Lineman hits right note for punters
He may not be the fastest horse in the world, but has courage in abundance and had to call on it all to land the touch and give owner, JP McManus, a third for the Festival.
McCoy, having endured three terrible days, finally got on the scoresheet, but had to work mighty hard to do so.
He was driving Jonjo O’Neill’s gelding from the top of the hill, as Ruby Walsh and Black Harry, who sweated profusely before the contest, moved on.
Wichita Lineman responded in terrific fashion, however, and was chasing Black Harry hard into the straight.
Gradually he got on top and held about a two lengths lead, and was going away, rising to the last when Black Harry fell. In the end he crossed the line a whopping 12 lengths clear.
“It’s good to get a winner, obviously things haven’t gone well,” remarked McCoy. “I was really annoyed yesterday, because I thought Black Jack Ketchum could have broken his neck and, if that happened, it would have killed me, let alone him.
“This horse has got the heart of a lion. He’s a proper racehorse, never knows when he’s had enough. He’s got a great attitude, is tough, real tough.”
Commented O’Neill: “Wichita Lineman is tough, a bit like his jockey. He is lazy and thinks everything is just grand, unless you tell him to do something. I see him as a chaser in the long term.”
Said McManus: “I never had a bet. I can do without 11-8 chances and am just delighted he has won. You always regret not backing your horses when they win, but we have a lot to look forward to with Wichita Lineman.”
Cashmans made Wichita Lineman 6-1 co-favourite, with Black Jack Ketchum and Inglis Drever, for the 2008 Ladbrokes World Hurdle. Wichita Lineman is 7-1 with Boylesports.
A magnificent week for Alan King and Robert Thornton was crowned when Katchit ran away with the JCB Triumph Hurdle. The duo had already enjoyed big-race successes with My Way de Solzen and Voy Por Ustedes. He's not the biggest horse in the world, but has a massive heart and totally outclassed his rivals.
Moderate on the flat, this was Katchit’s sixth win in seven starts over flights and he is clearly a horse with a terrific future. Thornton sent him for glory well before the final flight and he absolutely stormed away.
“We’d have settled for one winner,” admitted King. “For three of them to come in is something else.
“It doesn’t get any better, I may retire now! Choc said all season he would be a much better horse when the ground dried up.”
Commented Thornton: “What a star. He’s shocked me again, I thought he might improve for better ground and he certainly has.
“I got to the front a shade too soon and decided to kick on. He’s a little legend and loves his jumping.”
Heavily-backed Lounaos proved desperately disappointing. She held every chance down hill to the home turn, but soon began to back-pedal.
Rider, Barry Geraghty, reported: “It’s a tough race for a filly and they went off very quick. She kept on battling, but could not sustain that gallop all the way and we were beaten before the straight.”
Tony Mullins enjoyed a first ever win at the Festival when Pedrobob came with a surging late burst to grab the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle.
He completed a memorable week for pilot, Philip Carberry, who took the Champion Hurdle aboard Sublimity on Tuesday.
“At those preview nights they have been calling me a Cheltenham virgin and at least that’s gone,” cracked Mullins.
“He ran up the backside of another horse after the second last and I thought his chance was gone, but it worked out in the end.
“I will have to speak to Barry (Connell, owner,) but am really looking forward to this fellow going over fences. In the meantime, Punchestown will be next.”
Raymond Hurley’s Whyso Mayo failed narrowly to add a second Christie’s Foxhunter Chase to last year’s success when going down by half a length to Drombeag. This was a fourth win of the Festival for owner JP McManus.
Whyso Mayo made a couple of blunders and one at the fourth last was particularly costly. Nevertheless, he went to front early in the straight for Damien Murphy, but Drombeag hit back strongly and worried the market-leader out of it in the last hundred yards.
Drombeag was having a first run of the campaign and trainer, Jonjo O’Neill, said: “He wants good ground and has been hunting and messing around! There was no point running him in a bog, Liverpool will be next.”
John Thomas McNamara partnered Drombeag and said: “I knew turning in we would nearly make it and he just stayed on. He keeps galloping, I had no bother about him getting home.”
Robert Thornton, who scored on Katchit in the opener, completed a double, taking his total for the week to four, when producing Andreas late and fast to cut down Hasty Prince and Tony McCoy in the Johnny Henderson Grand annual Chase. Andreas is trained by Paul Nicholls and it was also number four for him.
“This is the icing on the cake,” said Nicholls. “The ground came right for him.”
