Cheltenham Festival.

Morning Garrick, the mind boggles, however, I will have a word with Les and Molly, and might be an idea to get all the facts and options together.
If you could put up a bar for Master Minded that would give us just short of 400K in the kitty?
lol

Barry Geraghty guides Irish hope Forpadydeplaster over the last on their way to winning the Arkle Trophy Chase at odds of 8-1


Forpadydeplasterer's success is loudly greeted in the winners enclosure by his owners the Goat Racing Syndicate(owners of sunderland football club)


The day's feature race, the Champion Hurdle, sees Punjabi (nearest camera) and Celestial Halo fight to the line


But it is the 22-1 shot Punjabi, trained by Nicky Henderson, who wins by a neck and jockey Barry Geraghty celebrates a second winner


It is a memorable 58th birthday for JP McManus who has two winners - Wichita
Lineman and Garde Champetre


Hard work: McCoy galvanises Winchita Lineman for William Hill Trophy win



Nina Carberry claims her fourth Festival winner when Garde Champetre triumphs in the Glenfarclas Handicap Steeple Chase


Quevega completed a successful day for Irleand as the 2-1 favourite romped home in the final race of the day

Master Minded triumphs again in Champion Chase


Report: Cheltenham Festival, Wednesday

Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) 2m

MASTER MINDED, the 4-11 favourite, delivered another peerless performance, winning the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase for the second consecutive season, and giving Ruby Walsh a 14½ -1 treble on the day.


All eyes were onthe Paul Nicholls stable star to repeat his 19-length success of 12 months ago, and while the winning margin was only seven lengths this time around, it was still another commanding display of jumping and speed.

There was a delay to proceedings as outsider Marodima twice burst through the staring tape, and once underway the Rebecca Curtis-trained six-year-old set off at breakneck speed.

Once Marodima ran out of steam, it was left to Briareus and Petit Robinto attempt to serve it up to the favourite, but despite their best efforts Walsh remained motionless on Master Minded.

A beaten Briareus fell at the last, and Master Minded was quickly able to ease away from the hard-at-work Petit Robin, pulling clear on the run in after the last.

Paddy Power immediately made the winner a 4-7 chance to make it a hat-trick of Champion Chase wins in 2010.


Walsh, whose treble was the first on any day of the festival since Mick Fitzgerald's ten years ago, said: "He's the best chaser around, as I'd say he wasn't as good today as he can be.

"He got worked up in the parade and the false starts were messy. He's just avery good horse. I think he's been better (this year).

"What makes him so good is that good horses always win on an off-day."

Nicholls said: "If we mind him and look after him he can keep on coming back.

"Last year we were probably a little bit harder on him than before today. You only get him ready to perform at a level you think. We just wanted him to win the race today, which he has done.
Nicky henderson

Nicky Henderson: "I think we'll have to go to two and a half miles"
PICTURE: Martin Lynch

"He's got a little lazy now because he does everything so easily.

"He jumps great and does everything really well, but what a wonderful run by Well Chief.

"It's the big races you concentrate on. It's just great and good for everyone involved in the team."

Master Minded is not expected to run again this season.

Second place went the way of 12-1 chance Well Chief, who showed he retains all his old ability after a 698-day absence.

The fragile ten-year-oldfinished second in the race in 2005 behind Moscow Flyer, and ran a hugely creditable race on his comeback, staying on well to battle past fellow 12-1 shot Petit Robin, who finished third.

Well Chief's owner David Johnson said: "It's been a tremendous training achievement by David (Pipe) because the horse has legs like glass.

"He's run into a superstar today and if his legs are OK, we would take the winner on again if he wentto Aintree."

Pipe added: "He'll probably be remembered as the horse never to have won the Champion Chase, but this effort shows you what a great era it was when he was competing against Moscow Flyer and Azertyuiop.

"I must hand a lot of the credit to Jon Lower who rides him most of the time at home."

Nicky Henderson was not too despondent about Petit Robin's performance.

He said: "We didn't hide, we took him (Master Minded) on and had a go - he ran a great race.

