Cheltenham 2005

2005 running order

2005 results

2.35pm BRIT INSURANCE NOVICES HURDLE

Class A, Grade Two, £75,000 Guaranteed. For 4yo+, 3m. Weights: 4yo 10st 12lb; 5yo+ 11st 7lb. Allowances: fillies & mares 7lb. Penalty Values: 1st: £43,500; 2nd: £16,500; 3rd: £8,250; 4th: £3,750; 5th: £1,875; 6th: £1,125

1) MOULIN RICHE (J C Seroul) Francois Doumen FR 5-11-07 Robert Thornton 9/1

2) OVER THE CREEK (David Johnson) Martin Pipe 6-11-07 Timmy Murphy 5/1

3) BREWSTER (Mr & Mrs John Poynton) Ian Williams 8-11-07 Richard Johnson 9/4 Fav

4) BOB BOB BOBBIN (Sarah Tizzard) Colin Tizzard 6-11-07 Joe Tizzard

5) THAMES (Trevor Hemmings) Nicky Henderson 7-11-07 Mick Fitzgerald

6) STAGE BY STAGE (Evelyn Hankinson) Charles Egerton 6-11-07 Jimmy McCarthy

7) WITHOUT A DOUBT (Malcolm Denmark) Mark Pitman 6-11-07 Seamus Durack

8) JACKSON (C B Brookes) Alan King 8-11-07 Wayne Hutchinson

9) ROMANY PRINCE (J B Webb) Steve Gollings 6-11-07 Paul Carberry

10) KINGS BAY (P J Doherty) Hughie Morrison 6-11-00 Jim Crowley

11) KELTIC ROCK (D J Erwin Bloodstock & Tony Geake) Jonathan Geake 6-11-07 Mark Bradburne

12) SENOR SEDONA (Felix Rosenstiel’s Widow & Son) Nick Gifford 6-11-07 James Davies

13) LADY ZEPHYR (David Langdon) Nigel Twiston-Davies 7-11-00 Carl Llewellyn

14) WASHINGTON LAD (Garrafrauns Syndicate) Pat Fahy IRE 5-11-07 Tony McCoy

15) DALVENTO (J T Pierse) John Murphy 7-11-07 Andrew McMamara

16) VA VAVOOM (Raymond Mould) Nigel Twiston-Davies t7-11-07 Tom Scudamore

17) GAELIC MUSIC (P J Constable) Mark Bradstock 6-11-07 Mattie Batchelor

F 5) BEWLEYS BERRY (Andrea & Graham Wylie) Howard Johnson 7-11-07 Graham Lee

18 ran Non-Runners: Get My Drift (Vet’s Certificate) , Laska De Thaix (Vet’s Certificate)

Breeder: J C Seroul Breeding: b g Video Rock (FR) - Gintonique (FR) (Royal Charter)

Dist: 2.5, nk, 3, 14, 1.75, 1.25, .5, 16, 17, 5, 1.75, 1.25, 6, 1, 29, sh

Tote Win: £11.80 Places: £3.00; £2.50; £1.80 Exacta: £62.80

Winning Trainer: Francois Doumen Date Of Birth: 11/6/40. Date Of First Trainer’s Licence: 1977 Previous Occupation: Served apprenticeship (trainers) with father, Jean, who trained for James Hennessy at Maisons-Lafitte. Riding Career: Amateur 1956-70, rode more than 100 Flat winners including the Prix Georges Courtois, at Deauville in 1969/70. Big Race Wins Include: King George VI Chase (1987 Nupsala, 1991 & 1992 The Fellow, 1994 Algan, 2000 First Gold), Racing Post H’cap Chase (1995 Val d’Alene), Grande Steeplechase de Paris (1991 The Fellow, 1994 Ucello II, 1995 Ubu III), Grande Course De Haies D’Auteuil (1992 & 1993 Ubu III), Prix Heros XII (1992 The Fellow, 1993 Ucello II), Pertemps Recruitment Partnership Feltham Novices’ Chase (1997 Djeddah), Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase (1997 Djeddah), Wragge & Co Finesse Four-Year-Old Hurdle (1999 Hors La Loi III), Axminster 100 Kingwell Hurdle (2000 Hors La Loi III), Voice Newspaper Adonis Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle (2000 Snow Drop), Long Walk Hurdle (2000 Baracouda, 2001 Baracouda, 2003 Baracouda), Capel Cure Sharp Novices’ Hurdle (2000 Ben Ewar), The Glenlivet 4-y-o Novices’ Hurdle (2001 Bilboa) Cheltenham Festival Wins (6): totesport Gold Cup (1994 The Fellow), JCB Triumph Hurdle (2000 Snow Drop), Ladbrokes World Hurdle (2002, 2003 Baracouda), William Hill Trophy Chase (2005 Kelami), Brit Insurance Novices’ Hurdle (2005 Moulin Riche) Horses in Training (1999-2004): 83; 104; 102; 119; 124; 93 Number of Winners in Britain (1998/99-2003/04): 3; 5; 9; 9; 4; 7 Wins This Season (In Britain): 9 Second Win of The Festival 2005

