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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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Tapenade not salty at Tramore, Flat To The Max splutters at Listowel

Cozy Sky was due to run at my local course, Down Royal on Friday night to kick off a huge weekend of sport but she was only declared as first reserve and after 24 hours of impatiently checking to see if something dropped out, we had to concede defeat. We didn't have to wait long until our next runner. Saturday 1st June was a massive day of sport and Tapenade was entered in a two mile five furlong maiden hurdle at Tramore with Davy Russell in the saddle. The Scorpion gelding was fancied to get off the mark by the Sporting Life. Davy had him mid division and he seemed to traveling ok but as the race wore on it was clear the pace was too much for him and he found himself last before the start of the second lap. It was all Davy could do to keep Tapenade going as he languished further behind and it looked like it was only a matter of time before he would be pulled up. He managed to keep going though and got back in touch with some of the other stragglers to finish third last. It was a disappointing performance from a lovely big horse who won Best Turned Out for the race but he has another entry at Perth on Sunday week to try and put things right.

The following day, Flat To The Max went in a one mile and seven flat race at Listowel. Lisa O'Neill had the ride and she got him out of the stalls nicely before they settled down to race in three sets of pairs with the seventh horse racing alone behind them. The positions stayed mostly the same until they hit the back straight for the second time when Lisa pushed the button and Max responded by moving from fourth to dispute second but he couldn't catch the long time leader, Yabass. The other horses could though and it was the favourite Newcross for Tony Martin who came through to win.

The yard were disappointed with Tapenade and happy with Flat To The Max's 5th place finish. Lisa thought he would have liked it a bit softer. It was a big weekend of sport with Anthony Van Dyck winning the Derby, Liverpool winning the Champions League, Anthony Joshua losing his world titles and I completed my first triathlon since 2017. It would have been lovely to top the weekend off with a club winner but it wasn't to be.
















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