Cheltenham 2005

2005 running order

2005 results

5.20pm WEATHERBYS CHAMPION BUMPER

Class A, Grade One, £40,000 Guaranteed. 2m .5f. For 4-6yo which have not run under any recognised rules of racing except NH/INH Flat races; horses are not to have run in more than four NH/INH Flat races and before February 28, 2005, must have been placed first, second, third or fourth in such a race. Weights: 4yo 10st 12lb; 5yo & 6yo 11st 5lb. Allowances: fillies & mares 7lb. Penalty Values: 1st: £23,200; 2nd: £8,800; 3rd: £4,400; 4th: £2,000; 5th: £1,000; 6th: £600

2) DE SOTO (Peter Deal) Paul Webber 4-10-12 Tom Doyle 20/1

3) RASHARROW (Ashleybank Investments Limited) Len Lungo 6-11-05 Tony Dobbin 9/1

4) REFINEMENT (Michael Tabor) Jonjo O'Neill 6-10-12 Kieren Fallon

5) CLEW BAY COVE (Liam Walsh) Colm Murphy IRE t1 5-11-05 Paul Carberry

6) BUENA VISTA (Matt Archer & the late Jean Broadhurst) Martin Pipe 4-10-12 Jamie Spencer

7) ITSMYBOY (David Johnson) Martin Pipe 5-11-05 Timmy Murphy

8) MISTER TOP NOTCH (Marie Cronin) Davy Fitzgerald IRE 6-11-05 Mr Michael O'Connor

9) EYE ON THE BALL (R A Scott, Michael O’Flynn) Mouse Morris IRE 6-11-05 Conor O'Dwyer

10) OSCAR'S ADVANCE (J P McManus) Christy Roche IRE 6-11-05 Fran Berry

11) KARAGHAN (James Gough) Stephen Mahon IRE t1 5-11-05 Mr Kenneth Bowens

12) HIGH TECH MADE (R F Bailey) Charles Egerton 5-11-05 Jimmy McCarthy

13) WEE ROBBIE (P H Betts (Holdings) Ltd) Nick Gifford 5-11-05 Leighton Aspell

14) TIDDLE ABOUT (Lar Byrne) Jim Gorman IRE 4-10-05 Richard Hughes

15) LENNON (Andrea & Graham Wylie) Howard Johnson 5-11-05 Graham Lee

16) BEAUTIFUL VISION (Enda Hunston) Tom Taaffe IRE 5-11-05 Barry Geraghty

17) YABOYA (J P McManus) Philip Hobbs 6-11-05 Tony McCoy

18) OSCARDEAL (Charles Pogson) Charles Pogson 6-11-05 Adam Pogson

19) NICE HORSE (Chris, Basil & Rosie Batterham II) Martin Pipe 4-10-12 Jamie Moore

20) MISTER QUASIMODO (J M Dare, T Hamlin, J W Snook) Colin Tizzard 5-11-05 Joe Tizzard

21) SNAKEBITE (Malcolm Denmark) Mark Pitman 5-11-05 Seamus Durack

22) THERE IS NO DOUBT (Helen Bridges) Helen Bridges 4-10-12 Miss Lucy Bridges

FELL) THE MICK WESTON (Mick Weston) Richard Phillips 6-11-05 Richard Johnson

UR START) KARANJA (D G Staddon) Victor Dartnall 6-11-05 Miss Nina Carberry

24 ran

Breeder: Exors of the late T F M Corrie Breeding: b g Overbury (IRE) - Not Enough (Balinger)

Dist: nk,.75, 3.5, .5, 1.25, 1.25, 1.5, 2, 9, sh, nk, 3.5, .5, 4, 2,.75, 1.25, .5, 7, 18, 21

Tote: Win: £4.50 Places: £2.40; £6.20; £3.40 Exacta: £171.70

Winning Trainer: Willie Mullins Date of Birth: 15/9/56 Date of first licence: 1988 Cheltenham Festival wins: (9) Letheby & Christopher Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1995 Tourist Attraction), Royal & SunAlliance Chase (1998 Florida Pearl, 2004 Rule Supreme), Weatherbys Champion Bumper (1996 Wither Or Which, 1997 Florida Pearl, 1998 Alexander Banquet, 2000 Joe Cullen, 2005 Missed That), JCB Triumph Hurdle (2002 Scolardy) Other Major Wins Include: Irish Hennessy Gold Cup (1999, 2000, 2001, 2004 Florida Pearl, 2002 Alexander Banquet, 2005 Rule Supreme), French Champion Hurdle (2004 Rule Supreme), Pierse Hurdle (2002 Adamant Approach), King George VI Chase (2001 Florida Pearl)

