Cornakill Rose acting the monkey at Limerick

March 19, 2021

Cheltenham 2021 - Review

The week belongs to Henry De Bromhead, Rachael Blackmore and Jack Kennedy. Minella Indo won the Gold Cup having lost the RSA on the line this time last year. Everyone loves a comeback story and this is one because following that defeat there was a fall at Leopardstown at Christmas and a very ordinary run in February. I thought he was very overrated and even though he fit the age range (the last 3 winners of the race were 7 or 8 years old), I over looked him for Al Boum Photo. Funnily enough it had the feel of when Al Boum Photo won in 2019 because there wasn't a lot of talk about him. I still expected him to be beaten even when he flew the last but A Plus Tard couldn't run him down. He proved me and the doubters wrong today by adding the top prize in National Hunt racing to that narrow second last year and the Albert Bartlett two years ago. What a Cheltenham record! Fantastic for Jack Kennedy as well. He's had some week too - Black Tears beating the hot favourite Concertis

It was student day at Limerick, an initiative that paid off with big crowds in attendance for the midweek meeting. Cornakill Rose went in a 2m 3f hurdle with none other than double Grand National winning Jockey Davy Russell on board. Davy had his hands full from the start as Rose pulled hard and didn't want to settle. She was being ridden prominent, sitting 2nd or 3rd but the real trouble started with the jumping. There was no head on view of the first fence but given what happened at the rest of the fences we can assume she jumped left on the right handed course. In between the jumps she travelled well and even charged into the lead but the jumping left was getting dangerous as she was very close to the rail so Davy had no option but to pull her up.

Leanne and Alex reported that she was fine after, which was the main thing, but will need more schooling and a run on a left handed track.