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 Concertista in the Mares on Tuesday, Galvin, falling very early on many peoples banker, Envoi Allen and then never giving up on Mount Ida despite being 1000/1 to win at one stage in the race to come through and win by 6 lengths. All for different Trainers too. 

This looks like the new era of Jockeys with Rachael Blackmore taking the Festival prize for getting into the winners enclosure 6 times. It could have been seven if her old mate Minella Indo hadn't found enough to stay ahead of her on A Plus Tard. The week began with Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle, continued with Bob Olinger in the Ballymore and Sir Gerhard in The Bumper on St.Patricks Day. Allaho won the Ryanair by 12 lengths, Telmesomethinggirl took the Mares Novice Hurdle and Quilixios got Gold Cup day off to a flyer for her in the Triumph. Ruby Walsh gave some brilliant insight into what she was doing in the races that helped her win - nudging Harry Cobden and Bravemansgame back in towards the rail to shut the door on Paul Townend and Gaillard Du Mesnil who were trying to get up the inside of Bob Olinger.

Rachael Blackmore couldn't quite manage a unique treble but Trainer Henry De Bromhead did with Minella Indo's Gold Cup win adding to Put The Kettle On's Champion Chase and Honeysuckle's Champion Hurdle victory. A phenomenal week for the Waterford man who may only be 4 years older than me, if someone isn't taking the piss on wikipedia. Willie Mullins still managed to take the Trainers prize but that is a minor detail. HDB was the star man of Cheltenham 2021.

Honourable mentions go to Cheveley Park Stud who I followed this week. They had Ballyadam placed, Allaho won, Sir Gerhard won, Envoi Allen fell, Quilixios won and A Plus Tard placed. I couldn't remember Gigginstown having a winner all week in what looked like a changing of the guard at owner level also but how could I forget Tiger Roll winning a third cross country and a fifth Cheltenham Festival win. Talk about a comeback.

Betting wise it was a tough week. Vintage Clouds was one that got away on the first day when I ignored the only horse in my tracker for Tuesday. Galvin and Flooring Porter were two I didnt heed from Cheltenham previews. As I watched life changing bets and cash outs all over social media and mainstream television, I couldn't manage more than short price winners and places. The Gold Cup example above is a good indicator of the decisions involved after applying the 3 previous winners formula - Al Boum Photo had the same prep as last year so ticked the distance box which 75% of the winners this week also ticked. Minella Indo didn't have a good prep but was the right age along with A Plus Tard and Royale Pagaille. What it boiled down to though was that I didn't fancy him. There weren't that many options in the Gold Cup but I still chose the wrong one. On the other hand, in the Hunters Chase, Porlock Bay made the shortlist because he was one of seven that had distance, weight, position, month. It narrowed the field from 16 or 17 down to 7 but they have similar data so a choice has to be made. I likened this race to the Handicap Chases in which Age wasn't a factor and went for Latenightpass on that basis but of course the winner was the right age and it was a category in all the Grade 1 Chases so it looks like I was comparing it to the wrong race. Ah well. The sun goes down on another Cheltenham, I'd a chinese with the family and a brandy in my tea to celebrate. I'll take a break from racing now until Aintree or maybe I'll have a look at the Midlands National tomorrow!

	Month	Distance	Position	Weight	Age	Course
Grade 1 Hurdle	Appreciate it	Appreciate it	Appreciate it	Appreciate it (6)
Grade 1 Chase	Shishkin	Shishkin	Shishkin	Shishkin	Shishkin (5)
Handicap Chase	Vintage Clouds		Vintage Clouds	Vintage Clouds (3)
Grade 1 Hurdle	Honeysuckle	Honeysuckle	Honeysuckle	Honeysuckle	Honeysuckle (5)
Grade 1 Hurdle			Black Tears	Black Tears	Black Tears (3)
Handicap Hurdle		Jeff Kidder	Jeff Kidder		Jeff Kidder (3)
Grade 2 Chase		Galvin		Galvin	Galvin (3)
Grade 1 Hurdle	Bob Olinger	Bob Olinger	Bob Olinger	Bob Olinger	Bob Olinger	Bob Olinger
Grade 1 Chase		Monkfish	Monkfish	Monkfish	Monkfish
Handicap Hurdle	Heaven Help Us		Heaven Help Us	Heaven Help Us	Heaven Help Us	Heaven Help Us
Grade 1 Chase	Put The Kettle On	Put The Kettle On			Put The Kettle On
Cross Country		Tiger Roll	Tiger Roll		Tiger Roll	Tiger Roll
Handicap Chase	Sky Pirate	Sky Pirate	Sky Pirate	Sky Pirate
Bumper	Sir Gerhard	Sir Gerhard	Sir Gerhard
Grade 1 Chase	Chantry House	Chantry House	Chantry House	Chantry House	Chantry House
Handicap Hurdle				Mrs Milner (3)	Mrs Milner (3)	Mrs Milner (3)
Grade 1 Chase	Allaho	Allaho	Allaho	Allaho	Allaho
Grade 1 Hurdle	Flooring Porter	Flooring Porter	Flooring Porter
Handicap Chase	The Shunter	The Shunter
Novice Hurdle	Telmesomthinggirl	Telmesomthinggirl	Telmesomthinggirl	Telmesomthinggirl	Telmesomthinggirl	Telmesomthinggirl
Handicap Chase	Mount Ida	Mount Ida	Mount Ida	Mount Ida	Mount Ida
Grade 1 Hurdle	Quilixios	Quilixios	Quilixios	Quilixios	Quilixios	Quilixios
Handicap Hurdle		Belfast Banter	Belfast Banter		Belfast Banter
Grade 1 Hurdle	Vanillier	Vanillier		Vanillier	Vanillier
Grade 1 Chase	Minella Indo			Minella Indo	Minella Indo
Hunters Chase	Porlock Bay	Porlock Bay	Porlock Bay	Porlock Bay	Porlock Bay
Mares Chase
Handicap Hurdle	Galopin Des Champs			Galopin Des Champs		Galopin Des Champs
	71%	75%	71%	71%	71%	25%
	Month	Distance	Position	Weight	Age	Course