First and last race double for Rachael Blackmore

Bright day ahead as Irish hope to add to impressive haul on day three

For this year's Cheltenham Festival we have teamed up with one of the country's most promising young racing writers, Luke Keena from Ashbourne who will review all the action from Prestbury Park each day and look ahead to the next day's action.

Luke writes for theracingstudent.godaddysites.com and also reinitinracing.wordpress.com and his twitter is @Lukekeena1

The Irish took the Champion Chase, but not with the one most people had pictured. Tough mare Put The Kettle On fought tenaciously up the run in to win for Henry De Bromhead and Aidan Coleman. Chacun Pour Soi looked to be the winner jumping the last but paddled close home after being keen throughout the race. Put The Kettle On made it four wins from four runs at Cheltenham and shot Henry De Bromhead to the top of the trainers rank for the week.

While it did not come in the feature race, the highlight of the day without doubt came in the cross-country chase as the Tiger roared back. From a long way out, it was evident that Tiger Roll was back to form. He bounced out handy and with one circuit left to run he took up the running and never looked back. Turning for home the only danger was the last flight, he jumped over safely and won as he liked. The Tiger made it five wins at the Festival and looked as good as ever. Meath man Keith Donoghue enjoyed his second win at the festival aboard Tiger Roll, they have been instrumental in each-others career and hopefully there is still more to come from the pair.

Irish runners picked up where they left off on day one with a win in the opening race of the day. The Ballymore was won impressively by Bob Olinger for Champion Hurdle winning team of Rachael Blackmore and Henry De Bromhead. Rachael was motionless turning in and once she gave him a squeeze, he put the race to bed very quickly on the run to the last. Gaillard Du Mesnil followed him home to make it an Irish trained one, two.

Monkfish kept his unbeaten record intact when he won the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. It was not always plain sailing, making a few small mistakes along the way. He gave favourite backers a real scare at the last as he made a mistake, but once he got over the last, he powered up the hill to beat Fiddlerontheroof into second. He cemented his place at the top of the staying novice chasers and looks an exciting horse for next season in open grade ones.

The Irish made it three from three as the Paul Hennessy trained mare, Heaven Help Us sprung a surprise to win easily at the line. Conditional jockey Richard Condon did not get off to a great start on his first ride at the festival when causing a false start first time around, but once the mare got going, he gave her a peach from the front. Ireland looked set for another one, two as Blue Sari came to the last clear of the third, but he took a crashing fall, thankfully he and Mark Walsh both got up ok. Paul Hennessy more known for his greyhound exploits, produced this mare to peak on the day. While there may have been no crowd to welcome her in, the team received a great reception as some of the riders came out of the weigh room to welcome them in, a moment Richard Condon and Paul Hennessy will never forget.

The penultimate race went the way of English based Irish man Jonjo O’Neill when his horse, Sky Pirate got the better of Entoucas up the run. Since dropping to two miles, Sky Pirate has been faultless in handicap company. The runner up was just held at the line, if he had not made his mistake at the second last, he probably would have got up.

Rachael Blackmore finished the day as she started with a win. Rachael gave Sir Gerhard a peach of a ride from the front, between winners Rachael hit the deck three times but they did not affect her. Blackmore started to pick up the pace down the hill and that proved to be the winning of the race. By doing this she put the runner up, Kilcruit on the back and he was never able to catch them. This boosted Rachael to the top of the jockeys table at the end of the day and with this result Willie Mullins and Henry De Bromhead were left tied at the top of the trainers rank for the week.

After two winners today we move onto day three which looks a very competitive day.

Marsh Novices’ Chase

The first on the card is the Marsh Novices’ Chase over two miles and four furlongs. The unbeaten Envoi Allen looks very hard to oppose, this looks a race to sit back and watch a top-class horse sweep all before him. He has never put a foot wrong and remains unbeaten. He has won at the festival for the last two years and I think he will make it three in a row. He has run three times over fences and been breath-taking each time. The Drinmore performance at Fairyhouse was his best performance. It looked like Rachael Blackmore and Assemble were going to pose a threat, but once they jumped the second last, he sprinted clear with a great camera shot of this from the camera on the inside of the track. He jumps for fun, and it will be great to see him back on track.

