CHELTENHAM NH FESTIVAL 2021 FRIDAY 19th MARCH [GOLD CUP DAY]

Would usually be expecting a full house of 70,000 racegoers on Gold Cup Day but not this year ! The final day of The 2021 Cheltenham Festival as history could be made in the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup as Al Boum Photo goes for a hat trick of wins last achieved by the legendary Best Mate. Plenty of high quality action to end this years meeting though, hope you have enjoyed the week safely at home. Meeting is shown live on ITV channel in Uk.

 
Day Four - 19th March 2021
Weather - A settled day, cloudy with occasional light rain and becoming milder max temp 10C.
Official Going Report - Chase and Hurdle: Good to soft (Good in places).  

13:20  JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
2m 179y  [8 runners]
The final day traditionally gets underway with three hurdle events before the Gold Cup, the Triumph is always competitive won last year by Burning Victory after Goshen unseated Jamie Moore at the last flight with the race at his mercy. A field of eight 4yo's line up for this latest renewal, Adagio [David Pipe] still finding improvement and should prove hard to peg back, while Haut En Couleurs has now joined Willie Mullins and is the stable selection (also runs Tax for Max). Tritonic has long been fancied for this impressed when winning at Kempton and with Zanahair head the market but I am siding with the wonderful Rachael Blackmore ride Quilixios from the successful Henry De Bromhead stable.

Result - 1st : (4) Quilixios @2/1 [Rachael Blackmore].

13:55  McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)
2m 179y  [26 runners]
The County hurdle is a huge field and big betting heat usually, 26 runners will need some luck in running as this 2m event usually run at a fast and furious pace. Field led by 10yo Petit Mouchoir who's jockey will take off a useful 7lbs and this one is likely to be up there from the front early. Very consistent but likely to find something better handicapped today. 

Edwardstone looks a little overpriced at 20/1 for Alan King, ran well recently in a huge field when placed at Newbury, Champagne Gold is another to make note of for the all conquering De Bromhead / R Blackmore combination this week. While Strong Glance just gets into the handicap with a low weight and 25/1 another I would want to back in the place markets in this since the ground has come back nearer 'Good' rather than the heavy ground encountered last time.

Result - 1st : (26) Belfast Banter @33/1 [KC Sexton].

14:30  Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) (Registered As The Spa Novices' Hurdle)
2m 7f 213y  [17 runners]

Tricky hurdle event now as 17 runners face a near 3m trip, where Barbados Buck's (Paul Nicholls) in the same famous colours worn by the likes of Big Bucks so any similarity to him should be very close over this trip having won his last three starts over hurdles. 

Alaphillppe is another ex Irish pointer who has taken well to the smaller obstacles here too, eased to win by 14L last time and will have plenty of support. The Irish challenge appears to rest with the likes of Stattler (W Mullins) and Torygraph (D Foster).

Result - 1st : (17) Vanillier @14/1 [M P Walsh].

AL BOUM PHOTO Winner of the 2019 / 2020 Gold Cups

15:05  WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1)
3m 2f 70y  [12 runners]
Time for the feature event of the day and indeed for many the entire week, last years winner Al Boum Photo returns again having had a similar preparation and must be taken seriously though there are several here with strong chances too. Frodon is likely to have his supporters but this is a step up in class really and the King George winner might well try and make all but will be a target for all the principals. Champ is another that is stepping up again on all known form, also liable to make mistakes and you cannot afford to do so in this. 

Native River (winner in 2018) and Santini usually battle out things together, chances in what really is quite an open Gold Cup though something usually comes along to test the water and that could well be Royale Pagaille this year, Venetia Williams 7yo winner of three races this year, clearly on the up and if there are any chinks in the armour in the market leaders wouldn't be far away.

All that said I cannot really see past Al Boum Photo making it three Gold Cups.

Result - 1st : (9) Minella Indo @9/1 [JW Kennedy].

15:40  St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase
3m 2f 70y  [18 runners].
Usually known as the 'Amateur's Gold Cup' but with the BHA announcing that no amateur riders will be at this years festival it will be interesting to learn what happens with this today. Paul Nicholls has saddled winners of this in the recent past so his Bob And Co a winner of his last three Hunter Chases has to be the one to beat. While there are winners from last couple of seasons to consider 2020 winner It Came To Pass hasn't been in great form this term but could still have a say while 2019 champion Hazel Hill is now 13yo and expected to find a few too strong here. 

JP McManus has two runners in his famous colours, Staker Wallace / Stand Up And Fight both trained by E Bolger could have been prepped for a crack at the festival their double figure odds make some appeal in an open renewal.

Result - 1st : (11) Porlock Bay @16/1 [Lorcan Williams].

16:15  Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (Registered As The Liberthine Mares' Chase) (Grade 2)
2m 4f 127y  [11 runners]

A field of 11 for the penultimate contest in this years festival, headed by four from Willie Mullins yard and Colreevy has won her last three so looks the no1 pick with Paul Townend taking the ride. Elimay (MP Walsh), Salsaretta (B Hayes) and Cabaret Queen (R Blackmore) make up that quartet.

Lively Outsider - Cut The Mustard (Paul Nicholls) 33/1 shot.

Result - 1st : (1) Colreevy @9/4 [Paul Townend].

16:50  Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle
2m 4f 56y  [24 runners]
And so we finish off 2021 Cheltenham with a conditional jockeys handicap was hoping for a run from one of my friends horses Calva D'Auge, but hasn't appeared in the final declarations today sadly. One that has crept in though is Langer Dan (Dan Skelton) who won the Imperial Cup last weekend at Sandown and therefore comes here to try and pick up the £50,000 bonus on offer by Paddy Power, good luck to all connections. - just missed out on the bonus finishing 2nd.

Elsewhere in the field we like the chances of Fire Attack for his well heeled owners and connections while David Pipe must be desperate to win a race named after this father and has three entries here Leoncavallo (was a late non runner in the Imperial Cup), First Lord de Cuet (Wincanton winner) and Martinhal the 6yo gets in with a lightweight and may well be the most dangerous of the trio.

Result - 1st : (5) Galopin Des Champs @8/1 [SF O'Keeffe].

And sadly that's the lot for this years 2021 Cheltenham Festival, we will update results later today when I can. More racing throughout the season of course virus' and political cancellations permitting naturally, including the Grand National meeting at Aintree, plus the beginning of the turf flat season.