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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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The Clonards Taken To Church On The All Weather At Dundalk

The Gordon Elliott Racing Club had runners in the first and last at Dundalk on Friday night. Clonard Abbey returned to Dundalk for the third time looking for a change of luck after below par performances here previously. On her last run here, the Jockey felt she didn't like the all weather surface but if she doesn't run here, she'll not get running on the flat anywhere. She doesn't seem to be a candidate for conversion to hurdles so it's Dundalk or nothing.

Her younger sister, two year old Bean Chlonard, was competing in her first ever race in the opener. The Sporting Life noted her as a "Camacho Filly out of an Acclamation mare. Dam lightly raced out of a winner over 7.5f, Plume Rouge, successful as a 2 year old over 6f. Yards newcomers often come on for first run". The yard were delighted to finally get her out on the track but thought it would be an educational run given it was her debut and she was drawn 15/15. It was a 7f race and Gary Carroll took the ride. She got away well despite the wide draw but was soon towards the rear and there she stayed. As they hit the straight, there was no acceleration from Bean Chlonard and she finished 11th of 13. The winner was Music To My Ears trained and ridden by the Breeders Cup winning pair of Joseph O'Brien and Wayne Lordan.

Clonard Abbey recorded a first during my time in GERC, a reserve who ended up getting in the race when Jim Bolgers horse Grinn withdrew before 11am on the day of the race. She's been tried over 5f, 7f, a mile on turf and now over 1m 2f. Rory Cleary was on board but it was a very similar story to Bean Chlonard. They got away well from a wide draw and were about mid division but gradually fell back and didn't pick up in the straight. The race was won well by the favourite Tartlette for Shane Crawley and Seamy Heffernan.

In fairness there wasn't more than a few lengths between the winners and our horses but they were never in contention. Waiting to hear what the yard thought of the Clonards runs and what's next for them.










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