Winning Jockey: Robert Thornton Date of birth: 14/7/78 Wins (1995/96-2003/04): 3; 30; 71; 37; 23; 40; 56; 50; 73 Cheltenham Festival Wins (6): FULKE WALWYN KIM MUIR CHALLENGE CUP CHASE (King Lucifer 1997), PERTEMPS FINAL (Pharanear 1997), WILLIAM HILL TROPHY HANDICAP CHASE (2004 Fork Lightning, 2005 Kelami), JCB Triumph Hurdle (2005 Penzance), Brit Insurance Novices’ Hurdle (2005 Moulin Riche) Big Race Wins: MICHAEL PAGE GROUP KINGMAKER NOVICES’ CHASE (Flagship Uberalles 1999), MONEY STORE RENDLESHAM HCAP HURDLE (1999 Pharanear), SPORTING INDEX CHASE (2002 Famfoni), TOTE BULA HURDLE (2003 Rigmarole), MARTELL FOXHUNTERS’ CHASE (Blue Cheek 1997), CORDON BLEU HANDICAP HURDLE (Shankar 1997), Premier Convenience Stores Top Novices’ Hurdle (2004 Royal Shakespeare) Wins this Season: 86 Third Win of The Festival 2005

Francois Doumen gained his second Festival victory of 2005 when Moulin Riche won the new Brit Insurance Novices’ Hurdle by two and a half lengths from Over The Creek, adding to Tuesday’s success from Kelami.

The French trainer said: "Other than Baracouda being beaten, I am 200% satisfied with the way this year’s Festival has gone. Danaw was well beaten in the Triumph Hurdle but you need luck in that race and that is something that you cannot count on and I have struck that run through.

"Moulin Riche will run at Aintree and after that go back to France for a rest before a steeplechasing campaign in the Autumn.

"I hadn’t really thought about this year’s King George VI Chase for him but he is a typical horse for that - he stays forever on any ground. The only thing is that although he has run in chases in France, he needs to get to know the English fences.

"As for next year’s Gold Cup, we’ll need to see how he jumps a fence before I can start thinking about that but obviously it could be a target.

"Baracouda was ridden this morning and he licked his manger out and he is just a real pleasure to train. I have said it before but I’ll say it again, he’s run here four years in a row now and was beaten yesterday by a younger horse on fast ground. I would like to meet the winner again on softer ground.

"Baracouda puts the bar very high indeed in terms of standard and he may run at Aintree or Punchestown."

Winning trainer Francois Doumen said: "he was cruising and this kid has ridden him very well. I find it so hard to win here, so to win two means that I have been very spoiled. C’est magnifique, extraordinaire.

"It is like a dream, really, to have two winners, though it did not quite go right in the middle. It is hard to do it from France.

"His owner is President of the French Racehorse Owners’ Association and he thought I was crazy to run the horse here.

"But he has beaten the good horses in France and though he has never been over this trip I am sure he needed it. It is too soon for him to meet the big boys in France.

"Baracouda went out ridden this morning and licked out his manger. He is a real pleasure."

‘Chocolate’ Thornton, who rode the winner, said: "he was always travelling well, and though he missed the one at the top of the hill that had no effect on me and it meant that I didn’t get to the front too soon.

"Penzance has made my week and now I need a bit of luck for Almaydan in the Grand Annual."

Over The Creek failed by two and a half lengths to catch Moulin Riche in the first running of the Grade 2 Brit Insurance Novices’ Hurdle and owner David Johnson is already looking forward to next season.

"He ran out to the line and I thought he would be swallowed up at the top of the hill but he battled on," said Johnson.

"We won’t see him again this season but what a prospect he is going to be over fences."

Ian Williams saddled the 9/4 favourite Brewster to finish third and said: "The horse came again but the ground being as lively as it is just went against him in a competitive race like that.

"If the ground was soft he might go for the three-mile hurdle at Aintree but not if it was lively going there."