Tiger Roll’s most recent Cheltenham win comes seven years after his first
Two-time Grand National winner Tiger Roll achieved a remarkable fifth victory at the Cheltenham Festival by winning the Cross Country Chase.
Ridden by Keith Donoghue, the 11-year-old has left recent defeats behind, taking 18 lengths over Easysland.
Tiger Roll (9-2) won for Denise Foster, who intervened while coach Gordon Elliott imposed a six-month suspension.
Put The Kettle On won the Queen Mother Champion Chase favorite Chacun Pour Soi and finished third.
The 17-2 winner, ridden by Aidan Coleman for trainer Henry de Bromhead, prevailed half a length ahead of runner-up Nube Negra.
After winning Honeysuckles Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, De Bromhead secured a big doubles and was part of an Irish sweep of the first five races on St. Patrick’s Day.
The tiger roars again
Tiny Tiger Roll cemented its place as a minor racing legend by winning the Cross Country Chase for the third time to contribute to festival wins at the Triumph Hurdle and the National Hunt Chase.
Shortly before veteran status, there were calls to retire the horse after the last lackluster runs, but he was back to his best here, jumping beautifully and sweetly traveling the area.
“It’s incredible. I wouldn’t ride without this horse. Never underestimate the tiger,” said the emotionally victorious jockey Donoghue.
“We know the horse he is. He loved it and that’s the tiger we see at home. He’s just a legend.”
There was sad news when Kings Temptation, trained by Ben Case, was fatally injured while racing.
Tiger Roll was supposed to compete for a record-breaking third Grand National in Aintree last year before the race was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He was withdrawn from this year’s race on April 10th. Owner Michael O’Leary said he was unhappy with the weight his horse had been given in the race despite his previous form.
The decision was made during the failure from a photo of Elliott sitting on a dead horse on which he was suspended for six months.
Put the kettle on fumes
Put the kettle on Nube Negra, trained by Dan Skelton
Chacun Pour Soi was sent off by the 8-13 favorite for Willie Mullins in the Champion Chase, but Put The Kettle On is coming to a boil in Cheltenham.
The seven-year-old mare, winner of last year’s Arkle Chase, made the most of an exciting finish to achieve a fourth course and a distance win.
“It was just a thrill. She’s the toughest mare I’ve ever ridden and maybe one of the toughest mares ever,” said Coleman.
Last year’s winner Politologue was withdrawn before the start.
On the second day, Blackmore dominated twice as many Irish
Rachael Blackmore, fresh from the historic triumph of the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday at Honeysuckle, celebrated a double as the Irish won six of the seven races on Wednesday.
She landed the final Champion Bumper with Sir Gerhard, recently switching from Elliott to Willie Mullins and the opening hurdle of the Ballymore Novices on Bob Olinger for De Bromhead.
Monkfish under Paul Townend took over the offspring hunt for Mullins and is now 5-1 favorite for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.
33-1 underdog Heaven Help Us, ridden by Richie Condon, won the Coral Cup for Paul Hennessy, a Greyhound Derby trainer who has only two horses.
And there was a win for an England-based coach, albeit Irish, when Jonjo O’Neill’s Sky Pirate was led to victory by Nick Scholfield at the Grand Annual Chase.
Highlights on Thursday
The undefeated Envoi Allen is a hot favorite to open Thursday’s Marsh Novices’ Chase, and one punter will follow the action more closely than most.
Paul Dean wins £ 511,000 on a £ 5 stake if the highly rated chaser, trained from De Bromhead after a move from Elliott, lands the final leg of a five horse battery.
Paisley Park, the 2019 winner named after Prince’s recording studio, is offering to win back its Stayers’ Hurdle title.
The nine-year-old has recovered from a heart attack after being hit last year and is cheered on from home by owner Andrew Gemmell, who has been blind since birth.
Allaho, Melon, Min and Tornado Flyer make an impressive team for Mullins at Ryanair Chase.
