CHELTENHAM: Brand had bigger choice than Ruby
There was no flesh on show, not in this weather. It seemed strange, but soon it all began to make sense.
For out of the crowd came a shadowy figure with long-curly hair, complete with dashing beard, top hat and black overcoat.
Film star Russell Brand was in attendance and he was causing quite a stir. Yet over the screams from the female throng, one gentleman punter shouted loudest: ‘Who you riding today, Brand?’
He had more of a choice than Ruby Walsh to be fair.
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Gold Cup day began with a controversial substitute and a controversial tweet. One British newspaper put two and two together when Sunnyhillboy was declared a non-runner in the Gold Cup, but soon detracted the guilty tweet that declared his jockey, Tony McCoy, would now be riding Sir Des Champs in the big one.
The news wasn’t official yet and it seemed connections would wait before announcing the replacement for Davy Russell, ruled out for the rest of the Festival with injury, on Sir Des Champs.
Once it was clear that Sunnyhillboy had had an ‘unsatisfactory scope’, though, it was announced that AP would be riding SDC after all. Why we had to wait all morning for this news to become official The Diary doesn’t know. Some of these connections would probably fail on an unsatisfactory scope themselves…
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Barry Geraghty may be a great jockey, but he’s a terrible businessman.
The joy on his mud-splattered face as he entered the winners’ enclosure following his magnificent Gold Cup win aboard Bobs Worth was there for all to see, but if he was bothered about business his cheeks might’ve been a shade of crimson.
For Geraghty and his brother bought Bobs Worth for €16,500, before selling him to Nicky Henderson as a four-year-old for £20,000. A nice tidy profit – good business. Unquestionably. Yet Geraghty has been responsible for taking BW’s career earnings well above £500,000, with £239,690 going into the coffers of The Not Afraid partnership following the biggest win of his career.
Co-owner Malcolm Kimmins was understandably overjoyed during the celebrations. “It’s the best feeling in the world,” he said. Geraghty, not about to appear on Dragons Den anytime soon, added: “It’s been nice to have been involved with him from such a young age.”
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British Flat champion jockey Richard Hughes enjoyed the celebrations in a soaking Cheltenham winners’ enclosure after his father, Dessie, won the Triumph Hurdle with Our Conor on Friday. The rider could have been in France or riding on the all-weather on Gold Cup afternoon but his family loyalties were never in doubt. “Richard [Hannon] has a runner at Chantilly today and a couple at Lingfield but I said to him I’m not going anywhere other than Cheltenham!” Hughesy won’t be bothered, but he missed out on a double as Raging Bear and Lions Arch roared home under Ryan Moore at leafy Lingfield.
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One woman’s pain was another man’s gain in the Foxhunters. Poor Jane Mangan. But the good thing to come out of Salsify’s win was that it confirmed a late leveller for the punters after a topsy-turvy week. With At Fishers Cross, Bobs Worth and finally Alderwood adding to Salsify’s success, four winning favourites went in on the final day much to the displeasure of the camel coats. A Paddy Power spokesman confirmed it was a dark day for them despite dodging the Bobs Worth bullet, saying: “Some bookies have said that Bobs Worth was an awful result. But it wasn’t too bad for Paddy Power. The real killer was all the hefty multiples running on to Salsify which cost us millions and then the heavily-backed Alderwood won the lucky last to really stick the knife in.
