An emotional day at Cheltenham: 'We all wish a very special kid could be here'
Trainer Henry de Bromhead, his wife Heather and owner Kenneth Alexander (right) after they sent out Honeysuckle to win the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Henry de Bromhead summed it up succinctly: “It's the result everybody wanted”.
Honeysuckle and Rachael Blackmore stole the headlines from home favourite Constitution Hill on an emotion-filled opening day of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.
It was billed as the day Constitution Hill would confirm his status as racing’s biggest superstar and he did just that, in style, in the day’s big race, the Unibet Champion Hurdle, crossing the line nine lengths clear of Irish hopeful State Man.
But Honeysuckle has played second fiddle to no rival since her first Festival success in 2020 and she wasn’t going to start doing so now, not in the final race of her glorious career.
Her victory in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle was about far more than finishing with a flourish.
Honeysuckle gave Waterford trainer Henry De Bromhead and his family reason to cheer after they suffered the cruellest of losses when their son Jack died in a tragic pony racing accident last September.
Nothing can take away such pain, but sport can provide solace and joy in the darkest of times and Honeysuckle’s win did both.
“We know Jack is always with us and I’m sure he was here on Rachel’s shoulder,” the Waterford trainer said.
"Honeysuckle has been a huge part of our life and Jack just adored her — so she as much did it for him as she did for all of us. You dream of the fairytale ending but so often it doesn’t happen and this is what she deserves. She’s such an unbelievable mare and I’m just blown away, delighted.
“It's the result everybody wanted but you daren’t believe that it could happen. She read the script."
Jockey Rachel Blackmore was also overcome with emotion.
"We all wish a very special kid could be here today, but he’s watching down on us,” she said.
The day began with a bang for the Irish as Marine Nationale, owned and trained by Barry Connell, got the better of favourite Facile Vega in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Remarkably the first eight horses home were all Irish-trained, an ominous sign for the hosts.
Marine National was ridden to victory by Cork jockey Michael O’Sullivan.
“I've been dreaming of this day since I was a kid,” he said of his first Festival success.
"It's a bit surreal and it won't sink in yet, this year has been so good it's hard to appreciate it, I don't think it can be topped but I'm just enjoying every minute of it."
He may not have thought things could get better but they did, the 23-year-old winning the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle on the Gordon Elliott-trained 18-1 shot Jazzy Matty.
Willie Mullins took his Festival haul to a remarkable 90 wins, saddling the Paul Townend-ridden El Fabiolo to victory in the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase, before sending the majority of the 60,284 people in attendance home happy when 10-11 favourite Gaillard Du Mesnil, ridden by the trainer’s son Patrick, won the final race of the day to leave Ireland 5-2 up on Britain in the race for the Prestbury Cup.
But that wasn’t the story. Honeysuckle was the story. Same as it ever was.