"I think we'll have to go to two and a half miles now and try to avoid Master Minded.

McCoy ready to partner Voy Por if required


TONY McCOY is on standby to partner Ryanair Chase hotpot Voy Por Ustedes if Robert Thornton fails to pass the doctor following his heavy fall on Big Zeb in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

However, Barry Simpson, racing manager to the horse's owner Sir Robert Ogden, is "reasonably confident" that Thornton will be fit to ride.

Simpson said on Wednesday: "My understanding is that 'Choc' was feelingokay half an hour or so after the fall, but he's gone for a scan and will have to pass the doctor in the morning. I'm reasonably confident he'll be on board, but we've got 'AP' on standby just in
case"

McCoy is theonly rider apart from Thornton to have ridden Voy Por Ustedes since he arrived from France more than four years ago. They won a novice chase at Warwick together

Ladies day


Among the early arrivals at Prestbury Park for the day's action is television personality and actress Claire Sweeney


Thursday is Ladies Day at Cheltenham and there is no shortage of style on show at Prestbury Park


Timmy Murphy makes it a winning start to the day as the 8-1 chance Chapoturgeon wins the Jewson Novices Chase


Rising star Aidan Coleman celebrates breaking his Festival duck on Kayf Aramis in the Pertemps Final


The Ryanair Chase proves to be a keenly contested affair with plenty of horses in with chances


But Paddy Brennan claims victory on the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Imperial Commander in a tight finish


Big Buck's and Punchestown, the mount of Barry Geraghty fight it out to the finish in the feature race, the World Hurdle


Ruby Walsh has another trophy for the mantlepiece after the win for Big Buck's in the World Hurdle


In the Freddie Williams Festival Plate, Something Wells (left) edges out stablemate Ping Pong Sivola (right)


On Ladies Day it is fitting that Something Wells's win gives trainer Venetia Williams a Festival double on the day

Thanks again Hibby, we must try and make the trip next year, I have updated home page and will stick with Kauto, but not 100% confident.

The first horse race to be known as the Cheltenham Gold Cup took place in July 1819. This event was a flat race, and it was contested over a distance of 3 miles on Cleeve Hill, which overlooks the present racecourse. The inaugural winner, Spectre, won a prize of 100 guineas for his owner.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup was first run in the form of a jumps race on March 12, 1924. A prize of £685 was awarded to the owner of the winning horse, Red Splash. The event originally took place on what is now known as the "Old Course" at Cheltenham. In its early years it was overshadowed at the Cheltenham Festival by another race, the National Hunt Chase, a four mile chase which had been established in 1904.

The Gold Cup was abandoned in 1931 (because of frost) and 1937 (flooding), but the five intervening years saw the emergence of the most successful horse in the event's history. All five races from 1932 to 1936 were won by Golden Miller, who also won the Grand National in 1934.

During World War II the Gold Cup was cancelled twice, in 1943 and 1944. The first multiple winner of the post-war years was Cottage Rake, who won the three runnings from 1948 to 1950. Cottage Rake was trained in Ireland by Vincent O'Brien, and his successes helped to popularize the Gold Cup, and the Festival itself, with the Irish public.

In 1959 the Gold Cup was switched to Cheltenham's "New Course", and since then this has been the regular track used for the event. In the mid 1960s the race was dominated by Arkle, who won three consecutive runnings from 1964 to 1966. Such was Arkle's perceived superiority before the last of these victories that he was given a starting price of 1/10 (a £10 bet would have won £1). This remains the shortest priced winner in the race's history.

The first commercial sponsorship of the race was by the company Piper Champagne, which began supporting the event in 1975 and continued until 1979. Since 1980 it has been sponsored by The Tote (now known as Totesport).

The most remarkable feat in the Gold Cup by a trainer came in 1983, when Michael Dickinson was responsible for all of the first five horses to finish – Bregawn, Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck and Ashley House. The 1986 winner, Dawn Run, is the only horse to have ever won both this race and the leading hurdle event, the Champion Hurdle. One of the most popular horses to win the Gold Cup was Desert Orchid, a grey who won the event in 1989. The following year's running was won by Norton's Coin, whose starting price of 100/1 represents the race's longest ever winning price.

