Roll of honour
JCB Triumph Hurdle 2014 You could say Tiger Roll’s destiny was decided at Cheltenham. Not on the racecourse, but in the Brightwells sales ring in December 2013, five weeks after a winning debut for West Country trainer Nigel Hawke in a juvenile hurdle at Market Rasen. Bought for £80,000 by bloodstock agent Mags O’Toole, Tiger Roll returned to Cheltenham as one of seven Irish-trained challengers in a 15-runner field, having finished second in a Leopardstown Grade 1 the previous month on his first start for Gigginstown House Stud and Gordon Elliott. The Paul Nicholls-trained Calipto was sent off the 11-2 favourite, with Tiger Roll 10-1. There was early drama when the Willie Mullins-trained Abbyssial fell at the second, bringing down stablemate Adriana Des Mottes. Approaching the second-last disaster struck for Calipto when Darryl Jacob’s stirrup-leather snapped. Jacob lost his irons as Tiger Roll moved smoothly into contention under Davy Russell. Tiger Roll led just before the last, and stayed on strongly up the hill to beat Kentucky Hyden, with subsequent Aintree Grade 1 winner Guitar Pete in third.
National Hunt Chase 2017 Like many Triumph Hurdle winners, Tiger Roll struggled to establish himself as a senior hurdler and he finished towards the rear when a 50-1 chance in the 2015 Stayers’ Hurdle. Two years later he was back in a fresh guise as a staying chaser, contesting the long-distance National Hunt Chase, newly accorded Grade 2 status. A tendency to jump low had been noted when Tiger Roll won his first two chase starts but ten races in a five-month spell provided plenty of experience and he arrived at Cheltenham a fresh horse, having his first run for 134 days. Sent off at 16-1 and partnered by Lisa O’Neill, Tiger Roll got into a smooth jumping rhythm before making a mistake at around the halfway point. He hit the 18th of 25 fences, survived a more serious error at the 20th, and was still travelling easily when taking the lead at the third-last. He was well in command when the pursuing Edwulf, a future winner of the Irish Gold Cup, collapsed after the last.
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase 2018 A new chapter in Tiger Roll’s career began when he tackled Cheltenham’s cross- country course for the first time in December 2017. It was hardly an auspicious occasion, since he never reached a challenging position under Keith Donoghue and finished a remote fifth behind Bless The Wings, a stablemate five years his senior. Donoghue, who had been out of the game for a spell before being encouraged to resume by Elliott, retained the mount at The Festival, shedding 8lb to ride at 11st 4lb. In total contrast to that first venture, Tiger Roll relished the twists and turns and varied obstacles from an early stage. Always close to the pace, the 7-1 shot was in front five out and saw out the trip strongly to beat the French-trained Urgent De Gregaine. Afterwards owner Michael O’Leary was in typically voluble form, describing Tiger Roll as “a little rat of a thing” before conceding he had “the heart of a lion”.
56 The Festival March 2020
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs