Inglis Drever spears Baracouda in World Hurdle
For the millionaire couple, Graham and Andrea Wylie, jockey Graham Lee and trainer Howard Johnson, it was yet another glorious victory.
They have emerged as the big success stories of this Festival. Lee and the Wylies had never tasted success at the Festival until this week and this was on top of earlier gains with Arcalis and No Refuge. Johnson’s Festival tally now stands at four.
Baracouda ran his heart out, after getting a smashing drive from Tony McCoy, but more than met his match in an up-and-coming rival.
Westender kicked on shortly after half way and held a clear advantage down hill to the straight. But he was never going to be able to maintain such a relentless gallop.
He began to run up and down heading to the last and it was the winner who just held the call here from Baracouda.
It was all Inglis Drever on the flat, as he found real reserves of stamina to bound three lengths clear of Baracouda with Rule Supreme battling on gallantly just three parts of a length away in third.
Commented a clearly delighted Lee: “He gave me a heart attack. He didn’t travel or jump great, but by jove he has got a big, big heart.
“I probably arrived a bit soon, but wasn’t going to stop when I had him going. I am so happy for the horse. He was only beaten half a length in the SunAlliance last year, he is tough.”
Lee has just returned from a ten-week lay-off after breaking his collarbone. “I knew I had time to get back for this week’, he said.
“One thing I have always wanted to achieve is 100 winners in a season. I don’t care now if I don’t do it. One Cheltenham winner would have made up for ten weeks off, not to mind three.
“We went a two-mile pace and I stayed on Baracouda’s tail throughout. When he got into top gear, he didn’t half take off.”
Johnson was swamped in the winner’s enclosure. “Not bad for a Durham cattle and sheep farmer”, he quipped.
“I never dreamed that we would have three winners. I knew the longer trip would suit and that he would stay all the way to the line. He is used to running up my hills at home, we are 1000 feet above sea level.
“It’s a stiff old climb and the horse is like my jack russell. When that dog sees a hare he will keep running until he catches it.
“I am nearly 52 and should be winding down, but Graham (Wylie) encouraged me to get involved on the flat. I was reluctant, but my wife (Sue) told me to go for it and that she likes to wear big hats!”
Francois Doumen said of Baracouda: “He might have liked softer ground and a better pace, but Tony rode him perfectly.
“To be second again is no disgrace and he ran a proper race. He didn’t accelerate at the end, but there was a lack of pace in the middle of the race and he was fairly beaten.
“As he gets older he doesn’t, perhaps, have the turn of foot he produced in the past. It is too early to say if he will go chasing next season, we will see how the horse feels then.”
Baracouda’s owner, J P McManus, commented: “He has run his heart out and Francois has done a great job.” David Casey said of Rule Supreme: “He’s run a hell of a race, there are no excuses. He jumped well, slower ground would have helped, it would have slowed them down.”
Willie Mullins admitted to being “disappointed”. Said Mullins: “I have no excuses and that’s as good as he is. Yoo could say the ground was too quick, but that’s what we were given. He seemed to be in the form of his life.”
Rule Supreme has, of course, been left in today’s Gold Cup. “I have no intention of running him, I think he has just had a very hard race.
“He will go to Punchestown now for the Heineken Gold Cup and will return to Auteuil to try and win another French Champion Hurdle.”