The entire Cheltenham Festival was cancelled in 2001 because of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. A replacement for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Gold Trophy Chase, was contested at Sandown in late April, but the Racing Post stated that this "lacked any strength in depth and was no substitute for the Gold Cup" [1]. The next three runnings were all won by Best Mate, who is the most recent of the four horses to have won the race three or more times.

Records
Most successful horse (5 wins):

Golden Miller – 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936

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Leading jockey (4 wins):

Pat Taaffe – Arkle (1964, 1965, 1966), Fort Leney (1968)

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Leading trainer (5 wins):

Tom Dreaper – Prince Regent (1946), Arkle (1964, 1965, 1966), Fort Leney (1968)

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Leading owner (7 wins):

Dorothy Paget – Golden Miller (1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936), Roman Hackle (1940), Mont Tremblant (1952)

[ Winners
Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr".

Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner

1924 Red Splash 5 Dick Rees Fred Withington Humphrey Wyndham
1925 Ballinode 9 Ted Leader Frank Morgan Christopher Bentley
1926 Koko 8 Tim Hamey Alfred Bickley Frank Barbour
1927 Thrown In 11 Mr Hugh Grosvenor Owen Anthony Lord Henry Stalbridge
1928 Patron Saint 5 Dick Rees Stanley Harrison F. W. Keen
1929 Easter Hero 9 Dick Rees Jack Anthony John Hay Whitney
1930 Easter Hero 10 Tommy Cullinan Jack Anthony John Hay Whitney
1931 no race 1931
1932 Golden Miller 5 Ted Leader Basil Briscoe Dorothy Paget
1933 Golden Miller 6 Billy Stott Basil Briscoe Dorothy Paget
1934 Golden Miller 7 Gerry Wilson Basil Briscoe Dorothy Paget
1935 Golden Miller 8 Gerry Wilson Basil Briscoe Dorothy Paget
1936 Golden Miller 9 Evan Williams Owen Anthony Dorothy Paget
1937 no race 1937
1938 Morse Code 9 Danny Morgan Ivor Anthony Dealtry C. Part
1939 Brendan's Cottage 9 George Owen George Beeby Jean Smith-Bingham
1940 Roman Hackle 7 Evan Williams Owen Anthony Dorothy Paget
1941 Poet Prince 9 Roger Burford Ivor Anthony David Sherbrooke
1942 Medoc II 8 Frenchie Nicholson Reg Hobbs 7th Earl of Sefton
1943 no race 1943–44
1945 Red Rower 11 Davy Jones Lord Stalbridge Lord Henry Stalbridge
1946 Prince Regent 11 Tim Hyde Tom Dreaper Jimmy Rank
1947 Fortina 6 Mr Richard Black Hector Christie 3rd Baron Grimthorpe
1948 Cottage Rake 9 Aubrey Brabazon Vincent O'Brien Frank Vickerman
1949 Cottage Rake 10 Aubrey Brabazon Vincent O'Brien Frank Vickerman
1950 Cottage Rake 11 Aubrey Brabazon Vincent O'Brien Frank Vickerman
1951 Silver Fame 12 Martin Molony George Beeby 1st Baron Bicester
1952 Mont Tremblant 6 Dave Dick Fulke Walwyn Dorothy Paget
1953 Knock Hard 9 Tim Molony Vincent O'Brien Moya Keogh
1954 Four Ten 8 Tommy Cusack John Roberts Alan Strange
1955 Gay Donald 9 Tony Grantham Jim Ford Philip Burt
1956 Limber Hill 9 Jimmy Power Bill Dutton James Davey
1957 Linwell 9 Michael Scudamore Charlie Mallon David Brown
1958 Kerstin 8 Stan Hayhurst Verly Bewicke George H. Moore
