Porter floors stout opposition to claim Cheltenham victory

Irish trainers on course for record breaking Festival success

For this year's Cheltenham Festival we have teamed up with one of the country's most promising young racing writers, Luke Keena from Ashbourne who will review all the action from Prestbury Park each day and look ahead to the next day's action.

Luke writes for theracingstudent.godaddysites.com and also reinitinracing.wordpress.com and his twitter is @Lukekeena1

The feature race of the day went the way of Meath based trainer Gavin Cromwell and Flooring Porter with the Denise Foster trained Sire Du Berlais back in second. Danny Mullins bounced out and made every post a winning one as he came in for the ride after Jonathan Moore missed the race through injury followinga nasty fall at Naas on Sunday. After a few close misses, Danny finally got his festival winner after finishing second on five occasions. Flooring Porter proved his Grade 1 success at Leopardstown was no fluke and was a great success story for all the team at Gavin Cromwell’s and owners in the Flooring Porter Syndicate.

Astonishing Allaho ran them ragged in the Ryanair as he burned off his opposition one by one. Once again, Rachael Blackmore rode a fantastic race. She bounced out and made all going a very strong gallop throughout. Allaho galloped his opposition into submission and won very impressively. After filling the places at the festival for the past two years, he finally got his big day in the winner’s enclosure.

Chantry House caused an upset in the first as the English got a well needed winner. The complexion of the race changed drastically when Envoi Allen came down at the fourth fence, thankfully himself and Jack Kennedy got up ok. Chantry House showed a fine battling attitude to get the better of Fusil Raffles over the last and pulled clear up the hill.

The Paul Nolan trained mare, Mrs Milner led home an Irish one-two in the Pertemps Final. Mrs Milner did not have the best run through the race, but she powered clear coming to the last and only had a loose horse for company up the hill. It was great to see Bryan Cooper back in the winner’s enclosure. He has had a quiet few years, but he is well and truly back in the limelight now.

The Shunter claimed victory in the Paddy Power Plate and by doing so won the £100k bonus after his win at Kelso. Young conditional jockey, Jordan Gainford gave the winner a peach of a ride. Jordan bounced out handy and travelled very well through the race. He looked to be travelling very well coming to the last and once he got down in the saddle, he sprinted clear up the run in, a day Jordan Gainford and Emmet Mullins will never forget as they both got their first success at the festival.

The day got better again for Rachael Blackmore as she claimed success in the Mares Novices’ Hurdle aboard Telmesomethinggirl. Rachael gave her a fantastic ride to weave through traffic off the bend before bounding clear up the run in. This took Rachael to five winners for the week, one more than the English trainers put together.

Things did not go to plan for Jack Kennedy in the first and it did not look like getting any better in the last as his ride, Mount Ida looked to be dropping out of contention early in the race. By the time they got to the third last, Jack had somehow got the mare travelling again and was placed perfectly behind the leader. Jack sling-shotted around the outside turning in and once they got to the second last, there looked to be only one winner. They jumped the last two and powered clear up the run in.

Mount Ida saved the day when winning the last and hopefully I can carry on where I left off and have the winner of the first tomorrow.

LOOKING AHEAD TO DAY FOUR

Triumph Hurdle

The first race on the final day of the festival is the JCB Triumph Hurdle and Denise Foster looks to hold the aces with Zanahiyr. He was a maiden winner on the flat for Michael Halford, but the switch to hurdles has been the making of him. After his flat win he switched stable and made his debut for Gordon Elliot in October over hurdles when he won well. He then took his form to a new level at Fairyhouse when he sauntered to victory in a Grade 3, beating subsequent Boodles runner-up, Saint Sam. He then went to Leopardstown over Christmas and won the Grade 2 Frank Juvenile Hurdle giving away weight all round and was put away after that race with this one in mind. He is an excellent jumper and that can not be said about the second favourite, Tritonic. He is prone to making a mistake, like at Kempton the last day at the second last. He has won twice this season in England, beating the same horse each time, and I do not think that form is worth the paper it is printed on. The runner-up on each occasion, Casa Loupi was beaten at Stratford on Monday. He has been impressive when winning, but I would question what he has beaten. Coming into the week I thought Zanahiyr was my NAP for the week, and I have not changed my mind. I think he will get Friday off to a flyer for Denise Foster and Jack Kennedy.

