Cheltenham Day 2: Jack Kennedy on Delta Work just spoils Tiger Roll's swansong
Paul Townend riding Energumene (centre) on their way to winning the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase during day two of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse. Picture date: Wednesday March 16, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story RACING : Tim Goode/PA Wire.
Delta Work won the Glenfarclas Chase from stablemate Tiger Roll, as the latter just failed to end his career in a blaze of glory.
Dual Grand National hero Tiger Roll took to the lead as the race reached its latter stages - but Delta Work narrowly outstayed him to prevail on the line.
Owner Michael O'Leary said of the Gordon Elliott-trained Tiger Roll: "This is his send-off - he owes us nothing. He's been wonderful to come back here for the six, seven, eight years.
"He's been the horse of a lifetime and in many ways Cheltenham has been his spiritual home. He's won five times here in Cheltenham. I know he's won two Grand Nationals, but he started here in Cheltenham.
"To start off winning the Triumph Hurdle here as a four-year-old, then win the National Hunt Chase and three cross-country races, it's incredible.
"He's a legend."
An emotional O'Leary added: "I really would have loved to see Tiger go out on a win. It's hard not be disappointed. You've a winner at Cheltenham and I'm disappointed.
"It's just a magical fairytale on ground that doesn't suit him. He's gone out on his shield, he's a warrior and that's a Gold Cup horse that has beat him and only just on ground he wouldn't like.
"I'm actually upset - I would have loved to see him win it."
Jack Kennedy, riding Delta Work, said : "Unbelievable. He's been very disappointing all season and that's just brought out a new lease of life in him.
"He's done it very well, I'm delighted. He's always been one of my favourite horses ever, I'm delighted to get that with him."
Tiger Roll's rider Davy Russell said: "He went down on his sword, we always knew Delta Work was going to be his biggest danger.
"He's taken really well to it, I just couldn't shake off Jack, he was breathing down my neck the whole way.
"He went down on his sword, he's a great man. It's fantastic, he's always seemed to get me out of jail but unfortunately it wasn't to be."
The Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase was billed as round two of heavyweight two-mile chasers Shishkin and Energumene, but in the end, there was only one horse in it.
Shishkin got the better of their first meeting in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot, winning by a length and taking his unbeaten record over fences to seven.
But in a dramatic rematch, the Nicky Henderson-trained Shishkin never travelled with any fluency at the back of the pack and was pulled up by Nico de Boinville after jumping the sixth from home.
Energumene (5-2) was always travelling well, despite the very soft ground, and once Chacun Pour Soi had exited when going well toward the head of affairs at the fifth last, Paul Townend's job appeared much simpler.
Energumene, who had lost his unbeaten record at Ascot, had last year's winner Put The Kettle on in his sights and turning in, had beaten off the mare.
He picked off Envoi Allen and once setting sail two out, it was Funambule Sivola (40-1) who gave vain chase in second, although he was soon in Townend's rear-view mirror.
The eight-year-old went on to beat his six rivals by eight and a half lengths, with Envoi Allen a further four and a half lengths back in third.
Willie Mullins - winning the race for the first time - said: "We just thought we got the tactics completely wrong at Ascot so the plan today was to follow Shishkin.
"The problem Paul then had was you could see after two fences Shishkin wasn't handling the ground so it then became a case of when was Paul going to forget about Shishkin and ride the race. Nico was wise in pulling Shishkin up, you could clearly see he hated the ground.
"I was very disappointed to see Chacun Pour Soi go out of the race when he did. I was gutted for Patrick (Mullins) because he appeared to be loving it. He might have given him a race.
"At every stage, though, Energumene seemed to be cantering and these extreme conditions suit him.
"He probably has more speed than we thought, at Ascot we felt after the race we should have waited rather than make all.
"That was the only plan I could come up with to turn the tables on Shishkin.
"It was a bit of an anti-climax for the neutrals but it was more nerve-wracking for me because you could see he was travelling the whole way."
He added: "It's great to finally win it, it's great for Paul and great for Tony Bloom (owner). When the rain came he began to get very confident."
Townend said: "I was on a very good horse and you can make it look easy then. He'd won on very heavy ground in Ireland so that wasn't going to worry us.
"It didn't work in Ascot and the tactics kind of went out the window early on."
Earlier, Commander Of Fleet got up on the line in a thrilling, head-bobbing finish to the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle under a well-judged ride from 5lb claimer Shane Fitzgerald.
