09:20 Good morning from the final day of the Cheltenham Festival where we “climax” at 15:20 with the Gold Cup – round three of the Kauto Star / Denman clash where the score is currently 1-1.
Kauto Star is strong favourite to make the match score 2-1 and to win his third Gold Cup.
Of course there are nine other runners in the contest and a true emotional winner would be Carruthers, however his price of 50/1 is probably a true reflection of his chances – then again remember Norton’s Coin at 100/1.
There was just 1mm of rain overnight and there has been some watering, the official going is Good
Our selections are:-
01:30 |
14 |
Secant Star |
02:05 |
11 |
Eradicate |
02:40 |
14 |
Tell Massini |
03:20 |
7 |
Kauto Star |
04:00 |
18 |
Roulez Cool |
04:40 |
2 |
Peveril |
05:15 |
5 |
Oiseau De Nuit |
09:42 The sun is breaking through although there is a threat of rain later this afternoon.
I have tried to dress in keeping with the occasion this week. On Wednesday, St Patrick’s Day, I had a green shirt and orange tie. Yesterday, ladies day, it was a pink shirt and tie. Today I am being neutral asI have a white shirt with green (Kauto) and purple (Denman) stripes.
An interesting race in prospect. Have just been chatting to BBC Radio commentator John Hunt and he says he would not be that surprised if Irish raider Cooldine came and spoiled the party (not his exact words but a reasonable paraphrase)
09:48 We have three more non-runners bringing the total to five, details on the right.
10:30 The gates are open and the crowds are flocking in, many racegoers sporting Kauto Star and Denman colours.
Some early drama as the fire alarm in the main stand went off just 15 minutes before the gates open, with all the staff having to evacuate.
The grandstand is still standing so obviously nothing too serious.
I have just been over to the weighing room to find out how Mr McCoy is today but nobody has seen him yet.
The sun is shining as well.
10:53 Mark Johnson, one of today’s on-course commentators who also knows a fair bit about pointing, thinks Drybrook Bedouin is overpriced in the Foxhunters.
10:56 As Kauto Star bids to win the Gold Cup for the third time, the last triple winner, Best Mate, has a statue and as is now a Cheltenham tradition a wreath in his old colours has been laid at the base of the life size statue.
11:18 On the betting front Kauto Star is drifting slightly and is now out to 8/11 in places. Denman attracted some early support into 4/1.
Best backed in the big race though is Imperial Commander now as short as 13/2 and there have been some nibbles for Cooldine and Tricky Trickster at each-way prices.
Elsewhere Carlito Brigante is firming as favourite in the Triumph Hurdle, with Alaivan attracting some support and Soldatino the drifter.
In the Albert Bartlett Tell Massini and Quel Esprite are the ones attracting the money.
In the getting out stakes some good support for You’re The Top at the head of the betting.
11:31 Some support Denman and others Kauto Star.
 
Whilst some just cannot decide:-
12:09 I have just bumped into, literally, RUK’s Lydia Pearce, not normally known for sitting on the fence but she is wearing both a Denman and Kauto Star rosette.
Her response is the same as mine in her heart wants Denman to win but the head says Kauto Star.
It is getting really chunky outside, the Guinness Village is almost full to capacity – which is bad news for me as I need to get through the village to get from the media centre to the parade ring and track.
12:21 The Cheltenham Song rings out over the PA to formally get Day 4 underway … the song has attracted controversy in places but it is just some harmless fun and if it raises money for charity I can’t really see a problem.
It’s funny even though the Guinness Village is absolutely heaving and they are queuing six deep at the bars there are virtually no queues at the food outlets, which is good news for me. Sausage and chips today – one complaint about the festival is it is not easy to find healthy eating options and it will be nice to settle back to a normal diet once the meeting is over.
12:28 With the capacity crowd today, moving around the place is going to be quite difficult this afternoon ..... I will do my best to give as comprehensive coverage as possible but I am not promising anything with any certainty.