County Handicap Hurdle

The day could get even better for Jack Kennedy and Denise Foster as they team up in the 1:55 with Eclair De Beaufeu. He has run two good races at the festival in the past. He led the field into the straight in this race two years ago but took a tired fall at the last, if Jack could have that ride back, I am sure he would have held onto him for longer. He finished runner-up in last years Grand Annual behind his stablemate Chosen Mate. He returned to hurdles this season with this race possibly in the back of their minds. He was in the process of running a very good race on reappearance at Fairyhouse when he fell two from home. He then ran below par at Christmas like many of Gordon's did. He was last seen finishing sixth at Leopardstown on very slow ground. I think the return to quicker ground and Cheltenham will see him return to his best. He runs off an eighteen pounds lower mark over hurdles and I think he will go very close.

At a similar price, I think Champagne Gold will go close. He is unexposed over hurdles and looks to be on an upward curve. He did not jump well on debut and was bet as a result. He learned from that outing and was an easy winner of his maiden hurdle on his second attempt, beating two subsequent winners. He was then third in a Grade 3 at Navan behind Albert Bartlett hope, Fakiera. Champagne Gold did not fully see the two miles and four furlongs out on that occasion. He was seen to better effect last time out in a very competitive handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival when he finished second. That was his first run in a competitive handicap and he coped well with the big field. I think he will come forward for the experience and run well for the inform Henry De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore.

Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

Gavin Cromwell, John McConnell and Denise Foster all have horses in here with live chances and I like the Denise Foster trained Fakiera. This race is built up to be a race that you need a horse with plenty experience to go to battle with and Fakiera fits into that bracket. He is a second season novice hurdler with seven runs over hurdles. He was bet by some decent horses last year and that may have been a blessing in disguise, that meant he would hold onto his novice tag for another season. He made his reappearance at Fairyhouse when he beat Gabynako over two miles. He then went onto win the Monksfield at Navan when he just got up in the dying strides to win over two miles and four furlongs. On his penultimate start he was beaten by Ashdale Bob over two and a half miles when he looked to be crying out for a step up in trip. He made that step up in trip at Leopardstown when he ran over two miles and six furlongs. He ran a very good race to finish fourth, only two lengths behind Stattler. He got a bit outpaced down the back, but he finished very strongly suggesting the three miles trip here will play into his hands. He will be finishing strong towards the end race and hopefully he will do enough to win with Keith Donoghue in the saddle.

WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup

The feature race of the week looks to be a vintage renewal. The new guard take on the dual winner of the race, Al Boum Photo. I will be taking him on with A Plus Tard, for the Champion hurdle winning combination of Henry De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore. He is a horse who has performed over a range of distances throughout his career. He has won Grade 1’s over two miles and three miles, also placed over two miles and four furlongs in the Ryanair. He seemed to find his best trip at Christmas when he stayed on strongly to win the Savills Chase over Christmas, that was his first run over three miles going on his favoured left-handed tracks. He ran over three miles at Punchestown in 2019 but going right-handed he is not the same horse. The form of the Savills Chase is working out well with the second, Kemboy boosting the form in the Irish Gold Cup. I think A Plus Tard will relish the trip and go close for connections.

Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase

Elimay looks a very hard favourite to oppose. While she has only won once this season, she has run some very good races. On her penultimate start she gave Allaho a race at Thurles when finishing second, pulling 79 lengths clear of the third. Allaho was very impressive in the Ryanair today giving that form a good boost. She was last seen winning at Naas in the Opera Hat when she beat Shattered Love, both shaped like the step back up in trip will bring out the best of them. I think Elimay will win and Shattered Love will be second again.

Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

I think it can be a win in the lucky last for Meath based trainer Gavin Cromwell as he saddles Gabynako. He has mixed it with some of the best novice hurdlers in Ireland this year. He finished third in the Grade 1 Lawlors of Naas Novice Hurdle behind Bob Olinger and Blue Lord. His run the last day was not without promise. He was thrown in at the deep end in a very competitive handicap at Leopardstown over a trip which is short of his best. He gained big field experience that day and will hopefully have learned from the experience. He is ridden by one of the best conditionals in Ireland, Conor McNamara. I think the step back up in trip will see him run a big race in a very competitive race.

Selections

1:20 Zanahiyr

1:55 Champagne Gold / Éclair De Beaufeu

2:30 Fakiera

3:05 A Plus Tard

4:15 Elimay

4:50 Gabynako