The Gordon Elliott-trained winner, sent off at 50-1, was one of the few guaranteed to enjoy the testing ground and big field, having won a 23-runner handicap at Navan in early December.
The Jessica Harrington-trained Ashdale Bob set sensible fractions in front for the conditions and was still going well in front turning for home, jumping the last three lengths clear of his 22 rivals.
However, the stamina-sapping ground proved his undoing. Jack Foley's mount tired soon after, as Fastorslow and Commander Of Fleet bore down on the seven-year-old, who faded quickly, eventually finishing third, a further five and a half lengths behind the front two in the two-miles-five-furlong contest.
Darragh O'Keefe's mount looked to have got the better of the scrap to the line and in a titanic battle, briefly got his head in front, only for Commander Of Fleet to get his head down when it mattered to score by a short head.
Camprond who was always stalking the pace, did not find much from the second-last and finished fourth.
The victory was the first for Elliott at the Festival after missing last year's meeting due to the suspension he was given when an image emerged on social media of him sitting on a dead horse on his gallops.
Elliott said: "It's great to train any winner here, especially for Gigginstown and it's great for everyone in the yard.
"It might not have been one we were expecting but that is the game we are in, they are mostly running well. I often get to Thursday with no winner so we weren't panicking.
"I'd say the ground made the difference to this lad, and he was handy throughout. A lot of my others just couldn't handle the ground.
"The winner is obviously a good horse on his day. I don't know much about the jockey, but he's had a few winners for us and seems a nice fella.
"Every winner I train is important, whether it's here, Tramore, Downpatrick, I'm in this game just to train winners."
Michael O'Leary, under whose Gigginstown House Stud banner the winner runs, said: "That was wonderful and it gets Gordon and Team Cullentra on the board.
"It was marvellous performance under that weight on ground that has gone very soft now.
"It was a great ride from Shane. I thought he had him in the right position the whole way round and he battled on up the hill.
"I think it's testament to not just Gordon but the whole team in Cullentra. They had a tough year last year, but they're back here with lots of good horses. The team work incredibly hard and this vindicates the hard work they put in last year."
L'Homme Presse completed a five-timer over fences to remain unbeaten when cruising to success in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at Cheltenham.
There was drama 20 minutes before the race as ante-post favourite Bravemansgame was pulled out by Paul Nicholls, owing to the increasingly soft ground, along with Irish challenger Fury Road.
That left the Venetia Williams-trained L'Homme Presse, who had won the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase by 21 lengths at Sandown, facing eight rivals under Charlie Deutsch and he duly put them to the sword.
Ahoy Senor made the running in the early stages, tracked by L'Homme Presse, who took it up at the seventh of the 19th fences and jumped his rivals into submission.
Though Farouk D'alene threw down a challenge turning in, he came down after jumping the penultimate fence, but it never looked like the winner would be beaten.
To his credit, Ahoy Senor, whose jumping at times was still a little novicey, continued to stay on but in the end was still three and a half lengths adrift, with Gaillard Du Mesnil sticking on for third, a further length and three-quarters back.
Earlier, Sir Gerhard, winner of the final race on day two of the 2021 Festival, began day two of the 2022 Festival in similar vein by justifying odds-on favouritism in the Grade One Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
Last year’s Champion Bumper winner, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden this time by Paul Townend, returned to Cheltenham boasting a perfect record over hurdles and had little trouble extending it to three.
In the rain-softened ground, Townend chose to bide his time early, but his rather powerful partner was keen to go forward. That and a combination of some slick jumping brought him into a prominent position shortly after mid-race, and thereafter he sat in prime position to strike a telling blow.
Townend waited until the turn for home to let his mount take over and, after letting him stride clear to the final flight, he rode him out to the line to put three and a half lengths between himself and Three Stripe Life, with the winner’s stablemate, Whatdeawant, in third.
Long-time leader Journey With Me crashed out at the last hurdle but thankfully and much to the relief of the crowd, having spent a few minutes on the ground, he got back to his feet.
Sir Gerhard’s victory brought Willie Mullins’ Festival tally to 80, following last evening’s win for Stattler in the National Hunt Chase. It was a first of this meeting for Townend, who went agonisingly close aboard Gaelic Warrior on Tuesday, but his 19th in all.
“He showed his class, as keen as he was, to stay going,” said Townend. “I was afraid going around that we were in the wrong race, but he showed his true ability to stay going.
“He jumped the best he has ever jumped on the course. His jumping the last day wasn't great, but he jumped well there.”