Winning Jockey: Ruby Walsh Born: May 14, 1979 Cheltenham Festival Wins (7): Weatherbys Champion Bumper (1998 Alexander Banquet, 2004 Missed That), Mildmay Of Flete (2002 Blowing Wind), Irish Independent Arkle (2003 Azertyuiop), Queen Mother Champion Chase (2004 Azertyuiop), Grand Annual (2004 St Pirran), County Hurdle (2004 Sporazene) Other Big Race Wins: GRAND NATIONAL (2000 Papillon) HEINEKEN GOLD CUP (1999 Imperial Call), INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER NOVICES’ CHASE (2002 Azertyuiop, 2003 Thisthatandtother), GREATWOOD HURDLE (2003 Rigmarole), RACING POST CHASE (2004 Marlborough) Number of Wins in Britain (1998/99-2003/04): 1; 1; 5; 13; 77; 62 Other Details: Son of Ted Walsh, former leading Irish amateur rider who is now a trainer and broadcaster in Ireland. Rides regularly for Paul Nicholls Wins This Season: 68

INITIAL WINNING QUOTES RACE SIX - WEATHERBYS CHAMPION BUMPER

Ruby Walsh, rider of the successful Missed That, reported that the winner "was very, very free early on and I was almost exhausted trying to hold him.

"I then got him to settle a bit and we were in front coming off the bend. I was praying for the post to come and he was just able to keep his head in front.

"With the excitement of the false start I should probably have gone to the back of the field and settled him, and maybe I did the wrong thing in having him where I did. But sometimes you get lucky and that is what happened to me this time."

Willie Mullins clocked up his fifth victory in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper when the hard-pulling Missed That provided Ruby Walsh with a belated first win at the meeting in the second-day finale.

In an incident-packed race, Missed That, the 7-2 favourite, was far too free over the first mile, but Mullins has always maintained that he was something special and a huge roar could be heard on the other side of the Cotswolds as Walsh powered him to the front on the bottom bend.

However, Missed That had to dig deep when De Soto and Rasharrow attacked him inside the final furlong, but, to his credit, the Irish horse found plenty, winning by a neck and three parts of a length.

Missed That carries the Florida Pearl colours of Violet O’Leary, and, though that legendary chaser won this very same race in 1997, Mullins was reluctant to make comparisons with the two.

He said: "They are two different types, and Missed That is much more nervous, so we were worried that if he hit the front and then heard the crowd screaming he might stop.

"However, he kept on galloping, much to the surprise of Ruby, who told me when he got off that he could not believe how any horse could keep going after pulling so hard.

"Ruby was convinced that he would run out of gas at the top of the hill, but we have always thought a fair bit of Missed That, and he has a serious engine.

"Missed That has already won a point-to-point, so he is going the same way as Florida Pearl, and he has done an awful lot of growing up these past three and a half months.

"I cannot wait to go jumping with him, but whether we go hurdling or go straight over fences has not yet been decided. He is six now, so time is slipping by, and, while we know he has plenty of gears, we might have to make more use of him if he is going to take such a tug."

Cashmans were as impressed as most onlookers and offer only 6-1 about Missed That winning next year’s Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle and 8-1 about him winning the Royal & SunAlliance Chase.

A vintage bumper saw De Soto go down valiantly by a neck to Irish raider Missed That.

De Soto’s trainer Paul Webber said: "I trained the winner’s half-brother Sandy Duff.

"I thought maybe this was the horse to beat the Irish in the bumper.

"I think the world of our horse - he’s run well in two proper bumpers now and all he has done is improve.

"I guess he will go hurdling next season and hopefully we can move a few yards that way [into the winner’s enclosure] next year."

Len Lungo brought Rasharrow down from Scotland to finish a further three-quarters of a length away in third.

