The Jockey Club has announced that the Cheltenham Festival will continue to be staged over four daysHot on the heels of Baaeed’s defeat at 1-4 in the Champions Stakes at Ascot, there was another big surprise on Monday morning as the Jockey Club announced that Cheltenham’s Festival meeting in March will not be extended to a fifth day from 2024. And if the general delight among National Hunt fans on social media is any guide, this was a rare example of a beaten odds-on shot that punters could celebrate.Cynics – this one included – who suggested back in April that the Jockey Club’s “consultation” over a fifth day at the Festival was window-dressing for a decision that had already been...
The winning jockey had tough choice between two fine horses, but got it right by staying loyal to A Plus TardThey say it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind but such is Rachael Blackmore’s quiet determination to be known first and foremost as just a jockey, rather than a female one, that it ought to have come as no surprise that she stuck to her guns and elected to ride A Plus Tard in this year’s Gold Cup despite being beaten into second place on him 12 months ago.While the novelty value of Blackmore’s gender in a massively male dominated, often brutal profession has gradually dissipated to the point where it barely merits a mention, it is worth noting...
Victory in the blue riband of chasing at the Cheltenham Festival would complete a full house of jump racing’s premier prizesMinella Indo and Rachael Blackmore go back a long way at Cheltenham. Three years ago almost to the day, he was her breakthrough Grade One winner, an unconsidered 50-1 shot in what turned out to be one of the strongest novice hurdles of recent years. Allaho and Lisnagar Oscar, in third and fifth, were Grade One winners themselves at future Festivals, and Blackmore too soon moved on to even better things.His Festival form figures are 1-2-1. He loves the track and thrives in the spring. And yet, for the second year running, when Minella Indo goes to post for the...
The roar of 70,000 was a welcome noise on a first day crowned by Honeysuckle’s repeat victory in this year’s Champion HurdleAll hail Queen Rachael Blackmore of Cheltenham, who finally got to bask in the warm, long and loud applause of her adoring public a full year after first being crowned. Her repeat victory on board Honeysuckle in this year’s Champion Hurdle meant there was no more popular winner on the opening day of the first Festival since 2020 to open its doors to the public, even if a nasty fall in the next race quickly brought her crashing back to earth.Such is the life of a professional jockey, but her latest big race success was a genuinely heartwarming occasion...
The pair meet again on day two of the Cheltenham Festival, while Tiger Roll also prepares to sign off at the meetingThe Clarence House Chase at Ascot was the race of the season so far and the rematch between Shishkin and Energumene before a packed house at Cheltenham on Wednesday promises to be better yet.Shishkin will be the punters’ favourite after that one-length success at Ascot, while Willie Mullins, who trains both Chacun Pour Soi and Energumene, says the former is the better horse. He does not seem keen to show his best form abroad, however, while Shishkin is always likely to put in the occasional sloppy jump. Continue reading...