REPORT DAY FOUR:DESPITE A blank yesterday Ruby Walsh ended up as the Festival's leading rider with three winners and a better placed record than Barry Geraghty. But for many one of the outstanding memories of Cheltenham 2010 will be how his sister Katie secured a famous second success of the week on Thousand Stars in the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle.
The 25-year-old jockey won a famous duel with her great friend Nina Carberry in Wednesday’s National Hunt Chase and taking on professionals in yesterday’s 28-runner handicap proved to be no trouble as she drove the Willie Mullins trained grey to a 20 to 1 victory.
“She really is a tip-top rider and I use her at every opportunity I can. Even though she rides as an amateur, she has the brain of a professional,” said Mullins who also trains Tuesday’s winner Quevega for the winning syndicate.
“One is brilliant but to have two I wouldn’t have thought possible. And on Sunday last I didn’t even have a ride,” Walsh said. “Some owners would have wanted a professional on board but they had faith in me and Willie is great to ride for.”
Athenry, Co Galway trainer Paul Gilligan enjoyed Festival success with his very first runner as the 33 to 1 shot Bertie’s Dream galloped clear of Najaf in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle to secure a second Grade One prize of the week for Sizing Europe’s jockey Andrew Lynch.
Owned by a Dublin-based syndicate Bertie’s Dream was no surprise to Gilligan. “I fancied him because the horses are flying at home,” he said. “We were unlucky not to have a double on Sunday. But to have a winner here – money can’t buy it.”
“All he does is stay,” added Lynch. “He’s won over shorter trips in Ireland but on heavier ground. Coming down the hill I thought I had a chance and I’ve been lucky to be on two really genuine horses.”
It brought the Irish winner tally for the week to seven, two less than 2009, a total not helped by the failure of the Irish pair, Alaivan and Carlito Brigante to get to grips with the trail-blazing Barizan in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.
In fairness, the only one that could catch Barizan was the winner Soldatino and even he was helped by Barizan’s last-flight mistake. Barry Geraghty made the most of it to record back-to-back Triumph winners after Zaynar last year. “The leader went off so quick he had to stop and I always felt I would get him,” he said.
But on a day they dominated with Imperial Commander, it was appropriate that Nigel Twiston-Davies and Paddy Brennan should put the seal on a memorable Gold Cup afternoon. Just 40 minutes after the big race, the trainer watched his 18-year-old son Sam guide Baby Run to victory in the Foxhunters and, always his own man, Twiston-Davies declared: “To be honest this has given me more pleasure than the Gold Cup. This takes the biscuit. I’m hugely proud of my son.”
The trainer then legged Brennan onto the bottom-weight Pigeon Island in the Grand Annual and the rider delivered an understandably super-confident ride to lead on the run in for a 16 to 1 win.
“After winning the Gold Cup Nigel said ‘please try and win this race and I could be leading trainer’,” Brennan said. “I thought he had an each-way chance and tipped him up. Nigel’s horses are overpriced and that’s good for punters.” Despite Pigeon Island’s win, Twiston-Davies lost out on the leading trainer award to Nicky Henderson.
Dublin-born rider Johnny Farrelly landed the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Hurdle on Pause And Clause who improved on a third in last year’s Coral Cup to win for trainer Emma Lavelle.
WINNING JOCKEYS
Leading jockey for the Festival: Ruby Walsh on three winners and the best placed record.
From yesterday:
BJ Geraghty 1 (3 overall)
Miss K Walsh 1 (2)
A Lynch 1 (1)
P Brennan 2 (2)
S Twiston-Davies 1 (1)
J Farrelly 1 (1)
From the week:R Walsh 3; AP McCoy 2; R Johnson 2; H Frost 1; D Cook 1; R O'Harding 1; P Aspell 1; AP Heskin 1; J Maguire 1; DN Russell 1; J Tizzard 1.
WINNING TRAINERS
Leading trainer for the Festival:Nicky Henderson on three winners plus best placed record.
From yesterday:
N Twiston-Davies 3 (3)
N Henderson 1 (3)
WP Mullins 1 (2)
J Gilligan 1 (1)
Miss E Lavelle 1 (1)
From the week:P Hobbs 2; D Pipe 2; P Nicholls 2; D McCain Jnr 2; J O'Neill 1; F Murphy 1; C Byrnes 1; CA Murphy 1; CL Tizzard 1; H de Bromhead 1; J Moffatt 1; M Hourigan 1. (Irish in bold)
