Irish smiling at start of big week
Ireland made a great start to Cheltenham Festival week yesterday with a victory for the Dessie Hughes stable plus the legendary name Tom Dreaper in the winner’s enclosure at Stratford.
It was first blood to the Irish and favourite-backers as the Hughes-trained Cupla Cairde just prevailed under Paul Carberry in a thrilling finish to the Gen Re Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle.
Cupla Cairde is among the entries for the JCB Triumph Hurdle on Thursday but is unlikely to run.
Hughes said: “Our juveniles in Ireland are quite good and to win a winners’ race at home is quite difficult.
“If he had not won this we would have had no business going for the Triumph, but I think we will give it a miss now anyway.
“There is a good race at Punchestown, and though they might be too good for him, we will see.”
Tom Dreaper, 20, whose father Jim trains in Ireland and whose namesake grandfather trained the mighty Arkle, gained his first success under rules in Britain when bringing Sally Alner’s Kingston-Banker home in front in the Steve Hammond Novices’ Hunters’ Chase.
Mrs Alner’s husband Robert said: “Tom has ridden four winners in Ireland and he has come over to England to gain experience. He has ridden a point-to-point winner for Sally.”
David Dennis made the most of Jim Culloty’s decision to take the day off on the eve of Cheltenham to gain his first success for the powerful Henrietta Knight stable.
Culloty has several strongly fancied rides at the Festival topped by Best Mate, who bids for a hat-trick in the totesport Gold Cup on Thursday.
Dennis said: “I have ridden for Henrietta in bumpers and novice hurdles, and it is a pleasure to win for her.”
The jockey rousted up Creative Time to gain the lead just after the last in the Tote Exacta Handicap Chase and then held off Navarone and Southbay by one and a quarter lengths and a neck.
Creative Times’ win ended a long wait for Stephen Smith, who owns the gelding in partnership with Gill Sturges. He said: “My grandfather, Hector Smith, had 130 winners, Flat and jumps, in his colours, but this is my first winner.
“It is good to have it at Stratford because we farm just across the river from the course.”
Five jockeys escaped serious injury in a frightening incident at the fourth flight in the Ian Williams Handicap Hurdle.
Don’t Sioux Me (Robert Thornton) fell and Claude Greengrass (Liam Cooper), Frontier (Ollie McPhail) and Saorsie (Sean Fox) were brought down.
Silver Charmer was hampered and unseated Paul Flynn.
Only Fox – at the centre of controversy last week after being unseated from Ice Saint at Fontwell – was given a red entry in his medical book, having banged a shoulder, but the injury was described as “not serious”.
Calatagan had been ahead of the trouble and he went on to score in the hands of Graham Lee.
Trainer Malcolm Jefferson said: “I bought this horse off Maurice Camacho. He used to be a bit keen, but John Murphy, who rides him at home, has done a good job in getting him to relax.”
The week had not started too well for Nicky Henderson when the fancied Magic Mistress was beaten at Taunton, but Liberthine lifted the stable’s spirits when landing the mortgages.tv Beginners’ Chase in the hands of her owner Robert Waley-Cohen’s son Sam.
Henderson was represented by his assistant Charlie Longsdon, who said: “We have had an odds-on chance, and a strongly fancied one at that, beaten at Taunton, so it is good that Liberthine has won. Sam gave her a good ride.”
Liberthine was having her first run since November 2002, and Waley-Cohen senior said: “She hurt herself in France (when trained by Guillaume Macaire), where she won a Listed Hurdle, so she came back over to me and we have been patient with her.”
