Irish Horses and Jockeys Dominate
British Trainer Paul Nichols Wins Leading Trainer Award
Luckily for Britain, Paul Nichols won the leading trainer award at this year's Cheltenham Festival and British trainers led the trainers' competition.
For Irish-bred horses won nine of the 12 Grade 1 races staged and 10 of the 18 winners who have been through the sales ring were sold at Irish sales.
The winner of the Gold Cup, Denman Ire, was their star with top-earnings in prize money of £971,855. He was bred in Ireland to a British sire Presenting (Mtoto) and his full brother Silverburn is promising.
Denman was bred by Colman O'Flynn and his sire stands at Glenview Stud, Fermoy, Co Cork.
French horses came second in the Festival with winning and placing including Kauto Star, Master Minded and Neptune Collanges for Paul Nichols and the others listed below.
Sadly, Kauto Star missed out on the Betfair £1 Million Bonus for not winning the Gold Cup, but his owner can try again next year and he does have the new, young megastar Master Minded.
Ruby Walsh who rode three winners and placed horses for Nichols won the top jockey award of the Festival.
Irish-bred horses won a 1-2-3 in the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle (Grade 2) with the Donald McCain
Jnr-trained mare Whiteoak (IRE) who brilliantly held off a late challenge from Michael Tabor's Refinement (IRE) with favourite Chomba Womba (IRE) back in third.
Whiteoak was sold in the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale to Ginger McCain in June for 25,000 Euros.
Celestial Gold's (IRE) half brother Fiveforthree (IRE) made it a festival double for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh in the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1).
Ruby Walsh produced a wonderful ride on the classy Celestial Halo (IRE) to hold off the favourite Franchoek in the JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1). The four-year-old son of Galileo Ire was a smart performer on the flat under Sir Mark Prescott. He was third to Soldier of Fortune in the Group 3 Chester Vase last season and has won two out of three in his hurdling career.
Owner Andy Stewart said: "I would like to have won any race at the Festival and the Triumph is very nice indeed. It is absolutely terrific. Alex Ferguson has just said well done and so have a lot of good friends."
Tiger Cry made it a memorable double for Davy Russell when winning the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase Challenge Cup (Grade 3). He was purchased in the Tattersalls Ireland 2002 Derby Sale for 70,000 Euros.
Trainer Arthur Moore said: "It is great to come back and win the race. It is great for the owner, 84-year-old Chris Jones, who raced the mighty Klairon Davis. We were a shade worried about the easing ground but he had a great preparation for the race and David gave him a great ride."
Contact Irish Thoroughbred Marketing through Daithi Harvey on +353 (0) 87 2682974, dharvey@itm.ie.
Further winners for France include Naiad Du Misselot Fr (Dom Alco Fr) took the Coral Cup (Handicap Hurdle) (Grade 3) (Class 1) by a nose for trainer Ferdy Murphy.
Nenuphar Collonges Fr (Video Rock Fr) took the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Registered as The Spa Novices' Hurdle) (Grade 1) (Class 1), 3 miles. Winning jockey Robert Thornton was the second ranking jockey at the Festival and rode under trainer Alan King.
Silver Jaro Fr (Muhtathir), trained by T Hogan and ridden by Noel Fehily, won the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) (Class 1), 2m1f.
Betting turnover was reputed to be over £230 million and the final day was sold out at 65,000 attendees with unprecedented national attention thanks to Denman and Kauto Star.
Attendance was light on Tuesday and the loss of the Wednesday card due to wind lost money for the Festival some of which will be recovered by insurance.
Course officials are considering altering next year's lineup to start on a Wednesday and carry through Saturday for the Gold Cup.
And only one horse died.
The Festival, with whatever problems officials faced, was magnificent and the winner of the Gold Cup incomparable.
Luckily for Britain, Paul Nichols won the leading trainer award at this year's Cheltenham Festival and British trainers led the trainers' competition.
For Irish-bred horses won nine of the 12 Grade 1 races staged and 10 of the 18 winners who have been through the sales ring were sold at Irish sales.
The winner of the Gold Cup, Denman Ire, was their star with top-earnings in prize money of £971,855. He was bred in Ireland to a British sire Presenting (Mtoto) and his full brother Silverburn is promising.
Denman was bred by Colman O'Flynn and his sire stands at Glenview Stud, Fermoy, Co Cork.
French horses came second in the Festival with winning and placing including Kauto Star, Master Minded and Neptune Collanges for Paul Nichols and the others listed below.
Sadly, Kauto Star missed out on the Betfair £1 Million Bonus for not winning the Gold Cup, but his owner can try again next year and he does have the new, young megastar Master Minded.
Ruby Walsh who rode three winners and placed horses for Nichols won the top jockey award of the Festival.
Irish-bred horses won a 1-2-3 in the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle (Grade 2) with the Donald McCain
Jnr-trained mare Whiteoak (IRE) who brilliantly held off a late challenge from Michael Tabor's Refinement (IRE) with favourite Chomba Womba (IRE) back in third.
Whiteoak was sold in the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale to Ginger McCain in June for 25,000 Euros.
Celestial Gold's (IRE) half brother Fiveforthree (IRE) made it a festival double for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh in the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1).
Ruby Walsh produced a wonderful ride on the classy Celestial Halo (IRE) to hold off the favourite Franchoek in the JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1). The four-year-old son of Galileo Ire was a smart performer on the flat under Sir Mark Prescott. He was third to Soldier of Fortune in the Group 3 Chester Vase last season and has won two out of three in his hurdling career.
Owner Andy Stewart said: "I would like to have won any race at the Festival and the Triumph is very nice indeed. It is absolutely terrific. Alex Ferguson has just said well done and so have a lot of good friends."
Tiger Cry made it a memorable double for Davy Russell when winning the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase Challenge Cup (Grade 3). He was purchased in the Tattersalls Ireland 2002 Derby Sale for 70,000 Euros.
Trainer Arthur Moore said: "It is great to come back and win the race. It is great for the owner, 84-year-old Chris Jones, who raced the mighty Klairon Davis. We were a shade worried about the easing ground but he had a great preparation for the race and David gave him a great ride."
Contact Irish Thoroughbred Marketing through Daithi Harvey on +353 (0) 87 2682974, dharvey@itm.ie.
Further winners for France include Naiad Du Misselot Fr (Dom Alco Fr) took the Coral Cup (Handicap Hurdle) (Grade 3) (Class 1) by a nose for trainer Ferdy Murphy.
Nenuphar Collonges Fr (Video Rock Fr) took the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Registered as The Spa Novices' Hurdle) (Grade 1) (Class 1), 3 miles. Winning jockey Robert Thornton was the second ranking jockey at the Festival and rode under trainer Alan King.
Silver Jaro Fr (Muhtathir), trained by T Hogan and ridden by Noel Fehily, won the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) (Class 1), 2m1f.
Betting turnover was reputed to be over £230 million and the final day was sold out at 65,000 attendees with unprecedented national attention thanks to Denman and Kauto Star.
Attendance was light on Tuesday and the loss of the Wednesday card due to wind lost money for the Festival some of which will be recovered by insurance.
Course officials are considering altering next year's lineup to start on a Wednesday and carry through Saturday for the Gold Cup.
And only one horse died.
The Festival, with whatever problems officials faced, was magnificent and the winner of the Gold Cup incomparable.
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