🏇 NEW: Gavin Cromwell talks through some of his leading hopes for the season, including LIMERICK LACE, FLOORING PORTER and more + a dark horse to follow for the campaign.
👏 A huge thank you to
@davekeena1
for arranging this and best of luck to
@gavincromwell1
this season.
😍 COKO BEACH enjoying himself ahead of the Grand National at Aintree.
🤞 He finished 8th in the last year and will have Harry Cobden on board this time around.
❤️ Henry de Bromhead on Rachael Blackmore:
"We’ve all said what an amazing jockey she is. But to see her around when we had our tragedy, around the children and with their friends and all of us. She’s an incredible person apart from being a brilliant jockey."
(via
@irishracing
)
❤️💙 Heartbroken to hear that FACILE VEGA is no longer with us.
A four-time Grade 1 winner (2 in bumpers, 2 over hurdles), he was a real favourite of mine.
My thoughts are with connections, in particular his owners and stable staff who looked after him.
👏 So, so chuffed for Nicky Henderson as JONBON wins the Grade 1 Celebration Chase.
👍 The man deserves a strong end to the season after a torrid couple of months at the start of the year.
🔴⚪️🔵 Confirmed: ALLAHO has been retired.
🔥 An absolute warrior, a relentless galloper at his brilliant best - he won four Grade 1s, including two Ryanair Chase triumphs at the Cheltenham Festival.
🤞 Wishing him a long and happy retirement.
Cheltenham Festival Day 3 tips:
🐎 1:30 - MIGHTY POTTER
🐎 2:10 - THE BOSSES OSCAR (EW)
🐎 2:50 - SHISHKIN
🐎 3:30 - TEAHUPOO
🐎 4:10 - FRERO BANBOU (EW)
🐎 4:50 - LUCCIA
🐎 5:30 - DUNBOYNE (EW)
Best of luck - hopefully a big day for Gordon Elliott!
🏇 Cheltenham Festival Day 1 tips:
🐎 1:30 - DOCTOR BRAVO (E/W)
🐎 2:10 - EL FABIOLO
🐎 2:50 - INTO OVERDRIVE (E/W)
🐎 3:30 - CONSTITUTION HILL
🐎 4:10 - BRANDY LOVE (NAP)
🐎 4:50 - TEKAO
🐎 5:30 - GAILLARD DU MESNIL
Best of luck everyone... Have a good 'un!
😂 Willie Mullins at the Closutton end of season party after winning the British trainers title, the Irish trainers title and all 40 races at the
@punchestownrace
Festival.
🟢🟡 Probably comes as no surprise but told today that four-time Grade 1 winner CHAMP has been retired.
😂 Still have no idea how he got up to win the RSA at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival...
"Races like the Grand National are cartoonish in their cruelty"
Ben Newman from
@AnimalRising
and
@kevinblake2011
debate calls for a ban on horse racing after protests interrupted last year's Grand National
More ➡️
📺 Sky 501 and YouTube
🏇 Willie Mullins confirms that six-time G1 winner CHACUN POUR SOI has been retired.
👏 A hat tip to
@Dawnesme
- who noted his appearance on RTE during the Irish Derby Festival.
The maximum crowd at Cheltenham is to be reduced to 68,500 in a bid to enhance racegoer experience.
In other news, the price of a Guinness will increase to £12.50 and it will cost 50p to use the toilets.
😂 Willie Mullins to Matt Chapman after GAELIC WARRIOR won the Arkle:
"Looking at him with the hood on, just think how much it would improve you Matt, if we put a hood on you!"
#CheltenhamFestival
✅️ Confirmed on
@nickluck
today - A PLUS TARD has officially been retired.
👍🏻 A four-time Grade 1 winner, including the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup, he was a fantastic horse for
@CPStudOfficial
and hopefully he'll enjoy a long and happy retirement.
🟢🟡 It's been a long time coming but that was a debut worth waiting for...
