Three short-priced favourites were expected to dominate today at the Cheltenham Festival, with Thistlecrack, Vautour and Limini all duly delivering on their promise in their respective races.
Stayers
The main race of the day was the Ryanair World Hurdle, where Thistlecrack headed a strong field of staying hurdlers.
Ridden by jockey Tom Scudamore, Thistlecrack always looked strong and he surged clear up the hill to finish seven lengths clear of Alpha Des Obeaux.
The eight-year-old gelding, trained by Colin Tizzard, has been unbeaten this season.
“Thistlecrack has been like that all season and it is lovely to get him here in the same form,” said Tizzard. “He is huge but was not always like that – he has grown into himself the last 12 months. He has gone from a very nice horse to a superstar.”
The best
Scudamore described Thistlecrack as the best he has ridden. “To be able to ride a horse like that, it was very special. It was wonderful. I have never ridden anything like him,” he said.
In third place was the former Gold Cup winner Bobs Worth, who ran a super race under David Bass.
Easy does it
Winning with just as much ease in the Ryanair Chase was the Willie Mullins-trained Vautour and Ruby Walsh.
There had been some controversy a few days earlier, when owner Rich Ricci announced the horse would be aimed at the shorter distance Ryanair Chase instead of Friday’s Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, as the horse had not been working at his best in training.
Ruby Walsh said the result vindicated the decision to switch races. “That’s why Willie Mullins is so good – he shuffled the pack, and said ‘put him in the Ryanair and see what happens’. It was a brave decision, but the horse came alive on the day. I’ve always felt this horse is very special and he was magic today.”
Mullins also trained the runner up Valseur Lido, giving the team an impressive one-two and boosting what is turning out to be a phenomenal Festival for the stable.
New race
Mullins and his stable jockey Walsh also claimed the first race, the JLT Novices’ Chase, with Black Hercules. Following Vautour and Limini’s wins, Willie needs only one more winner tomorrow to match the record he sat last March with eight total winners at one Festival.
Limini gave him his seventh win of the week when trouncing the field in the Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, a brand new race added to the fixture this season. She became the third Mullins-trained mare to win at this year’s Festival, following the endeavours of Annie Power and Vroum Vroum Mag on Tuesday.
“She’s a very good filly who has always shown us plenty since she joined us. She was a bit novicey on her first run, but was second next time and better again today,” said Mullins.
Limini gave Mullins his 48th winner at The Festival, while jockey Ruby Walsh has now reached 52 total Cheltenham Festival winners. Walsh has now equalled his own record of seven winners at the Festival, and like Walsh could well better this with one day of the Festival left.
Loss
There was a sad note to today’s racing with the fatal injury of Niceonefrankie in the Ryanair Chase.
News also broke this morning that No More Heroes, who was injured in the RSA Chase yesterday before being taken to equine hospital, could not be saved and the decision was made to put him down.
Final day
The 2016 Festival reaches its conclusion tomorrow, with theTimico Cheltenham Gold Cup the focus of the day.
But shortly after the classiest chasers in the country battle for honours, Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton will make her Cheltenham debut. Pendleton is competing in the Foxhunter Chase, just one year since taking up riding.