Slade Steel and Blackmore show mettle to reign Supreme at Cheltenham

Slade Steel, ridden by Rachael Blackmore and trained by Henry de Bromhead, won the Supreme Novices Hurdle. 

WINNER: Slade Steel, with Rachael Blackmore up, jumps the last ahead of Mystical Power in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham. Picture: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

“It’s lovely to get one on the board. You definitely breathe a sigh of relief, but we’ve never won that before, so I don’t know this feeling … but it’s good,” said a beaming Henry de Bromhead, after Slade Steel gave him a first Grade One Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

He’s right, of course, the Festival opener was a gap on his CV, but that winning feeling at this meeting is certainly nothing new to the Co Waterford trainer who was celebrating his 22nd Festival success.