Tiger Roll's fairytale ending fades in the final strides but memories will last a lifetime
Delta Work and Jack Kennedy (right) get the better of Tiger Roll and Davy Russell to win the Glenfarclas Cross Country Race and deny Tiger Roll a fairytale end to a magical career. Photo: Healy Racing
Not many horses get booed after winning a race at the Cheltenham but that was the strange fate that befell poor Delta Work after he denied Tiger Roll a record-equalling sixth Festival success on his final career start.
Only Quevega has won six races at the Festival and Tiger Roll’s prospects of emulating the legendary mare lessened as the rain poured steadily throughout a dark and dreary day.
By the time the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase was run, the ground was officially heavy and Tiger Roll had surrendered favouritism to Delta Work. It was a sign of things to come.
However, as a dual Grand National winner, Tiger Roll is used to defying the odds and, from the moment he hit the front, the crowd roared their hero on for one last time.
It was soon apparent that the only real threat to a fairytale finale was stablemate Delta Work, a five-time Grade One winner, who remained within striking distance under Jack Kennedy.
Tiger Roll, first successful at the Festival when winning the 2014 Triumph Hurdle, looked to be getting the better of the argument when jumping the second last but Delta Work refused to go away and eventually got his head in front 200 yards from the line to score by three-quarters of a length. Cue the boos, though they turned to cheers when the winner and runner-up were led into the winner’s enclosure together.
An incredible and emotional🥇🥈 in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase. Thank you Delta Work & Tiger Roll pic.twitter.com/l0bDFj6NnD
— Gordon Elliott (@gelliott_racing) March 16, 2022
“A lot of people don’t like me now after that but it doesn’t really bother me to be honest,” Kennedy, the pantomime villain, said. “After I schooled him the other day I said to my brother that I might be the most hated man in Cheltenham on Wednesday evening and I was right.
“I thought the ground had gone for Tiger Roll and I was surprised at how well he was going to be honest, but I suppose it was in the back of my head that he might not get up the hill as good as my lad on that ground. I actually expected to pick him up a bit easier, but my lad just ground him down in the end.”
Having denied Tiger Roll a winning finale with another horse under his ownership, Gigginstown House Stud chief Michael O’Leary was experiencing a strange sensation: disappointment in victory.
An emotional O'Leary said: “I really would have loved to see Tiger go out on a win. It's hard not to feel 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.”
He added: “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.”
Having ridden Tiger Roll to his two Grand National winners, it was only right that Davy Russell was on board for his final career start.
“He is a great horse and he has got a fitting send-off so it’s great,” Russell said. “I always felt Jack breathing down my neck and I would say the rain and the ground just caught us out as Delta Work is very effective on that ground and I’d say Tiger is not as effective on it.
“He went down on his sword the way he deserved to go down. You can see the public are fantastic. It doesn’t matter where they are from, they are cheering both horses. It is such a marvellous sport we have and we are so lucky. He is just a marvellous horse.
“I’ve not ridden him that many times. I’ve been beaten on him twice and won three times on him. The first National was a bit heart-and-mouth stuff with the photo finish but the second one was marvellous. Today was marvellous. Any time you get clapped in and out is a special day.”
