Ruby Walsh: I felt that disbelief as Paul flew out over the horse's ears

Sat, 19 Mar, 2022 - 06:44

Click and it's over. I have to open my phone and check the results to remember what happened on Tuesday because Festival week had it all.

There are months of build-up, weeks of planning, days of anticipation, and hours of discussion about four days that pass like four minutes.

The Supreme had been anticipated and billed as the best in years, yet from flag fall Constitution Hill looked like a different species as he easily sat behind the strong pace set by Dysart Dynamo and pushed by Jonbon.

The others looked like horses in the wrong race, and when Nico De Boinville eased Constitution Hill up to Jonbon after Dysart fell, the full house got to witness the best display I have ever seen from a novice hurdler here. I don't remember Golden Cygnet, but this lad was awesome.

Tom Cannon handled the pressure of riding a Festival favourite with aplomb and delivered on Edwardstone in the Arkle before Derek Fox got artistic on the idiosyncratic Corach Rambler and weaved past 18 rivals to win the Ultima. That was three-nil to Britain, and the home fans were in full voice.

The funny thing was, even they wanted Honeysuckle to win the next, and Rachael Blackmore did what the best sportspeople do: she rode to win when the opportunity to play not to lose arose at the top of the hill.

Going wide down the hill, outside of Zanahiyr, was the safe call. Still, fortune favours the brave and switching inside Not So Sleepy to find the gap between Appreciate It and Zanahiyr approaching two out showed Rachael's competitive mindset under intense pressure. It wasn't a race-winning move because Honey could have won either way, but it taught us more about the racing brain of R. Blackmore.

The reception was as wild and loud as ever at the Festival, and two years of admiration poured out of the stands for the sport’s star performers. They loved it and took it with the grace and emotion you wanted to see but watching Henry De Bromhead looking at Honeysuckle with pride was like watching a parent looking at a child.

It forgot to part the clouds on Wednesday, and the rain came tumbling down, which suited some horses but none of the crowd.

Sir Gerhard did what all of us at Closutton thought he was capable of, and Charlie Deutsch showed his brilliant horsemanship on L'Homme Presse before the bookmakers got a good result in the Coral Cup when Shane Fitzgerald delivered Gordon Elliott’s 50-1 shot Commander Of Fleet on the line.

That was the warm-up to the main event, but Shishkin was stuck in the soggy Gloucester turf when the tape released, and he never got moving. Chacun Pour Soi did, but he tripped himself up at the fifth-last, and suddenly three had become one.

Paul Townend's long look down at a sliding Patrick Mullins showed his disbelief at how the race had fallen apart, let alone how the crowd felt.

But then came emotion from the perceived emotionless. Willie Mullins never wears his heart on his sleeve, but there is a heart in there, and he showed how much filling up his CV meant. The Champion Chase was the only “Big One” missing, and the magnitude of his achievement meant so much to him that tears choked his words.

The rain looked to have dampened Tiger Roll’s swansong but when he quickened off the bend under Davy Russell Prestbury Park erupted.

Then the realisation that his stablemate, Delta Work, was about to spoil the party dawned as they approached the last.

He wouldn't. He couldn't. Delta Work couldn’t beat Tiger Roll, but he did, and the place shook with disbelief as it happened. The perfect ending was there, but it didn't happen, and yet somehow quick minds saved the day.

Davy Russell gave the crowd what they wanted by parading Tiger Roll down the chute with Delta Work. Gordon Elliott appeared to make sure it stayed like that to the winner's enclosure and, in a downpour of rain, the admiration for a wonderful little horse poured out like the sun before the heavyweight clash of the future stars in the bumper came out to play.

Facile Vega won round one on Wednesday, but I saw the start of great battles between a talented bunch of horses. Galopin Des Champs came soaring through Thursday sunshine, leaving Bob Olinger in his wake like we had left Wednesday's rain. Until he forgot to land at the last fence, that is.

I nearly fell off my chair watching it happen, knowing how Paul Townend was feeling: the disbelief as you fly out over your horse's ears and then thump onto the ground; the groan of the crowd; the sight of a horse you were about to beat flashing above you; the hope that your superstar will rise behind you unscathed; the reality that victory is now a loss; nowhere to hide and no way of changing it. You have to stand up and walk away, knowing most of the eyes are watching you, yet all you want is a replay to see if you made a mistake.

He didn't, but he had to see that for himself and refocus his mind to positivity before going back to play. With strength of mind, he sent Allaho about his business in the Ryanair Chase, which shows why he is so successful. It's easy to write or say it, but confidence is only the ability to think positively, and Paul Townend delivered it before Danny Mullins stole his thunder on Flooring Porter.

Danny’s judgment of pace, execution of tactics and skilled reactions were a joy to watch. There is no such thing as perfection, but this was damn close, and when Venetia Williams bagged her second winner of the week with Chambard in the Kim Muir, the British trainers only trailed their counterparts by one heading into the final round.

And then there was day four! And what a magical Friday it was. It started with Paul Townend changing tactics aboard Vauban in the Triumph Hurdle and kicking the day off to an absolute flyer. In the second, the County Hurdle, we thought State Man was a bit of a handicap good thing. Paul rode him accordingly, and he delivered to make it two.

In the third race, the Albert Bartlett, Sean O’Keeffe got his big chance aboard The Nice Guy and what an amazing day it was for him.

Ireland were really on a roll at this stage, and next came A Plus Tard in the Gold Cup. We wondered if there would be any pace but there’s no point making mistakes in life if you don’t learn from them, and that’s exactly what Rachael Blackmore did.

She had gone too soon on him at Leopardstown at Christmas, and possibly got involved too early in last year’s Gold Cup. But this year there was no way she was getting involved. She followed them down the hill and when Minella Indo kicked away from the third-last, she sat behind a wall of horses until they straightened up, adamant she was going to deliver her challenge between the last two fences. That’s what she did. A Plus Tard responded, and Rachael Blackmore made history yet again. Magical stuff to watch.

Patrick Mullins somehow managed to get Billaway up to beat Winged Leader in the Hunter Chase before Elimay dug it out in the Mrs Paddy Power Chase to beat Scarlet And Dove.

And lo and behold, Ireland rounded it off with a perfect seven when Banbridge won the last.