Cheltenham Festival a week of luck in the Irish
IRELAND had well and truly cleaned out the trophy case as this year’s Cheltenham Festival WellChild Gold Cup got underway on 19 March and the Emerald Isle’s Jack Kennedy and Rachael Blackmore delivered a top-class one-two punch in the highlight of a week of luck in the Irish.
Irish trainer Henry de Bromhead lifts the Cheltenham Gold Cup, won at this year’s festival. Image credit: Horse Racing Ireland
Kennedy at just 21 years old, who hails from the Kingdom of Kerry Ireland, unsurprisingly wept tears of joy after battling it out aboard Minella Indo for the Gold Cup with racing mate and champion jockey Rachael Blackmore, who chose the option of riding A Plus Tard. The seven-year-old bay gelding owned by Cheveley Park Stud was unable to find the gear that would have overtaken his stablemate, the pair trained by the Waterford Ireland based Henry de Bromhead.
Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey Jack Kennedy shares a fist-bump with runner-up and racing mate Rachael Blackmore. Image credit: Horse Racing Ireland
Tipperary Ireland jockey Rachael Blackmore would go on to be crowned the festival’s leading jockey and unofficial ‘Queen of Cheltenham’ after delivering six wins to Kennedy’s four with three more from fellow Irishman Paul Townend.
“It is definitely the best day of my life,” said Jack Kennedy on winning the Gold Cup. “You dream about winning those sorts of races when you are a child. I know I am still young but I suppose I have been in the position where I could have been winning them for a couple years so to get it done is brilliant.”
This year’s Cheltenham Festival which took place behind closed doors in compliance with Covid-19 regulations chalked up 23 winners for the Irish invaders. Carlow Ireland trainer Willie Mullins delivered six wins and the most second-place finishes to outpace a tie with Henry de Bromhead while Meath trainer Denise Foster earned three first finishes.
Irish jockey Jack Kennedy aboard Minella Indo won the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Image credit: The Jockey Club
Henry de Bromhead was the first trainer to win the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and the Gold Cup in the same week, Honeysuckle and Put The Kettle On delivering spectacular wins before Minella Indo outran A Plus Tard.
“I think I am still in my hotel, it’s Monday evening and I am about to wake up and nothing has even started yet,” said Henry de Bromhead. “That is where I am at the moment, it’s brilliant. A Plus Tard was amazing, he ran a cracker for the Thompsons of Cheveley Park. Both jockeys were amazing, it’s just brilliant.”
Rachael Blackmore capped off a history-making week that began with the Champion Hurdle on Honeysuckle before moving on to the JCB Triumph Hurdle on the de Bromhead-trained Quilixios and her sixth festival victory. Her festival culminated on 19 March when she became the first female jockey to be presented with the Champion Jockey award.
Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore with the Champion Jockey Trophy after winning six races at the Cheltenham Festival including two that made history. Image credit: Horse Racing Ireland
“It’s unbelievable,” Rachael Blackmore said after Northern Ireland’s renowned former jockey AP McCoy presented her with the leading jockey trophy. “It’s phenomenal. I can’t even comprehend being leading rider in Cheltenham. It has been a brilliant week. Henry de Bromhead is just an incredible trainer and I am just part of that team of getting those horses.”
Tags: Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup #cheltenhamracecourse #thejockeyclub #HenrydeBromhead #JackKennedy #RachaelBlackmore #MinellaIndo #APlusTard #CheveleyParkStud
