the festival | tuesday
N oel Fehily became the man to follow during The Festival 2017 and the first sign of his domination came on the opening afternoon in Cheltenham as he struck gold aboard Buveur D’Air in the Stan James Champion Hurdle. With previous winners Annie Power and Faugheen missing through injury, the race had a wide open feel and it was The Festival’s most successful trainer who stepped forward to provide the answer. Nicky Henderson had five previous Champion Hurdles to his name courtesy of See You Then (1985, 1986, 1987), Punjabi (2009) and Binocular (2010) and the decision to switch Buveur D’Air back to hurdles having started the season novice chasing underlined his judgment in this discipline. Alan King’s Yanworth started favourite but he disappointed and the 2/1 favourite was beating a retreat long before the business end of the race. Fehily, by contrast, moved menacingly well and after leading coming down to the final flight, won by four and a half lengths from Henderson’s My Tent Or Yours. Buveur D’Air carried the green and gold silks of JP McManus and the owner is now the most successful in the Champion Hurdle having also won it with the legendary Istabraq (1998, 1999 and 2000), Binocular (2010) and Jezki (2014). Henderson was also on the mark in the Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy as one of the stars of the future, Altior, maintained his unbeaten record in the hands of Nico de Boinville. Last year’s Supreme Novices’
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CHAMPION DAY LET THE ROAR COMMENCE 13 MARCH 2018
t h e 2 0 1 7 f e s t i v a l g o t o f f t o a s t o r m i n g s ta r t. m a r t i n k e l ly l o o k s b a c k a t t h e h i g h l i g h t s
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Hurdle winner was bidding to make it five from five over fences following some spectacular successes through the winter. The seven-year-old may have lacked some of the pizzazz of his earlier wins but the 1/4 favourite relished the rising ground after jumping the final fence and was six lengths clear at the line, leaving everyone hoping he can meet with current two-mile champion Douvan at the meeting next March. The start of The Festival was greeted by the usual roar from the crowd and for much of the opening Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle it looked as though punters would get off to a flying start as Willie Mullins’
Melon tanked into the closing stages under Ruby Walsh.The 3/1 favourite did very little wrong – only to find the roguish Labaik too strong – a worthy winner for Irish teenager Jack Kennedy. Labaik also started the meeting well for trainer Gordon Elliott who went on to record a treble on day one and his second winner came as Apple’s Jade saw off the Mullins pair of Vroum Vroum Mag and Limini in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle. On an afternoon usually dominated by Mullins, the Irish champion trainer was to draw a rare blank, with the irony of Apple’s Jade’s win not lost on anybody. The mare was one of 60 horses her owners Giggingstown House Stud had removed from Mullins’ care earlier in the season in a dispute over fees, and it was Elliott who again denied Mullins a day one win.
Buveur D’Air ridden by Noel Fehily Picture: Mikal Ludlow
Price increase days for your diary – book early for best prices. Sunday, November 19, 2017 Saturday, January 27, 2018 Sunday, March 11, 2018 For further information or to book tickets visit cheltenham.co.uk
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