Pertempts Network Final Handicap Hurdle

Cullentra House has sent out the last two winners of the race and I think they will do the same again this year under the care of Denise Foster. The Bosses Oscar was done no favours by the English handicapper who gave him an additional eight pounds. Promising young conditional jockey, Jordan Gainford comes in for the ride and his seven-pound claim is a steal. Jordan has had his conditional jockey license for just over a month and he has hit the ground running, winning on his first two rides. He has plenty of experience from point to pointing and I think his claim is a great asset. The Bosses Oscar had a terrible passage in the Martin Pipe last year and still managed to finish fifth. He won on reappearance at Thurles in October. He has since finished second twice, the first of those came at Navan in December when he finished behind Stayers Hurdle contender, Flooring Porter. He then ran in the qualifier at Leopardstown over Christmas and ran well to finish second. I think his season has been planned backwards from this race. He is still only six and looks sure to run a good race for connections.

Ryanair Chase

Willie Mullins looks to have a stranglehold on this race with the Closutton maestro saddling the first three in the market. My main selection in the race is the defending champion, Min. I would put a line through his last run when he was pulled up at the Dublin Racing Festival over two miles. They were always going a stride too quick for him and his jumping was put under lots of pressure, and that was the undoing of him as he made a bad mistake four out and was pulled up. Prior to that he won the John Durkan at Punchestown with Melon back in third on that occasion. He won a competitive renewal of the race last year and if he can run to his best form, I think he is the one to be with.

At a bigger price, I am going to take a chance on Samcro. He won the Marsh on this card last year, just holding off Melon. From the second last to the line, Samcro was three seconds quicker than Min in the Ryanair last year. He will have to bounce back from a disappointing run at Christmas, but he ran below par last year before winning at the festival. He seems to be a spring horse and loves Cheltenham. He has travelled to Presbury Park twice and won both times. He is a very talented horse and if he puts his best foot forward, he will outrun his odds.

Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle

Paisley Park sets the standard here on the back of his Long Walk Hurdle win at Ascot back in December when beating Thyme Hill. Local trainers, Denise Foster, Gavin Cromwell and Noel Meade all have chances here with the best of those looking like Sire Du Berlais, who will be my selection. He has run on this card for the past two years in the Pertempts Final and won both times. Last year he showed a great attitude to carry top weight and beat the top class, The Storyteller. His win in last years Pertempts was three seconds quicker than the Stayers hurdle, when he also carried two pounds extra. The year before that, he never looked like winning until well after the last hurdle. He was off the bridle a long way from home, but Barry Geraghty lifted him home to win by a neck. He is a very hardy horse that always gives his running at the festival. He made his reappearance at Navan in November when he showed he had more pace than I thought he had to win over two miles and four furlongs. I would put a line through his run at Leopardstown with the stable under a cloud. He is a battler and I think he can take the step up in class required to be very competitive here.

Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase

The Shunter has been well backed since declarations came out on Tuesday morning as he chases the 100k bonus after his win at Kelso. He looks to have a favourites chance and should run his race. I will take a chance on the Kerry Lee trained, Happy Diva. This ten year old mare has a great record at Cheltenham over obstacles, when she has not fell or been brought down, she has not finished out of the first two. She finished second in this race last year behind Simply The Betts. Her form away from Cheltenham this season is nothing special, but she was in the process of running a very good race at Cheltenham in November when she came down two from home. As a result of her below par form away from Cheltenham, she has been dropped four pounds since finishing second in the race last year. I think she will have a good each-way chance with Richard Patrick in the saddle.

Parnell Properties mares’ Novices’ Hurdle

The favourite, Royal Kahala looks hard to oppose getting weight from her two main market rivals. Since her seasonal reappearance at Punchestown when finishing fifth, she has run some very good races. She won her bumper and maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse in the space of ten days. She then stepped up in class at Fairyhouse in January when she gave away weight to Hook Up and still beat her convincingly. While her defeat the last day was a shock at the time, she was giving away weight to Roseys Hollow and did not run to her best form. Royal Kahala now receives weight from Roseys Hollow and I think she will reverse the form and that should be enough to win this for trainer, Peter Fahy.

Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase

I think Jack Kennedy and Denise Foster can end the day on a high with a winner in the last. Mount Ida has taken very well to fences this year. She has not been out of the first three, picking up her first success on her penultimate start when beating Scarlet And Dove in a Grade 3 at Cork impressively. Scarlet And Dove has since won three times, including a Grade two and three. Mount Ida was last seen at Thurles when she finished second to the talented Colreevy. I think the step up in trip will bring out more improvement. She won her point to point over three miles as a four year old back in 2018. I think her handicap mark is very fair and she can get back to winning ways here and close the day on a high for Denise Foster and Jack Kennedy.

Selections

1:55 The Bosses Oscar

2:30 Min / Samcro e/w

3:05 Sire Du Berlais

3:40 Happy Diva e/w

4:15 Royal Kahala

4:50 Mount Ida