Barry Geraghty

At the time of his ‘shock’ retirement from the saddle in July, 2020, Barry Geraghty had ridden 43 winners at the Cheltenham Festival, making him the second most successful jockey in the history of the so-called ‘Olympics of National Hunt racing’, behind only compatriot Ruby Walsh. Indeed, his career total is some way ahead of the 25 winners ridden by Davy Russell, who is the only one of the top five jockeys in the all-time list still riding, so his position looks assured for years to come.

Geraghty rode his first Cheltenham Festival winner, Moscow Flyer, in the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 2002 and his last, Saint Roi, in the County Handicap Hurdle in 2020. In between times, he won the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, on Kicking King in 2005 and Bobs Worth in 2013, the Champion Hurdle a record-equalling four times, on Punjabi in 2009, Jezki in 2014, Buveur D’Air in 2018 and Epatante in 2020, the Queen Mother Champion Chase a record-equalling five times, on Moscow Flyer in 2003 and 2005, Big Zeb in 2010, Finian’s Rainbow in 2012 and Sprinter Sacre in 2013 and the Stayers’ Hurdle twice, on Iris’s Gift in 2004 and More Of That in 2014.

Geraghty was leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival twice, in 2003 and 2012, with five winners on both occasions. Indeed, he went agonisingly close to becoming leading jockey again in 2020, when he rode five winners for leading owner John Patrick ‘J.P.’ McManus – for whom he replaced Sir Anthony McCoy as retained jockey in 2015 – only to lose out on countback to Paul Townend. Remarkably, with the exception of 2017, Geraghty rode at least one winner at the Cheltenham Festival every year between 2002 and 2020.

November 14, 2021 by Cheltenham Legends

Arkle

As is often repeated, Arkle is the benchmark by which every steeplechaser since the mid-Sixties has been measured. If his Timeform Annual Rating of 212 is to be believed, of the hundreds of thousands of steeplechasers to have raced in the last five decades or more, only stable companion Flyingbolt came with 30lb of Arkle.

Arkle was owned by Anne Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster, in whose iconic yellow and black colours he raced, and trained by Tom Dreaper in Ashbourne, Co. Meath. He was ridden in all 26 steeplechases, of which he won 22, by the late Pat Taaffe. As far as the Cheltenham Festival is concerned, Arkle won the Broadway Novices’ Chase – now the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase – as a six-year-old in 1963, but will aways be best remembered for winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup three years running in 1964, 1965 and 1966.

On the first occasion, Arkle beat defending champion Mill House – potentially the best steeplechaser since the legendary Golden Miller, according to his trainer Fulke Walwyn – by five lengths and broke the course record by four seconds. On the second occasion, Arkle beat the same horse by twenty lengths and, on the third, in the absence of Mill House, sidelined with tendon trouble, beat Dormant and three other rivals by thirty lengths and upwards at prohibitive odds of 1/10; in so doing, he became the shortest-priced winner in the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Whether or not his Timeform Annual Rating was exaggerated is debatable, but such was his superiority over his contemporaries that, had his career not been ended prematurely – by an injury sustained in the King George VI Chase at Kempton – in 1966, it is not difficult to envisage Arkle having added to his Cheltenham Gold Cup tally.

September 14, 2021 by Cheltenham Legends

Cheltenham Festival 2021 Results Recap

Day One Results: Champion Day (16th March 2021)

13:20 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

? Appreciate It (P Townend) 8/11 Fav
? Ballyadam (JW Kennedy) 6/1
? Blue Lord (DA Jacob) 11/1

13:55 Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase

? Shiskin (Nico De Boinville) 4/9 Fav
? Eldorado Allen (H Cobden) 33/1
? Allmankind (Harry Skelton) 5/1

14:30 Handicap Steeple Chase

? Vintage Clouds (Ryan Mania) 28/1
? Happygolucky (David Bass) 10/3
? Aye Right (R Johnson) 11/2

15:05 Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy

? Honeysuckle (Rachel Blackmore) 11/10 Fav
? Sharjah (P Townend) 11/1
? Epatante (Aidan Coleman) 4/1

15:40 The Mares’ Hurdle

? Black Tears (JW Kennedy) 11/1
? Concertista (P Townend) 10/11 Fav
? Roksana (Harry Skelton) 3/1

16:15 Novices’ Handicap Hurdle

? Jeff Kidder (SW Flanagan) 80/1
? Saint Sam (P Townend) 9/2 Fav
? Elham Valley (PJ Brennan) 66/1

