IF AT FIRST you don’t succeed, try and try again – and, if you’re Home By The Lee – try another few times after that as well.
It was fifth time lucky for Joseph O’Brien’s horse as he landed the most unlikely shock in Thursday’s championship race, the Stayers’ Hurdle, to win by a length and a quarter from Ballyburn.
His pre-race record at Cheltenham (sixth, fifth, third and, most recently, unseated rider) was reflected in his odds of 33/1, but regular partner JJ Slevin timed his challenge to perfection and stayed on strongest to win.
A SHOCK winner in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle! 😱🏆
There was a shock as well in the co-main event of the day, the Ryanair Chase, where the drama started early on Thursday morning when JP McManus’s team began to openly discuss the possibility that odds-on favourite Fact To File might be a late withdrawal.
With the going unsuitable and not improving, the defending champion was declared a non-runner, with trainer Willie Mullins none too pleased when he spoke to Racing TV.
🗣️ "Good ground is not good enough for the type of individual we are buying & trying to race. If the ground is going to be like this, we're not going to bring them."
Strong words from Willie Mullins following Fact To File being announced as a non-runner in the Ryanair 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/RIezPt2vbU
“Good ground, we think it’s not good enough for the kind of individual that we’re buying and trying to race… if the ground is going to be like this, we are not going to bring them,” he said.
“We were promised watering, and I’m not sure that has been done so I am a little annoyed about that.”
It blew the race wide open, with another of McManus’s runners, Jonbon, going off the 2/1 favourite instead, but it was Henry de Bromhead’s Heart Wood – second to Fact To File in last year’s race – who took full advantage to win by an impressive 10 lengths.
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Heart Wood wins the Ryanair Chase in DECSICIVE fashion! 🏆👏
It was a rare case of business as expected in the Grade 1 Mares’ Hurdle where Gordon Elliott’s Wodhooh – clear favourite following Lossiemouth’s pivot to the Champion Hurdle – held off Jade De Grugy to make it 10 wins from her last 11 races.
Instead, the shock came in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, the opening race on Thursday’s card, where even-money favourite Bambino Fever finished way down the field, leaving the door open for 40/1 outsider White Noise, who gave jockey Tom Bellamy his first festival winner, and gave jockey Tom Bellamy’s mother Sue a platform on national television with which to issue this come-and-get-him plea…
Once again, it was total Irish dominance in the day’s big races as Wodhooh, Home By The Lee and Heart Wood combined for a massive 340/1 Grade 1 treble.
Four British trainers – Kim Bailey, Ben Pauling, Dan Skelton and Cath Williams – won a race apiece on Thursday, giving Ireland the narrowest of 11-10 leads in the Prestbury Cup heading into the final day.
Who had the better day – the bookies or the punters?
Thursday was definitely a day for the bookies who saw all of Bambino Fever, Teahupoo and Jonbon beaten – and festival banker Fact To File not even make it as far as the starting line.
Wodhooh was one of only two favourites to win on the card, along with Dan Skelton’s Supremely West at odds of 10/3f in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle.
What’s the latest on the Declan Queally-Nico de Boinville row?
Although the British Horseracing Authority’s investigation into Declan Queally’s complaint is ongoing, and won’t be completed this week, the two jockeys met in front of the ITV cameras on Thursday to shake hands and exchange a few words.
"All is forgiven" 🤝
Declan Queally & Nico de Boinville patch things up after yesterday's disagreement 💪 pic.twitter.com/5UJB7YF3u7
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Cheltenham round-up: Mullins hits out at course conditions while Heart Wood flies to Ryanair glory
LAST UPDATE | 12 Mar
Who won the big race of the day?
IF AT FIRST you don’t succeed, try and try again – and, if you’re Home By The Lee – try another few times after that as well.
It was fifth time lucky for Joseph O’Brien’s horse as he landed the most unlikely shock in Thursday’s championship race, the Stayers’ Hurdle, to win by a length and a quarter from Ballyburn.