1959 Roddy Owen 10 Bobby Beasley Danny Morgan 12th Earl of Fingall
1960 Pas Seul 7 Bill Rees Bob Turnell John Rogerson
1961 Saffron Tartan 10 Fred Winter Don Butchers Guy Westmacott
1962 Mandarin 11 Fred Winter Fulke Walwyn Peggy Hennessy
1963 Mill House 6 Willie Robinson Fulke Walwyn Bill Gollings
1964 Arkle 7 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper Duchess of Westminster
1965 Arkle 8 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper Duchess of Westminster
1966 Arkle 9 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper Duchess of Westminster
1967 Woodland Venture 7 Terry Biddlecombe Fred Rimell Harry Collins
1968 Fort Leney 10 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper John Thomson
1969 What a Myth 12 Paul Kelleway Ryan Price Lady Lucy Weir
1970 L'Escargot 7 Tommy Carberry Dan Moore Raymond R. Guest
1971 L'Escargot 8 Tommy Carberry Dan Moore Raymond R. Guest
1972 Glencaraig Lady 8 Frank Berry Francis Flood Patrick Doyle
1973 The Dikler 10 Ron Barry Fulke Walwyn Peggy August
1974 Captain Christy 7 Bobby Beasley Pat Taaffe Jane Samuel
1975 Ten Up 8 Tommy Carberry Jim Dreaper Duchess of Westminster
1976 Royal Frolic 7 John Burke Fred Rimell Sir Edward Hanmer
1977 Davy Lad 7 Dessie Hughes Mick O'Toole Anne-Marie McGowan
1978 Midnight Court 7 John Francome Fred Winter Olive Jackson
1979 Alverton 9 Jonjo O'Neill Peter Easterby Snailwell Stud Co.
1980 Master Smudge 8 Richard Hoare Arthur Barrow Arthur Barrow
1981 Little Owl 7 Mr Jim Wilson Peter Easterby Robin & Jim Wilson
1982 Silver Buck 10 Robert Earnshaw Michael Dickinson Christine Feather
1983 Bregawn 9 Graham Bradley Michael Dickinson James Kennelly
1984 Burrough Hill Lad 8 Phil Tuck Jenny Pitman Stan Riley
1985 Forgive 'n Forget 8 Mark Dwyer Jimmy FitzGerald Tim Kilroe & Sons Ltd
1986 Dawn Run 8 Jonjo O'Neill Paddy Mullins Charmian Hill
1987 The Thinker 9 Ridley Lamb Arthur Stephenson Tom McDonagh
1988 Charter Party 10 Richard Dunwoody David Nicholson Smith / Mould
1989 Desert Orchid 10 Simon Sherwood David Elsworth Richard Burridge
1990 Norton's Coin 9 Graham McCourt Sirrel Griffiths Sirrel Griffiths
1991 Garrison Savannah 8 Mark Pitman Jenny Pitman Autofour Engineering
1992 Cool Ground 10 Adrian Maguire Toby Balding Whitcombe Manor Racing
1993 Jodami 8 Mark Dwyer Peter Beaumont John Yeadon
1994 The Fellow 9 Adam Kondrat François Doumen Marquesa de Moratalla
1995 Master Oats 9 Norman Williamson Kim Bailey Paul Matthews
1996 Imperial Call 7 Conor O'Dwyer Fergie Sutherland Lisselan Farms Ltd
1997 Mr Mulligan 9 Tony McCoy Noel Chance M. & G. Worcester
1998 Cool Dawn 10 Andrew Thornton Robert Alner Dido Harding
1999 See More Business 9 Mick Fitzgerald Paul Nicholls Barber / Keighley
2000 Looks Like Trouble 8 Richard Johnson Noel Chance Tim Collins
2001 no race 2001
2002 Best Mate 7 Jim Culloty Henrietta Knight Jim Lewis
2003 Best Mate 8 Jim Culloty Henrietta Knight Jim Lewis
2004 Best Mate 9 Jim Culloty Henrietta Knight Jim Lewis
2005 Kicking King 7 Barry Geraghty Tom Taaffe Conor Clarkson
2006 War of Attrition 7 Conor O'Dwyer Mouse Morris Gigginstown House Stud
2007 Kauto Star 7 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls Clive D. Smith
2008 Denman 8 Sam Thomas Paul Nicholls Barber / Findlay