"I am delighted and Tony [Dobbin, rider] thinks that he is a very, very good horse. He thought that the winner looks to be exceptional and our fellow ran right to the line and stuck his head out all the way.

"We know he’s a good horse and if he comes out of this okay, he might go for the bumper at the Scottish National Meeting at Ayr. If we do go for that, I want the Ayr management to give me a bottle of whisky when we arrive just for showing him to them!"

1. Other than the five contests added to The Festival in 2005, the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, run for the first time in 1992, is the second-newest race at The Festival after the Coral Cup which was introduced the following year.

2. The first winner of the Weatherbys Champion Bumper was Montelado, who achieved what is thought to be the unique feat of winning two consecutive Festival races. The Bumper, now run on Wednesday, was originally the last race of the Festival. Montelado went on to win the opening race of the 1993 Festival, the Trafalgar House Supreme Novices' Hurdle, which is now sponsored by Letheby & Christopher.

3. Irish-trained runners have a great record in the race, accounting for nine of the 12 winners. Willie Mullins has incredibly saddled four of the last eight winners. The three horses to have kept the trophy at home were Dato Star in 1995, Monsignor, who sprang a 50/1 surprise in 1999, and Liberman, who gave Martin Pipe his first win in the race in 2003.

Previous Results

WEATHERBYS CHAMPION BUMPER

2004-WINNER-TOTAL ENJOYMENT 5-10-12 Owner-It Will Never Last Syndicate; Trainer-Tommy Cooper IRE; Jockey-Jim Culloty; SP-7/1

2ND Refinement 5-10-12 Owner-Michael Tabor; Trainer-Jonjo O’Neill; Jockey-Barry Geraghty; SP-7/1

3RD Master Albert 6-10-12 Owner-Sue Magnier; Trainer-David Wachman IRE; Jockey-Mr J P Magnier; SP-50/1

24 ran, Time-3m 48.30s Dist-2½, 5 7/2 Fav Martinstown (14th)

2003-WINNER-LIBERMAN 5-11-06 Owner-David Johnson; Trainer-Martin Pipe; Jockey-Tony McCoy; SP-2/1 Fav

2ND Trabolgan 5-11-06 Owner-Trevor Hemmings; Trainer-Nicky Henderson; Jockey-Seamus Durack; SP-50/1

3RD Widemouth Bay 5-11-06 Owner-Mrs J F Deithrick; Trainer-Philip Hobbs; Jockey-Richard Johnson; SP-33/1

25 ran, Time-3m 52.30s Dist-½, 1

2002-WINNER-PIZARRO 5-11-06 Owner-Edward Wallace; Trainer-Edward O’Grady IRE; Jockey-Jamie Spencer; SP-14/1

2ND-Rhinestone Cowboy 6-11-06 Owner-Sue Magnier; Trainer-Jonjo O’Neill; Jockey-Norman Williamson; SP-5/2 Fav

3RD-Back In Front 5-11-06 Owner-Nelius Hayes; Trainer-Edward O’Grady IRE; Jockey-Charlie Swan; SP-12/1

23 ran, Time-4m 0.70s; Dist-nk, 3½

2000-WINNER-JOE CULLEN 5-11-06 Owner-Jackie Mullins; Trainer-Willie Mullins IRE; Jockey-Charlie Swan; SP-14/1

2ND-Inca 5-11-06 Owner-Trevor Hemmings; Trainer-Nicky Henderson; Jockey-Mick Fitzgerald; SP-2/1 Fav

3RD-Be My Royal 5-11-06 Owner-Mrs Violet O’Leary; Trainer-Willie Mullins IRE; Jockey-Mr James Nash; SP-16/1 17 ran, Time-3m 41.20s, Dist-3½, 2

1999-MONSIGNOR 5-11-06 Owner-Malcolm Denmark; Trainer-Mark Pitman; Jockey-Brendan Powell; SP-50/1

2ND-Golden Alpha 5-11-06 Owner-David Johnson; Trainer-Martin Pipe; Jockey-Tony McCoy; SP-7/2

3RD-Canasta 5-10-13 Owner-Southern Brick & Tile Co./D S Arnold; Trainer-Mark Pitman; Jockey-Liam Corcoran; SP-25/1 25 ran, Time-3m 54.8s, Dist-1½, ¾ 11/4 Fav Biliverdin (15th)

