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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...
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No Smiling for Eliza or Gordon Elliott Racing Club at Perth

Smiling Eliza had her first run since Navan in February at Perth on Wednesday. She was back over the same two mile four furlong trip as that day and had the Champion Jockey, Richard Johnson on board at the course where he's had his most winners this season. The last time Dickie rode her she finished second at Perth but she was in much better form at the back end of the summer. Since then, she has had a lot of races but she returned fresh for this one and with the ground drying there was hope of a place.

Dickie had her tucked away along the rail in about seventh place. Not a lot happened on the first circuit, she jumped fine and looked to be travelling well but as they passed the winning line for the first time and approached the first on the side of the course things started to go wrong. She jumped slightly left at it then at the next she made a terrible mistake and it looked like Johnson had lost the reins but he stayed in the saddle. Even after that, she hadn't really lost her position and her next jump wasn't a bad one but as they turned for home the leaders stretched away, Eliza was left in their dust. She made another mistake, clattering into the next fence and not long after that Dickie eased her off. She jumped the last and cantered in to finish ninth of ten.

It was a disappointing run but a few things have to be taken into consideration. This was run at about 18 seconds faster than the 2m4f race at Navan, she was carrying 11 stone 5lbs today, 9lbs more and her best form has been over two mile. There was some chat on the boards after about what her best distance is and how she should be ridden given that her wins came from being ridden just off the front. I'd like to think there is more to come from her but there's a nagging feeling that we may have already seen the best of her. However, we're coming into the summer and these were conditions Smiling Eliza thrived in last year so hopefully we see a bit more of what we've come to expect from her. If not, well she owes us nothing and has given us plenty of great days out.










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