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Nowadays, so much excitement surrounds the Cheltenham Festival. Often dubbed as National Hunt’s very own Olympics, anticipation for the four-day extravaganza mounts the minute a new jumps racing season gets underway.
However, the thrilling action is over in a whirlwind and attention very quickly turns to the end-of-season finales before jumps make way for the flat.
That’s why it’s worth stopping in your tracks for a moment and taking this opportunity to remember some of the best performances at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
Day one – Gaelic Warrior
It was hard to pick the best performer on ‘Champion Day’, as Slade Steel, State Man, and Lossiemouth all attracted attention, but the most dominant victor in the Grade 1 races was arguably Gaelic Warrior.
Everything that could have possibly gone wrong for Gaelic Warrior in his preparation race for Cheltenham at Leopardstown in February did, as he raced keenly and didn’t jump fluently before unseating Paul Townend at the last when already well beaten by Fact To File.
However, rule out a Willie Mullins-trained horse at your peril. Gaelic Warrior went off as the 2/1 favourite with those betting on sports and romped to an eight-and-a-half-length success over Found A Fifty in emphatic fashion.
Day two – Ballyburn
The best performance on day two, or Style Wednesday as it’s also known, came in the first race of the afternoon — as Ballyburn stormed home to win the rebranded Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle.
The six-year-old was expected to win the race with short odds of 1/2, but how he delivered left many in awe — including his jockey and trainer, Townend and Mullins.
Ballyburn took keen hold and raced rather awkwardly in second for much of the race with a low-head carriage.
However, he led two out and was shaken up by Townend to go six clear, approaching the last before scoring easily with a 13-length margin over Jimmy Du Seuil.
Day three – Protektorat
Day three certainly didn’t deliver luck to the Irish, as British-trained horses won five of the seven races to dampen the spirits of the visitors on what is dubbed St. Patrick’s Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival.
Brothers Dan and Harry Skelton gained access to the winner’s enclosure twice on the penultimate day, firstly with the majestic Grey Dawning in the opening Turners Novices’ Chase.
The way the seven-year-old persevered to win that contest, especially his big and bold jump at the last, deserves recognition.
However, the award for the best performance goes to his stable Protektorat. The nine-year-old travelled strongly and disputed the lead at the last before keeping on in the closing stages to win by four lengths from the pre-race favourite Envoi Allen.
Day four – Galopin Des Champs
Galopin Des Champs was in the spotlight once again on Gold Cup Day, as the Mullins-trained star landed the showpiece race of the Cheltenham Festival for the second year in succession.
The eight-year-old put a couple of questionable performances behind him with back-to-back wins at Leopardstown in the build-up to the defence of the Gold Cup, and he asserted his dominance at Prestbury Park.
Going off at 10/11, Galopin Des Champs was pushing into the lead two out and was three lengths clear of Gerri Colombe by the last.
Backers of the favourite might have had their hearts in their mouths as the riderless Fastorslow threatened to get in the way of Galopin Des Champs, but Townend masterfully steered his mount to glory.
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Photo provided by the author.
