Cheltenham News

Cheltenham Festival Winners To The Fore In Anglo-Irish Jump Awards 15/05/06
The Cheltenham Festival's position as the pre-eminent arena for excellence in jump racing has been reinforced with the unveiling today, Monday, May 15, of the new and prestigious 2006 Anglo-Irish Jump Racing Awards, with Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdler Brave Inca named the Anglo-Irish Horse of the Year.

Cheltenham Festival Reaction From Edward Gillespie
Edward Gillespie, Cheltenham’s managing director, said: “It has been great that people for the last four days have been going round saying how wonderful it is to be here. That is what this place means to people.

totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup
War Of Attrition, trained by Mouse Morris, owned by Ryanair tycoon Michael O'Leary and ridden by Wexford jockey Conor O'Dwyer, stormed home in some style.

Brave Inca Wins Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle
Trainer Colm Murphy billed Brave Inca as a “superstar” after the eight-year-old battled up the Cheltenham hill under Tony McCoy to capture the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

Henderson and Walsh Take Titles
On an emotional day for his family, Nicky Henderson claimed the Racing Post Festival Trainers’ Award. The Racing Post Festival Rider’s Award was won by Ruby Walsh, whose victory on Desert Quest in the final race, gave him three wins and three second places.

He Did It My Way
The feature contest of day three of The Festival, the £230,000 Ladbrokes Hurdle went to My Way De Solzen for trainer Alan King and jockey Robert Thornton.

Moscow Flyer Retires
Moscow Flyer, winner of the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy in 2002 and the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2003 and 2005, has been retired afer finishing fifth in today’s Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Black Jack Ketchum
Black Jack Ketchum justified all the hype and support to send his legion of supporters into ecstacy as he strode up the hill to win the Brit Insurance Hurdle unchallenged.

Gifford Calm About Exciting Festival Prospects
Nick Gifford is hoping that he does not have to wait as long as his father Josh to enjoy his first Cheltenham Festival success, as he looks forward to saddling leading hope Straw Bear in the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

War Of Attrition, trained by Mouse Morris, owned by Ryanair tycoon Michael O'Leary and ridden by Wexford jockey Conor O'Dwyer, stormed home in some style.

Praise was heaped on jockey Andrew McNamara after he rode Newmill to victory in today’s Queen Mother Champion Chase. Having his fourth ride at The Festival, McNamara, 22, made all the running on the John Murphy-trained winner. Murphy said: “He’s a top-class jockey and a future champion. My only orders were be up there and out of trouble.”

A very strong renewal of the Royal & SunAlliance Chase is in prospect with a huge 57 going forward including the likes of Darkness, Our Ben, Southern Vic, Bewleys Berry, Commercial Flyer and The Listener. Similarly, the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy looks set for a high-class field with 40 remaining.

The Festival’s four championship novice hurdles have attracted their usual huge entries with the best young talent from Britain, Ireland, France and Germany contributing to 61 entries in the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Tuesday, March 14), 82 in the Royal & Sunalliance Novices’ Hurdle (Wednesday, March 15), 75 in the JCB Triumph Hurdle and 74 in the Brit Insurance Novices’ Hurdle (both on Friday, March 17).

Champion Tony McCoy, with 15 wins to date, is the most successful current jockey at The Festival. Since partnering Kibreet to success in the 1996 Grand Annual Chase, the record-breaking rider has gone on to land a further 14 successes, with his two greatest triumphs coming in 1997 through a rare double aboard Mr Mulligan in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup and Make A Stand in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle two days earlier.