JOHNNYWHO, 19L clear of HERMES ALLEN in his point to point, bolts up in the bumper at Taunton. One to follow next season!
🏇 Ruby Walsh with a fantastic tribute to Willie Mullins:
"Now the sport will probably try to change itself to counteract Willie Mullins but I probably think that is the biggest compliment you can be played in sport.
"They tried to Tiger-proof golf courses, they changed Formula
💪 CAPE GENTLEMAN after his surgery following the Aintree Grand National.
🇺🇲 Now likely to head to the United States to hopefully live out a long and happy retirement.
(📷:
@nickluck
)
🙌 Nicky Henderson on CONSTITUTION HILL, per
@AtTheRaces
:
"We went to see him on Thursday and I've got to say - I just couldn't possibly be happier. He looked fantastic!
"He gave us that sort of buzz yesterday that he was saying, 'Hey, look at me'."
Kauto Star in the 06/07 jumps season:
🥇 Old Roan Chase (2m4f)
🥇 Betfair Chase (2m7f)
🥇 Tingle Creek (1m7.5f)
🥇 King George Chase (3m)
🥇 Denman Chase (2m7.5f)
🥇 Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m2.5f)
What a season. What a horse.
🌟 ANNIE POWER's race record: 111111111121F1111
🔥 Five Grade 1s
✅ Won at every big spring Festival
👍 Won Grade 1s at 2m, 2m2f and 2m4f
🤯 Her son, MYSTICAL POWER, is five from six - winning a Grade 2 and two Grade 1s.
What a racehorse. What a dam.
👀 Hold onto your hats - GOSHEN is set to go novice chasing this season.
Has schooled over fences and was "deadly". Will likely be kept to right handed tracks.
💔 Gutted to hear that MIGHTY POTTER is no longer with us after that fall at Fairyhouse - a devastating end to Easter Sunday.
Thoughts are with owners, stable staff and all connections.
His Drinmore win is one of my performances of the 22/23 season.
😂 Per
@MattBrocklebank
, Nicky Henderson to CONSTITUTION HILL at Seven Barrows this morning:
“State Man, we’ve never heard of him, have we boy? We only saw him for a minute down at the start last year."
Hendo in top form.
😂 Per
@RacingTV
, Willie Mullins on Patrick Mullins vs Danny Mullins:
"My son and my nephew tried to kill one another going over the second last fence. I don't know what Patrick said to Danny but I'd imagine they wouldn't be coming home in the same car anyhow!"
👀 Michael Buckley on CONSTITUTION HILL:
"If he's as proficient at jumping fences as he is hurdles, then my ambition would be to equal what Dawn Run did and try and win a Gold Cup."
Bring. It. On.
👀 Willie Mullins on VAUBAN:
"It was a cracker of a run from a horse having his first run back. He's only four years old - people tend to forget that.
"For his first run in championship company against older horses I thought it was excellent. He's way ahead of where I thought."
🏇 Sad to hear news that CYRNAME passed away earlier today.
Rated 177 at his peak, he was a joy to watch pinging his fences and that win over ALTIOR at Ascot will live long in the memory.
👎 Some sad news emerging this evening - it seems ELIXIR DE NUTZ is no longer with us after his fall at Sandown today.
🏇 His Grade 1 win in the Clarence House at Cheltenham in January will live long in the memory.
🏇 AP McCoy on Paul Townend's ride on Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup:
"As brilliant a ride as I have ever seen – talk about riding a horse with bottle. Oh my god.
"Talk about pressure – the privilege of pressure – and he’s coped with it better than anyone I’ve ever seen."
🟡⚫️ STATE MAN in the 2023/24 jumps season:
🏆 Morgiana Hurdle
🏆 Matheson Hurdle
🏆 Irish Champion Hurdle
🏆 Champion Hurdle
🏆 Boodles Champion Hurdle
👍 What a season. What a horse.