12:50 I have just had a Gold Cup punt in the market “without Kauto Star and Denman” and the 12/1 about Carruthers was just too tempting.
12:54 Am about to attempt to get to the parade ring to see the runners in the opener - in truth the opening race of the afternoon is the only one where I have any chance of getting to see them in the ring.
13:18 I made it to the parade ring and back and managed to see 15 of the 17 runners in the Triumph Hurdle.
As would be expected in the four-year-old championship race all the runners looked fit and well. None more so than the favourite Carlito Brigante.
13:57 A most interesting renewal of the Triumph Hurdle in terms of tactics. Tom O’Brien managed to get a flyer on Barizan and he soon had a big lead.
Usually in these circumstances these strong running types soon come back to the field, only this time he didn’t. Indeed as they began the descent he was, if anything, increasing his lead to at least 25 lengths.
 Behind Westlin’ Winds was heading the pursuing pack, with Olofi and Puzzlemaster also prominent.
Even as they turned for home the lead was still a good 15 lengths, although at last a challenger emerged from the pack in the shape of Soldatino under Barry Geraghty.
Noticeably Barizan’s stride was beginning to shorten but he still had a good lead coming to the last. His jump was not the most fluent, more a tired mistake than anything else, and as they climbed the hill to the finish it was clear Soldatino was closing with every stride and it was on the cards the front running attempt was bound to fail.
Soldatino came home 1¼ lengths clear to a rapturous roar, although as a neutral one had to feel some sympathy for Barizan and his connections.
Interestingly the third placed horse was still seven lengths behind the runner-up. That honour went to Alavian with the favourite Carlito Brigante fourth.
It could be argued most of the riders in the race were out manoeuvred by O’Brien’s tactics and they should be embarrassed.
It’s only that Barry Geraghty decided to make a race of it that Barizan was not handed the race on a platter.
Barry Geraghty said, "It was a good performance. The leader set off very quick, I had to drop in and switch off. The leader went off that quick he had to stop.
"I gave him a couple of slaps before the last to keep him going forward. I knew I would get there well enough.
"It's a long way from the second last home and having gone that quick, he couldn't keep it up to the line."
Winning trainer Nicky Henderson said, "I'm thrilled for the horse, he's only a baby, they all are, but he's very inexperienced.
"You nearly felt sorry for the second horse because he got away from them. You have to say he's run a fantastic race.”
The runner-up's owner Peter Conway was still happy, "That was fantastic. I thought we had it but we've been pipped at the post and that's how it goes.
"He was the forgotten horse in the race - nobody even mentioned him.
"He's off to Aintree next and then Punchestown hopefully."
Alaivan's rider Andrew McNamara said: "I thought the leader would have to stop for us to pick him up and as it happened he didn't. Third is as good as we were on the day."
14:03 The rain has arrived
14:26 For the second race running a runner tried to steal a march on his rivals, although this time the attempt was short lived. The front runner this time Marodima, although unlike in the opener his rivals did not allow him to dictate in the same way.
Once headed it was Dee Ee Williams who had the advantage. He had been settled in second spot before running on to lead coming down the hill.
He still led as they turned for home but the cavalry were lining up to charge, headed by Zanir.
However a phalanx of greys were also lining up and one of them, Thousand Stars, under Katie Walsh ran on as if the turbo-charge had been engaged, sweeping past Dee Ee Williams as though he were running on the spot.
Another grey Arcalis set of in pursuit but Katie had flown, recording her second victory of the week and the first Irish winner since Wednesday.
Dee Ee Wiliams held on for third spot with Zanir fourth.
Katie, sister of Ruby, was ecstatic, "I can't believe it, this is unbelievable, you cannot write this stuff.
"He hasn't even settled in really.
"I must say a big thank you to Willie Mullins. He has been fantastic to me, he didn't have to leave me on this horse but he did.
"I was unlucky in the Pierse and when I got to the front he pricked his ears."
