SPRING INTO ACTION With Festival fever dying down, and spring in the air, it’s time to celebrate the fiercely contested April Meeting
Jockey Gavin Sheehan riding Fact of the Matter to win the Nicholson Holman Chase
IT’S NO EASY task following The Festival TM presented by Magners. But April’s two-day meeting is the perfect time to reflect on achievements past and remember that racing, no matter the event, is competitive and above all else, a joyous occasion. The swathe of shops and hospitality village may have gone, but the magic remains at the Home of Jump Racing. For the final chance to watch the professionals test themselves on the track before the summer break, head to Cheltenham on April 17 and 18 2019. Last spring’s feature event – the £60,000 Grade Two Barchester Healthcare Silver Trophy Chase – certainly gave The Festival a run for its money with a spectacular finish by Traffic Fluide. Gary Moore’s representative, fresh from a confidence-boosting victory over
hurdles, looked like his race had been run under the trainer’s son Josh as he dropped back from the lead. Suddenly, from being 10 lengths down, he showed remarkable acceleration to collar Art Of Payroll almost on the line. “I’ve never seen him jump like he did today. It was amazing,” said Gary Moore. “I didn’t tie Josh down with too many orders and thought ‘you idiot, you’ve ridden him too handy’, but he made me look a fool in the end.” Perhaps this season’s BetVictor Gold Cup could be an objective for the once-smart novice? Nicky Henderson-trained Diese Des Bieffes is another one to watch after he followed in his stablemates Whisper and Might Bite’s hoof prints by taking the Citipost Novices’ Hurdle. Jockey Noel Fehily was impressed, reporting: “He’s a very athletic horse
and I’d like to think he’ll jump fences and strengthen up.” Henderson’s star conditional, James Bowen, added a second course victory aboard Champagne Express in the Kingston Stud Supporting Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, while there was a first Cheltenham win for amateur Page Fuller with a bold ride on Jamie Snowden’s 20-1 chance Monbeg Theatre in the Safran Landing Systems Handicap Hurdle. “It felt a very long time up that hill, but he enjoys the catch-me-if-you-can tactics,” Fuller explained. There was an impressive training performance from local favourite Jonjo O’Neill when he produced Another Hero to win the Weatherite Handicap Chase, despite being absent from the track for a year, with JP McManus’ gelding holding off regular visitor
74 Kalendar
Made with FlippingBook Online document