1998-WINNER-ALEXANDER BANQUET 5-11-06 Owner-M Swarbrick; Trainer-Willie Mullins IRE; Jockey-Mr Ruby Walsh; SP-9/1

2ND-Joe Mac 4-10-12; Owner-J P McManus; Trainer-Christy Roche IRE; Jockey-Conor O’Dwyer; SP-6/4 Fav

3RD-Frantic Tan 6-11-06; Owner-The Bunkers Hill Mob; Trainer-Nigel Twiston-Davies; Jockey-Carl Llewellyn; SP-8/1 25 ran, Time-3m 45.7s, Dist-2½, 7

1997-WINNER-FLORIDA PEARL 5-11-06 Owner-Violet O’Leary; Trainer-Willie Mullins IRE; Jockey-Richard Dunwoody; SP-6/1

2ND-Arctic Camper 5-11-06 Owner-Lady Harris; Trainer-David Nicholson; Jockey-Richard Johnson; SP-16/1

3RD-All The Colours 4-10-12 Owner-Pat Byrnes; Trainer-John Mulhern IRE; Jockey-Jamie Osborne; SP-8/1 25 ran, Time-3m 45.1s, Dist-5, 2 4/1 Fav Dawn Leader (13th)

1996-WINNER-WITHER OR WHICH 5-11-06 Owner-Robert Sinclair; Trainer-Willie Mullins IRE; Jockey-Mr Willie Mullins; SP-11/4

2ND-Alzulu 5-11-06 Owner-D Buckle; Trainer-Jimmy FitzGerald; Jockey-Peter Niven; SP-25/1

3RD-Mighty Moss 5-10-13 Owner-Ken Hutsby; Trainer-David Nicholson; Jockey-Mr Fred Hutsby; SP-33/1

24 ran, Time-3m 53.7s, Dist-2, 3 9/4 Fav Andanito (4th)

1995-WINNER-DATO STAR 4-10-12 Owner-Kath Riley & Joe Donald; Trainer-Malcolm Jefferson; Jockey-Mark Dwyer; SP-7/2

2ND-Red Blazer 4-10-12 Owner-Tom Shrimpton; Trainer-Henrietta Knight; Jockey-Jamie Osborne SP-2/1 Fav

3RD-Skehanagh Bridge 6-11-06 Owner-David Pim; Trainer-Willie Mullins IRE; Jockey-Mr Willie Mullins; SP-12/1

21 Ran, Time-4m 02.2s. Dist-1¼, 3½

1994-WINNER-MUCKLEMEG 6-11-05 Owner-J P McManus; Trainer-Edward O'Grady IRE; Jockey-Charlie Swan; SP-7/2 Fav

2ND-Aries Girl 5-11-03 Owner-Wally Sturt; Trainer-Pat Flynn IRE; Jockey-Shay Barry; SP-5/1

3RD-Go Ballistic 5-11-03 Owner-Sheila Lockhart; Trainer-David Nicholson; Jockey-Robert Massey; SP-16/1

25 Ran, Time-3m 53.7s, Dist-3, 15

1993-WINNER-RHYTHM SECTION 4-10-11 Owner-Robert Sinclair; Trainer-Homer Scott IRE; Jockey-Paul Carberry; SP-16/1

2ND-Heist 4-11-02 Owner-Mrs G Matthews; Trainer-Noel Meade IRE; Jockey-Charlie Swan; SP-9/4 Fav

3RD-Winter Belle 5-11-13 Owner-John Muldoon; Trainer-Paddy Prendergast IRE; Jockey-John Shortt; SP-7/1 24 Ran, Time-3m 45.2s, Dist-½, 1

1992-WINNER-MONTELADO 5-11-13 Owner-Ollie Hannon; Trainer-Pat Flynn IRE; Jockey-Richard Dunwoody; SP-8/1

2ND-Tiananmen Square 4-10-12 Owner-Sue Magnier; Trainer-Noel Meade IRE; Jockey-Mr Tim Hyde; SP-6/4 Fav

3RD-Maneree 5-11-08 Owner-Michael Tabor; Trainer-Neville Callaghan; Jockey-Declan Murphy; SP-7/1

23 Ran, Time-3m 58.2s, Dist-12, 10