Trainer Willie Mullins said, "I'm delighted and Katie is so cool and a fantastic rider. "Even though she rides as an amateur, she's got the brain of a professional and is fit and well.
"I love putting her up so it's fantastic for her, fantastic for me and everyone."
14:29 I am going to be a misery here – this afternoon there is some excellent racing, the place is sold out, yet a significant number of those here seem to have no interest at all in the racing – all they seem to want to do is pour as much beer down their throats as possible.
I suppose the course are not too concerned, the more beer they sell the greater the profits.
14:31 The weather is really conspiring to spoil what should be a great afternoon, it is raining quite heavily now.
15:01 Well anybody who goes racing in the next couple of weeks may well have trouble placing a bet as I think all the bookmakers will be off to the sun spending their winnings from the Festival.
The rain is really getting into the ground here and the SP’s of the first three home were 33/1, 25/1 & 66/1 with the favourite Tell Massini unsighted.
One of two mares in the contest Premier Victory set the pace, holding onto the lead until approaching two out when Restless Harry, who had been tracking in second, swept past to take it up.
However turning for home the complexion change and it quickly became a three horse race as Berties Dream and Najaf ran on to join Restless Harry.
It looked as though we were in for a battle as they approached the last almost line abreast.
Unfortunately Restless Harry took an undeserved crashing fall, who looked tooo bbbe going best off all (rose to his feet eventually – to a massive cheer from the crowd).
On the shortened run-in Berties Dream had the best turn of foot and pulled six lengths clear of Najab.
Kennel Hill was the, arguably, lucky third.
Winning rider Andrew Lynch said: "The rain came just in time for him, he just keeps on galloping. He kept finding more and he's so honest.
"Over the hurdles course, because they'd already had two races, they are starting to get into it (the ground). The chase course should be nice."
15:03 Right I'm off to get a pitch to watch the big one - speak to you later.
15:54 It was billed as the clash of the giants with the only question being would Kauto Star or Denman win the totesport Gold Cup.
Well after months of hype we, at last, know the answer – neither of them.
Carruthers and Denman set off in front with Kauto Star, Imperial Commander and Cooldine tracking.
 The front two were both jumping well and by the seventh Kauto Star was tracking the front pair in clear third.
At the eighth the complexion of the race changed as Kauto Star made a mistake and quickly dropped back into fifth place and Ruby Walsh was unable to recover the stuffing seemingly knocked out of last years champion.
Meanwhile up front Denman and Carruthers were putting in a textbook display of jumping, taking the field along in the rain.
As they topped the hill for the final time Kauto Star was getting reminders from Ruby Walsh.
By four out Carruthers had run his race and Denman was in front with Imperial Commander emerging as the main threat. However that fence will now be remembered as the fence where
Kauto Star crashed out of the contest.
We were to have a new champion.
Two out Imperial Commander had a narrow lead but Denman is a battler. They turned for home locked together.
Approaching the last Imperial Commander was getting the upper hand.
 Both put in great leaps but it was Imperial Commander who powered up the hill, coming home seven clear of Denman.
The remainder were 23 lengths behind and it was last years 100/1 Grand National winner Mon Mome who put in a great effort to take third spot with the front running Carruthers in fourth.
Kauto Star was remounted after being examined by the vet and Ruby Walsh cantered back to great applause.
Earlier in the season Imperial Commander ran Kauto Star to within a nose at Haydock before being well beaten in the King George at Kempton. Today he has shown the Haydock run was no fluke.
Winning rider Paddy Brennan said, "It's by far the best day of my life. I'm speechless. It was a dream the whole way.
"I've just got to take time to thank Nigel Twiston-Davies. He's the best boss ever - he's produced two horses this week (Imperial Commander and Champion Hurdle runner-up Khyber Kim) and I just had had to steer them."
Twiston-Davies was understandably chuffed, "It's just absolutely brilliant. It's been very hard for us sat there with the third-favourite when all the talk was about Kauto and Denman but we always knew we were going to win."
