^th Cheltenham Festival winner. It capped a superb day for the Irishman on his return to form and fitness; he would go on to be the leading festival jockey for the third year in a row – another hat-trick for a true Cheltenham legend.

Star Performer There were many incredible shows of racing ability on display throughout the four days; Quevega, Sizing Europe and Bobs Worth to name but a few. But for me, the most impressive performance came from Big Bucks in the World Hurdle on the Thursday as he became the first horse to win the race in three consecutive runnings. The David Pipe trained Grands Crus was seen as a major threat to Big Bucks’ crown in the preamble to the race after putting in a superb display in January to win over course and distance. And the 7-2 chance ran another corker at Cheltenham, possibly the race of his life as he threw down the gauntlet to Big Bucks, drawing alongside him and at one point looking as if he was going to beat the powerhouse. Ruby Walsh had inexplicably dropped his whip prior to the run-in; surely a costly error in a race of such magnitude, but alas, it made no difference. Big Bucks got into top gear and seemed to draw on extra energy reserves to shake off his challenger and pull clear in brilliant fashion, claiming his third and most impressive World Hurdle for trainer Paul Nicholls.

New kid on the block As well as seeing a true great trained by Paul Nicholls do the business, I also believe this festival saw a future great trained by Nicholls win in some style. The triumph hurdle is always a very competitive field and has produced some quality winners in the past. Zarkandar had made an impressive hurdling debut at Kempton Park, winning a competitive race as an outsider; nonetheless it was a surprise when he headed for Cheltenham in this embryonic stage of his national hunt career. However, the four-year-old banished any doubts when sweeping aside a handy field to win the Triumph Hurdle for Nicholls, finishing ahead of leading fancies Unaccompanied and Grandouet to give jockey Daryl Jacob a deserved first Cheltenham victory.  That’s two out of two for Zarkandar, and the horse is sure to have a bright future; he had already been quoted at 12-1 for next year’s Champion Hurdle. I for one tip him for greatness, so expect to see him back at Cheltenham next year.

McCoy v Walsh Possibly the two best and most decorated jump jockeys in the history of the sport, Ruby Walsh and Tony McCoy have been dominant in big races over the last ten years, and a thrilling finale to the County Hurdle on day four saw them battle it out once again. If McCoy could win this one aboard the well-backed Get Me Out Of Here, who finished second in last year’s Supreme Novices Hurdle, then he would only trail Walsh 4-3 in 2011 festival winners. The Jonjo O’Neill trained horse looked to have the race sewn up when pulling clear into the final furlong, until a fantastic late burst from near the back of the field saw Walsh’s mount Final Approach meet him on the line. A tense photo finish revealed that Final Approach had done enough to see off his rival by the narrowest of margins,  giving the mercurial Irishman a fifth winner and securing the prize of the festival’s leading jockey. This was horseracing at its very finest; two incredible sportsmen doing battle aboard top class horses to delight the capacity crowd at Cheltenham.

Triumph and Cruelty My final pick also took place on day four of the festival, where two races showed not only the triumph that characterises the Cheltenham Festival, but also the cruelty of crushed hopes and dreams. There was a frenzy of excitement ahead of the Gold Cup as a strong field lined up, including previous winners Kauto Star, Denman and Imperial Commander, as well as the new sensation Long Run. As the race panned out most of the challengers and even the defending champion Imperial Commander would fade, and at the bend with two to jump, it was the two veterans, and two of the best chasers of this century, Kauto Star and Denman who lined up in front to battle it out. Long Run, almost half the age of the two stalwarts, appeared to be ridden hard but managed to find extra to range up alongside Kauto and Denman to set up a mouth-watering final few furlongs. The young challenger had been supremely impressive in winning the King George VI Chase at Ascot back in January, and showed his class once again, managing to kick clear of the valiant pair and win his first Gold Cup, under the mount of amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, an incredible achievement. Denman finished second under a tremendous ride from Sam Thomas, while Kauto Star was third in what amounted to a superb effort from a horse of true class but whose powers are on the wane. To me, it seemed like the two legends handing over the crown to the new hero, a truly special moment. I for one couldn’t have asked for a better Gold Cup.

In horseracing, names of the winners will endure in memory, but what of the losers? The next race, the Foxhunters Chase, would demonstrate how cruel the sport can be. Favourite for the race and last year’s victor, Baby Run, was partnered by 16-year-old jockey Willy Twiston-Davis, son of trainer Nigel. The fledgling jockey guided the horse over a near perfect round of twenty fences, and was still traveling well to lead the race from 33-1 shot Zemsky with two remaining. Disaster struck on the penultimate fence; Baby Run didn’t get high enough and unseated Twiston-Davies, leaving Zemsky with a clear run to the finish line to claim victory. The young jockey was seen beating the turf after his fall, and was inconsolable when walking off the track. It was impossible not to feel for him; indeed, it capped a bitterly disappointing day for Nigel Twiston-Davies’ yard after great hope Imperial Commander failed in the Gold Cup. Nonetheless, his two sons’ are promising young jockeys, and there will plenty more years for Willy to claim a Festival winner.

The two races showed the ups and downs of a career in horseracing, and that there is a thin dividing line between triumph and failure.