Cheltenham Festival Rewind

Once again the Cheltenham Festival did not fail to deliver in terms of excitement and feel good stories. Attendances were up on the week and those who were lucky enough to be there in person saw many new champions crowned. 

Here is a day-by-day summary of the week as it unfolded: 

TUESDAY 

Altior gave Nicky Henderson his first win in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle since Flown in 1992 when proving too good for Willie Mullins' Min in the curtain-raiser at the Cheltenham Festival. 

Douvan made virtually all the running as he justified the status of a first-day banker with an effortless victory in the Arkle Challenge Trophy. Douvan, owned by Rich Ricci, bounded clear of the opposition to give connections quick compensation for the defeat of Min in the opening Supreme Novices' Hurdle. 

Un Temps Pour Tout put up a determined performance to land the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham. The David Pipe-trained seven-year-old got the better of Holywell, the winner of the race in 2014, after a good battle from three out. 

Annie Power became only the fourth mare in history to win the Champion Hurdle when she made all the running under Ruby Walsh to justify the decision of trainer Willie Mullins and owner Rich Ricci to supplement her for the race after Faugheen was ruled out through injury. 

Vroum Vroum Mag landed the OLBG Mares' Hurdle to give Ruby Walsh, Willie Mullins and Rich Ricci a day one Cheltenham Festival treble. 

Minella Rocco showed stamina in abundance to run out the winner of the 146th Year Of The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup over four miles and a gruelling 25 fences. 

Ballyalton came back to form to claim the Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase and hand trainer Ian Williams a first winner at the meeting. 

WEDNESDAY 

Yorkhill proved too strong for Yanworth in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle. The Graham Wylie-owned six-year-old had all of his rivals at full stretch for most of the race and won with plenty in hand. 

Blaklion roared home to take the honours in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham. Running in the same colours as The New One, he stayed on up the famous hill to finally repel the Willie Mullins-trained Shaneshill. 

Diamond King was produced late by Davy Russell to rule the roost in the Coral Cup. Russell delivered Gordon Elliott's charge after jumping the last flight and quickly asserted on the run to the line. 

Sprinter Sacre beat favourite Un De Sceaux to win the coveted Queen Mother Champion Chase for a second time. After two years in the wilderness with well documented heart trouble, Henderson’s brave horse has been hailed as the new four-legged “Lazarus”. 

Veteran performer Any Currency stuck on gamely to score for trainer Martin Keighley and jockey Aidan Coleman in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase. 

Somerset trainer Paul Nicholls won the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle with Diego Du Charmil, ridden by Gloucestershire jockey Sam Twiston-Davies. 

Ballyandy inched home in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper to give both trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies and his jockey-son Sam doubles on the day. 

THURSDAY 

Black Hercules saw off a strong challenge from L'Ami Serge and a late run from?Bristol De Mai to deliver Ruby Walsh his 50th Cheltenham victory in the JLT Novices’ Chase. 

“It's amazing. When I joined Pat Taaffe here on 25 I thought that was unbelievable, but 50 is incredible,” Walsh told BBC radio. 

Davy Russell proved he is somewhat of a Cheltenham handicap specialist after he steered Mall Dini to victory in the Pertemps Final. He stayed on powerfully to win by three-quarters of a length from Arpege D'Alene. 

Vautour soared to Ryanair Chase glory after being controversially switched from his intended target in the Cheltenham Gold Cup to the Ryanair race instead. 

Thistlecrack won the World Hurdle at Cheltenham in impressive style. Tom Scudamore's mount, trained by Colin Tizzard, was barely troubled in the three-mile staying hurdle on day three of the Festival. He will go chasing next year said connections. 

Empire Of Dirt came storming through the pack to give Bryan Cooper his first winner of the meeting in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase. 

Limini continued the good form of trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh by easily winning the Trull House Stud Mares' Novices' Hurdle. 

Cause Of Causes gave the Irish their sixth winner at Cheltenham on St Patrick's Day when storming home in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase. Gordon Elliott’s charge goes to the Grand National next and bookmakers reacted by shortening him from 25/1 to 16/1 for the Aintree marathon. 

FRIDAY 

Ivanovich Gorbatov gave Aidan O'Brien his first Festival winner since the mighty Istabraq when storming home in the JCB Triumph Hurdle. Joseph O’Brien, who has recently retired from riding, has been supervising the young hurdler's preparation ahead of getting his full training licence and for all intents and purposes, trained this winner. 

Superb Story, ridden by Harry Skelton for trainer and brother Dan, picked the right time to burst clear when landing the County Handicap?Hurdle. Harry Skelton received a four-day ban for using his whip above the permitted level on the winner. 

Unowhatimeanharry justified Harry Fry's decision to go for Grade One glory when landing a hard-fought victory in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle. The original plan was the Pertemps Hurdle but four back-to-back victories sent his handicap mark through the roof. 

Gordon Elliott's Don Cossack jumped to victory in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup under a jubilant Bryan Cooper as Cue Card fell three out. Don Cossack, the 9-4 favourite, was followed home by Djakadam and Don Poli, both trained by Willie Mullins, who is still seeking his first Gold Cup win. Rated 177 after his Gold Cup victory, Don Cossack is now ranked sixth-best in the list of staying chasers this century. He is behind Bobs Worth, Denman, Kauto Star, Imperial Commander and Long Run. 

Nina Carberry brought Enda Bolger's champion hunter On The Fringe (13/8 favourite) through to beat Marito by a neck in the St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase. Victoria Pendleton came home in a respectable fifth place and believes competing in next month’s Aintree Fox Hunter Chase would be “a step too far” in her fledgling career. 

Ibis Du Rheu battled on bravely to outgun Flying Angel in a close finish to the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle. It was a second Festival win of the week for trainer Paul Nicholls and a first ever for Jack Sherwood. 

Solar Impulse bounced back to form when springing a 28-1 surprise in the concluding race of the festival, the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase Challenge Cup. Solar Impulse powered to the front approaching the last under Sam Twiston-Davies, who took his personal tally for the meeting to four.

~Written by Steve Mullington