Tony McCoy commented, "When we came down the hill Imperial Commander was going better than me. I hoped he might stop but that's not the way it turned out."
Mon Mome's jockey Aidan Coleman said: "Roll on Aintree. As you expect from a Grand National winner he got outpaced at one stage, but he stayed on great and he has run a super race."
16:15 Not content with winning the Gold Cup, trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies then goes on to take the Foxhunters with Baby Run ridden by his son Sam who is an up and coming jockey.
Kilty Storm took the runners-up spot with Reach For The Top getting the better of a photograph for third spot.
16:24 Going change - now Soft on the hurdle course and Good to Soft on the chase course.
17:10 I suppose it is a consolation the bad weather arrived later on Friday afternoon and it has not ruined too much of the Festival.
Having said that the Martin Pipe was run in absolutely appalling conditions.
In the end it was Emma Lavelle’ Pause And Clause who defied the conditions to take the contest under Johnny Farrelly.
Placed handily throughout last year’s Coral Cup third hit the front as they turned for home.
Radium looked as though he would be a serious challenger but a mistake at the last was enough to stop his challenge and although he chased the leader up the hill he finished 3¼ lengths behind the winner.
Clova Island came home third and Peveril fourth.
Once again David Pipe was unable to claim the race named in honour of his father, he had a moral victory in that Farrelly is attached to his stables.
17:37 Well the final race of the Cheltenham Festival 2010 sums up the entire week in a single race.
A well backed favourite is well beaten and all four places taken by horses with double figure odds.
Undoubtedly those leaving here with the biggest smiles will be the bookmakers who have had a stonking week.
Fighting Chance and Moon Over Miami were the pacesetters in the finale, whilst the well backed favourite You’re The Top trained by Nicky Henderson (and keen to win the race named after his father) was settled mid-division.
However mistakes at the 9th and 10th effectively ended any chance he may have had of taking the race.
By the time they reached the top of the hill for the final time Oiseau de Nuit had taken up the running but was being tracked by top weight French Opera, who then took up the running at the 11th
Once headed Oiseau de Nuit quickly dropped out and Tartak , then Consigliere looked to be the likely challengers.
Turning for home French Opera looked as though he was going to defy top weight with none of his rivals seemingly able to close the gap.
However Barry Geraghty on Pigeon Island was making steady progress on the far side and switched to the far rail on the run in he took advantage of the weight concession to power past French Opera.
The win gave jockey Paddy Brennan a double on the day and trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies a treble.
French Opera held on for the runners-up spot, with Consigliere third and Cornas (another making late progress) fourth.
17:42 It is no surprise that Ruby Walsh picked up the top jockey award and Nicky Henderson the top trainers award.
17:51 Well here we are – the end of another Cheltenham Festival and a memorable festival.
Memorable for it being a great four days for the bookmakers with only one of the feature contests going to the favourite. Add to that a swathe of defeated “hot shots” it is the sort of meeting that makes you think about giving up betting.
Personally I was up after the first two days but all the good work has been undone in the final two days.
Of course the big talking point before the Festival was this afternoons “decider” between Denman and Kauto Star, unfortunately nobody bothered to tell Imperial Commander and he came and took the Gold Cup in great style.
In the old battle between the home players and the Irish it was a convincing win for the home team, although Nina Carberry has been dethroned as “Queen of Cheltenham” by her great friend and rival Katie Walsh who rode two winners this week.
The “festival” roadshow rolls onto Aintree in three weeks time and, subject to accreditation, we shall be there bringing you the reports with the meeting climaxing with the Grand National.
Speaking of the National a very good third in this afternoons Gold Cup from last year’s 100/1 winner Mon Mome.
Between now and Aintree we have the start of the flat season with The Lincoln at Doncaster and we will be there for the opening day of the turf flat season.
