racing review
March 20 Whip Rule (Whipper) wins Ireland’s first 2yo race of the season at The Curragh after the demotion of Dark Angel colt, Tough As Nails. Whip Rule, who is out of the Australian-bred Danemarque (Danehill), is a daughter of Lowther Stakes (Gr2) winner Circus Ring. The Wertheimer homebred Polytechnicien wins the first Group race of the European Flat season, the Prix Exbury at Saint-Cloud. By Royal Academy and out of the placed Seeking The Gold mare Golden Party, he is a half-sister to G1 winners Dare And Go and Go Deputy. March 18 Oiseau De Nuit, by a stakes-placed son of Bering, Evening World, wins the concluding Johnny Henderson Grand Annual. He is from the family of French jumps Listed winner and current Jonjo O’Neill-trained, Sway. Sir Des Champs, who is by Quevega’s sire Robin Des Champs, wins the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Hurdle. He is out of a winning Video Rock mare from the family of Pendil Novices’ Chase winner Draborgie. Zemsky is Presenting’s second Foxhunter winner – he also sired Drombeag to win the race in 2007. He is a former Nicky Henderson inmate, out of the winning Deep Run mare Chic And Elite and a half-brother to three winners, including Killard Point, winner of five races under Rules. It has been a good week for other sons of Sadler’s Wells, but only near misses for Oscar: the Foxhunter third is his fifth-placed runner this week. Watch out for Long Run’s only younger sibling named Mathine, a once-raced 4yo filly by Malinas, in training with Guillaume Macaire. Bobs Worth is a sixth Festival winner for the late Bob Back and the first since Cousin Vinny’s Champion Bumper win in 2008. Bobs Worth’s dam Fashionista (King’s Theatre) was trained and bred by Jim Bolger. She is a half-sister to Flat Listed winner Ballykett Nancy and G1placed hurdler Il Trovatore. Get Me Out Of Here is by good chasing sire Accordion and out of a half-sister to G1 chaser and Cheltenham Gold Cup 3rd, Harbour Pilot. Final Approach, like the Triumph winner Zarkandar, is out of a dam by Derby winner Kahyasi. College Fund Girl is a half-sister to Flat
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The wave at the top of the back straight when the main contenders moved to the front to mount their challenges as the also-rans dropped away proved just how good a horse needs to be to realistically be called a worthy Gold Cup runner any realisation how this might look to the non-racing public – particularly following the non-declaration of Binocular, the mess-up when horses were sent to the wrong race meetings as well as the two-year long “James Main” affair? It could be asked what really is the difference between him essentially “laying” his whole string as against the BHA banning trainers laying individual horses to lose on betfair? No one could seriously believe that he would lay a horse and stop a Cheltenham runner, but please, Henderson, get to grips with modern racing now and bring an end to these ongoing errors of judgement. Not only was the Gold Cup the best race ever seen – the wave at the top of the straight when the main contenders moved to the front to mount their challenges as the also-rans dropped away proved just how good a horse needs to be to realistically be called a worthy Gold Cup runner (although Midnight Chase is a lovely horse and decent racehorse, how was he ever touted as an each-way chance?) – but the meeting was one of the best ever. That is a probable claim after each and
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every Festival as the new heroes emerge, but the racing was so competitive this year with plenty of horses in many races seemingly with a chance of victory rounding the home turn – the last fence and the stamina-sapping hill playing its part in the changing fortunes of horses as they climbed their way home. The moving of the second-last fence certainly had its influence – and has in fact turned out to be a good thing, despite the old guard’s fear that the racing at Cheltenham would be changed forever. No longer do you watch your horse or your fancy come down to the second-last praying that the fence will be met on the right stride and that speed and gravity won’t take over on landing; horses did not lose good chances at a fence that was ultimately deemed unfair. Jockeys could find a position at the top of the back straight, ride a race from the third last, angle for position around the last bend and then time runs up the hill – Ruby Walsh had that game plan sussed from day one. It meant that far more horses were still in with a shout come the second-last fence, leading to highly exciting and thrilling
In for the Long Run: jockey Sam Waley-Cohen celebrates after enjoying a trouble-free outing in the Gold Cup. The pace was good throughout and the race was run in record time (query placing of rails – some say the track was 80yds short) despite Long Run being eased down over the last furlong. The French horse had to break the record to beat Denman and Kauto Star