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Tiger Roll was an incredible winner at the Cheltenham Festival for the fifth time when reclaiming his Glenfarclas Chase crown in scintillating fashion.
Having hitherto disappointed this season, it seemed the form that had seen him win back-to-back Grand Nationals was in the past.
But back at his favourite track and sent off the 9-2 second-favourite behind his conqueror from last season, Easysland, he looked a lot younger than his 11 years skipping round the cross-country course.
The French challenger briefly closed up and looked threatening, but it soon became apparent that Keith Donoghue had only given Tiger Roll a breather. He quickly went clear again and rounding the home turn the race was over, with his only danger in front of him — but he skipped the last and powered home by 18 lengths from Easysland, with Some Neck third.
Now in the care of Denise Foster following long-time trainer Gordon Elliott’s well-chronicled ban for sitting on a dead horse, Tiger Roll usually runs in this race prior to heading to Aintree for the National, but the decision was taken a few weeks ago to take him out of the race as connections believed his handicap mark was unfair.
Earlier Rachael Blackmore’s dream Cheltenham Festival continued into the second day as Bob Olinger sprouted wings in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
With the Champion Hurdle already in the bag through Honeysuckle and a top-class book of rides to come through the rest of the week, Blackmore is proving unstoppable.
Harry Cobden tried to dominate from the front at a steady tempo on Bravemansgame and in the early stages the Henry de Bromhead-trained Bob Olinger (6-4 favourite) was keen enough, pulling himself into second position.
As they went down the back straight Bear Ghylls attempted to inject some pace to the race and put pressure on the leader, as Blackmore sat in wait.
Paul Townend was scraping the paint on Gaillard Du Mesnil and did get a little short of room at the second-last, as Blackmore forced her way between Bravemansgame and Bear Ghylls.
But turning in there was only going to be one winner and it was a matter of ‘how far?’. The answer was seven and a half lengths back to Gaillard Du Mesnil.
Meanwhile, Monkfish maintained his unbeaten record over fences with a comprehensive success in the Novices’ Chase. A narrow winner of the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s festival, the Willie Mullins-trained chestnut was the 1-4 favourite to strike gold in the Cotswolds for a second time, having been faultless in three previous chase starts.
It was not entirely plain sailing for odds-on backers, with The Big Breakaway more than matching Monkfish in the jumping department for much of the three-mile contest, before Paul Townend’s mount displayed his superior class to move clear before the home turn.
The presence of the riderless Eklat De Rire, who unseated Blackmore earlier in the race, will have had Monkfish’s supporters sweating in the home straight, as would a mistake at the final fence. But it ultimately made no difference to the result, with the giant seven-year-old galloping up the hill to score by six and a half lengths from Fiddlerontheroof.
Heaven Help Us turned what is usually a competitive handicap into a procession when making nearly every yard of the running in the Coral Cup. Trained by Paul Hennessy, who until recently was better known as a greyhound handler, the 33-1 shot was left clear at the last when Blue Sari fell, but the winner had flown in any case.
Witness Protection attempted to keep pace with Heaven Help Us throughout, but by the home turn those exertions had taken a toll. While the field tried to reel in the long-time leader, Heaven Help Us kept finding for 7lb claimer Richard Condon, pulling nine lengths clear at the line.
Nicky Henderson’s Craigneiche came out of the pack for second, with Tea Clipper and Sayo filling the places. Condon was also on board when the mare won at the Dublin Racing Festival last time out, but she was defying an 12lb higher mark this time.
Sky Pirate just held the late thrust of Entoucas to land a blow for Britain at last on St Patrick’s Day — in the Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase.
Nick Scholfield was back on board, after missing Sky Pirate’s two mid-winter victories because of injury, and the partnership showed great tenacity to win by a short-head at 14-1.
Entoucas still appeared to be full of running at the last but just could not quite reel in Jonjo O’Neill’s winner in time. Ibleo stayed on to be almost four lengths further back in third.