Meanwhile it is back to “bread and butter” jump racing next week and we will be at Kempton on Tuesday, Haydock Wednesday and Newbury next Friday.
From a very damp Cheltenham a very good evening from The Festival 2010.
Return to race archive:
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Non-Runners
13:30
6 Bob's Legend (lame -Thu 13:32)
14 Secant Star (lame -SC 09:21)
14:40
18 Wayeard Prince (bad scope - VC 10:47)
17:15
6 Lord Henry
8 Tataniano
9 Green Belt Elite (lame - SC 08:25)
17 Leo's Lucky Star (Bad scope - 13:03 - Thu)
18 Sunnyhilllboy (not eaten up - SC 08:38)
Results - New Course
1:30 JCB Triumph Hurdle 2m 1f
1st 15 Soldatino 6/1
2nd 3 Barizan 14/1
3rd 2 Alaivan 9/2
17 Ran Nr 6 & 14
Distances 1¼ & 7
Fav 7 Carlito Brigante 7/2 (4th)
Tote
Win £6.70
Places £1.70 £2.60 £2.40 £1.60
Exacta £99.10
CSF £81.54
Tricast £418.01
Time 4' 05.2"
2:05 Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle 2m 1f
1st 15 Thousand Stars 20/1
2nd 23 Arcalis 33/1
3rd 13 Dee Ee Williams 20/1
4th 19 Zanir 50/1
28 Ran
Distances 3 & 1¼
Fav 12 Tito Bustillo 7/1
Tote
Win £28.10
Places £5.60 £6.80 £4.00 £23.80
Exacta £2,089.80
CSF £558.76
Tricast £12,582.31
Time 4' 01.9"
2:40 Albert Bartlet Hurdle 3m
1st 2 Berties Dream 33/1
2nd 9 Najaf 25/1
3rd 8 Kennel Hill 66/1
19 Ran Nr 18
Distances 6 & 8
Fav 14 Tell Massini 100/30
Tote
Win £48.30
Places £9.60 £6.50 £16.10
Exacta £2,116.80
CSF £666.20
Tricast £41,779.97
Time 5' 54.1"
3:20 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup 3m 2f 110yds
1st 6 Imperial Commander 7/1
2nd 5 Denman 4/1
3rd 8 Mon Mome 50/1
11 Ran
Distances 7 & 23
Fav 7 Kauto Star 8/11 (Fell)
Tote
Win £8.20
Places £1.70 £1.60 £7.90
Exacta £36.60
CSF £34.81
Tricast £1,304.21
Time 6' 42.7"
4:00 Christie's Foxhunter Chase 3m 2f 110yds
1st 2 Baby Run 9/2 jf
2nd 12 Kilty Storm 16/1
3rd 16 Reach For The Top 66/1
24 Ran
Distances 5 & 7
Fav Winner & No 18
Tote
Win £5.00
Places £2.50 £5.30 £23.80
Exacta £132.10
CSF £67.47
Tricast £4,289.92
Time no time taken
4:40 Martin Pipe Conditionals' Hurdle 2m 4f 110yds
1st Pause And Clause 14/1
2nd 17 Radium 14/1
3rd 21 Clova Island 14/1
4th 2 Peveril 5/1
24 Ran
Distances 3¼ & 1¼
Fav 4 Ashkazar 9/2
Tote
Win £21.30
Places £5.10 £3.80 £3.60 £2.20
Exacta £307.10
CSF £183.43
Tricast £2,834.96
Time 5' 03.48"
5:15 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase 2m 110yds
1st 24 Pigeon Island 16/1
2nd 1 French Opera 10/1
3rd 7 Consigliere 16/1
4th 3 Cornas 16/1
19 Ran Nr' 6 , 8, 9, 17 & 18
Distances 1¼ & ¾
Fav 13 You're The Top 13/2
Tote
Win £24.10
Places £4.20 £3.00 £5.10 £5.30
Exacta £227.60
CSF £157.05
Tricast £2,634.86
Time 4' 04.9"
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