16:50 The National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup

? Galvin (J W Kennedy) 7-2
? Next Destination (H Cobden) 3-1
? Escaria Ten (Adrian Heskin) 11-4 Fav

Day Two Results: Ladies Day (17th March 2021)
13:20 Novices’ Hurdle

? Bob Olinger (Rachael Blackmore) 6/4 Fav
? Gaillard Du Mesnil (P Townend) 9/4
? Bravemansgame (H Cobden) 4/1

13:55 Novices’ Steeple Chase

? Monkfish (P Townend) 1/4 Fav
? Fiddlerontheroof (RM Power) 40/1
? The Big Breakaway (H Cobden) 12/1

14:30 Handicap Hurdle

? Heaven Help Us (RJ Condon) 33/1
? Craigneiche (Tom Cannon) 17/2
? Tea Clipper (JJ Burke) 33/1

15:05 Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase

? Put The Kettle On (Aidan Coleman) 17/2
? Nube Negra (Harry Skelton) 11/1
? Chacun Pour Soi (P Townend) 8/13 Fav

15:40 Cross Country Steeple Chase

? Tiger Roll (KM Donoghue) 9/2
? Easyland (Felix de Giles) 1/1 Fav
? Some Neck (R Johnson) 17/2

16:15 Grand Annual Handicap Chase

? Sky Pirate (Nick Scholfield) 14/1
? Entoucas (MP Walsh) 7/1
? Ibleo (Charlie Deutsch) 9/1

16:50 Champion Bumper

? Sir Gerhard (Rachael Blackmore) 2/1
? Kilcruit (P Townend) 10/11 Fav
? Elle Est Belle (Harry Skelton) 16/1

Day Three Results: St Patrick’s Thursday (18th March 2021)
13:20 Novices’ Chase

? Chantry House (Nico de Boinville) 9/1
? Fusil Raffles (DA Jacob) 14/1
? Asterion Forlonge (P Townend) 14/1

13:55 Pertemps Network Final

? Mrs Milner (BJ Cooper) 12/1
? The Bosses Oscar (JC Gainford) 10/3 Fav
? Come On Teddy (JJ Burke) 10/1

14:30 The Ryanair Steeple Chase

? Allaho (Rachael Blackmore) 3/1 Fav
? Fakir D’Oundaires (MP Walsh) 11/2
? Tornado Flayer (DE Mullins) 25/1

15:05 Stayers’ Hurdle

? Flooring Porter (D Mullins) 12/1
? Sire Du Berlais (Mark Walsh) 5/1
? Paisley Park (Aidan Coleman) 9/4 Fav

15:40 Stable Plate

? The Shunter (JC Gainford) 9/4 Fav
? Farclas (JW Kennedy) 5/1
? Top Notch (Luca Morgan) 50/1

16:15 Mares Novices’ Hurdle

? Telmesomethinggirl (Rachael Blackmore) 5/1
? Magic Daze (RM Power) 22/1
? Mighty Blue (JJ Slevin) 12/1

16:50 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup

? Mount Ida (JW Kennedy) 3/1 Fav
? Cloudy Glen (RT Dunne) 33/1
? Shantou Flyer (H Cobden) 11/2

Day Four Results: Gold Cup Day (19th March 2021)
13:20 Triumph Hurdle

? Quilixios (Rachael Blackmore) 7/4
? Adagio (T Scudamore) 17/2
? Haut En Couleurs (P Townend) 14/1

13:55 County Handicap Hurdle

? Belfast Banter (KC Sexton) 33/1
? Petit Mouchoir (J C Gainford) 22/1
? Milkwood (RT Dunne) 28/1

14:30 Novices’ Hurdle

? Vanillier (MP Walsh) 14/1
? Oscar Elite (Jonjo O’Neill Jr) 40/1
? Streets of Doyen (SD Torrens) 10/1

15:05 The Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase 2021

? Minella Indo (JW Kennedy) 9/1
? A Plus Tard (Rachael Blackmore) 3/1
? Al Boum Photo (P Townend) 9/4 Fav

15:40 Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase

? Porlock Bay (Lorcan Williams) 16/1
? Billaway (P Townend) 2/1 Fav
? Staker Wallace (MP Walsh) 9/1

16:15 Mares’ Chase

? Colreevy (P Townend) 9/4
? Elimay (MP Walsh) 6/5 Fav
? Shattered Love (JW Kennedy) 6/1

16:50 Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

? Galopin Des Champs (SF O’Keefe) 8/1
? Langer Dan (Lorcan Williams) 13/2
? Floueur (Paul O’Brien) 33/1

July 2, 2021 by Cheltenham News

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