new year’s day
Yanworth, winner of the BetBright Dipper Novices Chase
Blow away the cobwebs on New Year’s Day with fun for all the family and some of the finest racing in the country FAMILY FUN DAY
GETTING UP ON January 1 can be a slog, but not if you’re heading to Cheltenham Racecourse for the afternoon. A firm favourite with locals, as The Festival TM presented by Magners looms large in March, it’s a time to catch up with old friends and start the New Year as you mean to go on: enjoying the action at Cheltenham. New Year’s Day is entertaining for racing fans big and small, with the Family Fun Zone a particular highlight for parents and little ones alike. Horse- themed activities include a horse-riding simulator and bouncy horse racing, which is a firm favourite with jockeys’ families as their kids dress up in racing silks and seek to emulate their parents. For those preferring their horses full-size, there’s plenty of action on the track and in the betting ring to bring in the New Year the way the Home of Jump Racing intended.
The 2018 event was no exception, with prize money across the seven races worth a record £260,000. On a day of changing conditions and challenging ground underfoot, Nigel Twiston-Davies kicked off the year with a big-race double in front of 25,000-strong crowd. The local trainer has won much of the course’s most significant silverware over the years, and he added the £75,000 Grade Three BetBright Best For Festival Betting Handicap Chase with Ballyhill and the £50,000 Grade Two Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle with Wholestone to his haul. Ballyhill was bottom weight in the nine-runner handicap and, on heavy ground, that was to his advantage. Jockey Jamie Bargary took the seven-year-old to the front three fences from home and, despite a bold challenge from the 2017 winner Shantou Flyer, ran on well to take the race by a length and three-quarters.
“Ballyhill was really impressive today and a delight to ride,” said Bargary. “He jumped and travelled really nicely throughout the race and I never had a moment’s doubt. The trip on this ground was a little worry, but he has really stuck to it. He is an honest horse and gives his all.” Wholestone’s owners are Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, and Daryl Jacob is their retained jockey. The Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle formed the second part of a double for the trio, who had taken the Watch Live Racing on BetBright.com Handicap Chase with the Nicky Henderson-trained Vyta Du Roc, the 15-8 favourite. Wholestone is a proper Cheltenham specialist – from eight runs here, he has won four times, finished second twice and finished third twice. This was the most significant success of the seven- year-old’s career to date and, despite a mistake at the final flight, he crossed
42 Kalendar
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