Cheltenham News

 

• 13:30 The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle

1 Envoi Allen (D N Russell) 4-7 Fav
2 Easywork (Rachael Blackmore) 12-1
3 The Big Getaway (P Townend) 9-1

• 14:10 The RSA Insurance Novices’ Steeple Chase

1 Champ (B J Geraghty) 4-1
2 Minella Indo (Rachael Blackmore) 3-1
3 Allaho (P Townend) 5-2 Fav

• 14:50 The Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle

1 Dame De Compagnie (B J Geraghty) 5-1 Fav
2 Black Tears (D N Russell) 12-1
3 Thosedaysaregone (K J Brouder) 10-1

• 15:30 The Betway Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase

1 Politologue (Harry Skelton) 6-1
2 Dynamite Dollars (H Cobden) 7-1
3 Bun Doran (J J Burke) 33-1

• 16:10 The Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase

1 Easysland (J Plouganou) 3-1
2 Tiger Roll (K M Donoghue) 8-11 Fav
3 Out Sam (Mr J J Codd) 33-1

• 16:50 The Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

1 Aramax (M P Walsh) 15-2
2 Night Edition (T Scudamore) 16-1
3 Saint D’Oroux (D A Jacob) 14-1

• 17:30 The Weatherbys Champion Bumper

1 Ferny Hollow (P Townend) 11-1
2 Appreciate It (Mr P W Mullins) 15-8 Fav
3 Queens Brook (Mr J J Codd) 6-1

 

• 13:30 The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

1 Shishkin (Nico de Boinville) 6-1
2 Abacadabras (D N Russell) 11-4
3 Chantry House (B J Geraghty) 15-2

• 14:10 The Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase

1 Put The Kettle On (Aidan Coleman) 16-1
2 Fakir D’Oudairies (M P Walsh) 3-1
3 Rouge Vif (G Sheehan) 9-1

• 14:50 The Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase

1 The Conditional (Brendan Powell) 15-2
2 Kildisart (D A Jacob) 10-1
3 Discorama (B J Cooper) 11-2

• 15:30 The Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy

1 Epatante (B J Geraghty) 2-1 Fav
2 Sharjah (Mr P W Mullins) 16-1
3 Darver Star (Jonathan Moore) 17-2

• 16:10 The Mares’ Hurdle

1 Honeysuckle (Rachael Blackmore) 9-4
2 Benie Des Dieux (P Townend) 4-6 Fav
3 Elfile (D E Mullins) 16-1

• 16:50 The Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase

1 Imperial Aura (David Bass) 4-1 Jt Fav
2 Galvin (D N Russell) 4-1 Jt Fav
3 Hold The Note (J J Burke) 10-1

• 17:30 The National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup

1 Ravenhill (Mr J J Codd) 12-1
2 Lord Du Mesnil (Mr S Waley-Cohen) 11-2
3 Lamanver Pippin (Mr W Biddick) 33-1

 

Richard Johnson OBE was Champion Conditional Jockey in 1995/96 at the age of 18. However, despite riding over a hundred winners in every National Hunt season since, for a long time Johnson seemed destined to be dubbed, eternally, as ‘the best jockey never to be champion’. Thankfully, though, in recent years Johnson has emerged from the shadow of Sir Anthony McCoy to become Champion Jockey three seasons running in 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18.

At the Cheltenham Festival, Johnson has ridden a total of 23 winners, placing him fourth in the all-time list of leading jockeys, behind Ruby Walsh, Barry Geraghty, McCoy and Pat Taafe. His first winner came courtesy of Anzum, trained by David Nicholson, in the Stayers’ Hurdle in 1999. Despite starting at odds of 40/1, Anzum produced a strong run from the final flight to collar the favourite, Le Coudray, in the final strides and win by a neck.

The following year, Johnson rode his second Festival winner, Dark Stranger, trained by Martin Pipe, in the Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup and, 24 hours later, recorded his first ‘championship’ race success on Looks Like Trouble, trained by Noel Chance – who would later become his father-in-law – in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Johnson drew a blank at the Festival in 2001, but was back in the winners’ enclosure twice in 2002, courtesy of Flagship Uberalles in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Rooster Booster in the Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle, both trained by Philip Hobbs. In fact, those two winners were enough to win Johnson the leading jockey award for the one and only time.

Further success followed, though, with the victory of Rooster Booster in the Champion Hurdle in 2003 making Johnson, along with Ruby Walsh and Barry Geraghty, one of just three active jockeys to have won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Stayers’ Hurdle. In recent years, Johnson has added to his Cheltenham tally by winning the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle on Flying Tiger, trained by Nick Williams, and the Triumph Hurdle on Defi Du Seuil, trained by Hobbs, in 2017 and, of course, the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Native River, trained by Colin Tizzard, in 2018.

Of the National Hunt jockeys still riding, Barry Geraghty, Richard Johnson and Ruby Walsh have all won the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice and will, no doubt, have further opportunities to win the race. That said, while none of the trio looks set to retire any time soon, Johnson turns 42, and Geraghty and Walsh both turn 40, in 2019, so they all have work to do to become the most successful jockey in the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

As it stands, that honour belongs to the late Pat Taaffe, best known for his association with the legendary Arkle, trained by Tom Dreaper, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup three years running in 1964, 1965 and 1966. Taaffe also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Fort Leney, again trained by Dreaper, in 1968 for a total of four wins in the premier steeplechase. Interestingly, Taaffe also won the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the RSA Chase five times apiece and all bar two of his 25 winners at the Cheltenham Festival came in steeplechases.