His pre-race record at Cheltenham (sixth, fifth, third and, most recently, unseated rider) was reflected in his odds of 33/1, but regular partner JJ Slevin timed his challenge to perfection and stayed on strongest to win.
What happened with Fact To File?
There was a shock as well in the co-main event of the day, the Ryanair Chase, where the drama started early on Thursday morning when JP McManus’s team began to openly discuss the possibility that odds-on favourite Fact To File might be a late withdrawal.
With the going unsuitable and not improving, the defending champion was declared a non-runner, with trainer Willie Mullins none too pleased when he spoke to Racing TV.
“Good ground, we think it’s not good enough for the kind of individual that we’re buying and trying to race… if the ground is going to be like this, we are not going to bring them,” he said.
It blew the race wide open, with another of McManus’s runners, Jonbon, going off the 2/1 favourite instead, but it was Henry de Bromhead’s Heart Wood – second to Fact To File in last year’s race – who took full advantage to win by an impressive 10 lengths.
How about the Mares’ Hurdle?
It was a rare case of business as expected in the Grade 1 Mares’ Hurdle where Gordon Elliott’s Wodhooh – clear favourite following Lossiemouth’s pivot to the Champion Hurdle – held off Jade De Grugy to make it 10 wins from her last 11 races.
Instead, the shock came in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, the opening race on Thursday’s card, where even-money favourite Bambino Fever finished way down the field, leaving the door open for 40/1 outsider White Noise, who gave jockey Tom Bellamy his first festival winner, and gave jockey Tom Bellamy’s mother Sue a platform on national television with which to issue this come-and-get-him plea…
How did the Irish do in general?
Once again, it was total Irish dominance in the day’s big races as Wodhooh, Home By The Lee and Heart Wood combined for a massive 340/1 Grade 1 treble.
Four British trainers – Kim Bailey, Ben Pauling, Dan Skelton and Cath Williams – won a race apiece on Thursday, giving Ireland the narrowest of 11-10 leads in the Prestbury Cup heading into the final day.
Who had the better day – the bookies or the punters?
Thursday was definitely a day for the bookies who saw all of Bambino Fever, Teahupoo and Jonbon beaten – and festival banker Fact To File not even make it as far as the starting line.
Wodhooh was one of only two favourites to win on the card, along with Dan Skelton’s Supremely West at odds of 10/3f in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle.
What’s the latest on the Declan Queally-Nico de Boinville row?
Although the British Horseracing Authority’s investigation into Declan Queally’s complaint is ongoing, and won’t be completed this week, the two jockeys met in front of the ITV cameras on Thursday to shake hands and exchange a few words.
“Just a heat of the moment battle, all is forgiven, and best of luck to Nico in the future,” Queally said.
De Boinville added: “I appreciate Declan, and wish him the best, and big thanks to Davy Russell for sorting this out.”
Cheltenham results – Thursday
1.20pm – Ryanair Mares’ Novices Hurdle
1. White Noise (40/1)
2. Oldschool Outlaw (15/2)
3. Place De La Nation (25/1)
2pm – Golden Miller Handicap Chase
1. Meetmebythesea (9/1)
2. Gold Dancer (25/1)
3. Regent’s Stroll (5/1jf)
4. King Alexander (20/1)
2.40pm – Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
1. Wodhooh (5/6f)
2. Jade de Grugy (2/1)
3. Feet Of A Dancer (6/1)
3.20pm – Stayers’ Hurdle
1. Home By The Lee (33/1)
2. Ballyburn (11/2)
3. Bob Olinger (13/2)
4pm – Ryanair Chase
1. Heart Wood (9/2)
2. Jonbon (2/1f)
4.40pm – Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle
1. Supremely West (10/3f)
2. Lavida Avida (22/1)
3. Ikarak (40/1)
4. Letos (22/1)
5.20pm – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup
1. Ask Brewster (22/1)
2. Road To Home (9/1)
3. Monbeg Genius (18/1)
4. Kim Roque (9/2)
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Cheltenham Day Three Horse Racing