Category: Horses

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the obvious starting point for any discussion of the staying chaser division, so it’s no surprise that the first three home in the 2021 renewal topped the ratings for 2020/21, according to Timeform. Stablemates Minella Indo (175) and A Plus Tard (174) gave trainer Henry de Bromhead a notable 1-2 in the premier steeplechase and were followed home by defending champion Al Boum Photo (170); the latter shared third place in the ratings with Punchestown Gold Cup winner Clan Des Obeaux (170).

Minella Indo had suffered an agonising defeat when run down close home by Champ in the RSA Novices’ Chase at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, but returned to action with routine wins, at long odds-on, at Wexford and Navan. However, he fell before halfway when favourite for the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas and was beaten favourite again in the Irish Gold Cup, back at Leopardstown, in February. Indeed, in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, he was forsaken by regular partner Rachael Blackmore, but defied expectation by staying on gamely to beat A Plus Tard by 1¼ lengths.

A Plus Tard made an inauspicious start to the season when turned over, at odds-on, in the Fortria Chase at Navan for the second year running on his reappearance in November. However, stepped back up to 3 miles, he stayed on strongly to beat Kemboy by half a length in the aforementioned Savills Chase and headed straight to the Cheltenham Festival as the better-fancied of the De Bromhead-trained pair. However, although he briefly moved upsides Minella Indo on the turn for home in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, he was always fighting a losing battle in the straight and had to settle for a highly creditable second.

Of course, Al Boum Photo won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2019 and 2020 and, having hacked up in his traditional preparatory race, the Savill’s New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore, was made favourite to complete a notable hat-trick. Although denied a slice of racing history, the 9-year-old was carried out on his shield, staying on to finish third, beaten 5½ lengths, but 24 lengths ahead of the fourth horse home, Native River.

In the absence of Minella Indo, sidelined with a bruised foot, Al Boum Photo was also sent off favourite for the Punchestown Gold Cup in April, but was beaten 1½ lengths by Clan Des Obeaux. Clan Des Obeaux had been beaten on his first three starts of the season, in the Betfair Chase, King George VI Chase and Denman Chase, but had returned to winning ways with a facile, 26-length defeat of Clondaw Castle in the Betway Bowl Chase at Aintree on his previous start.

While some of us may have experienced big win casinos in australia, Golden Sixty – a son of outstanding American dirt winner Medaglia d’Oro – was born there (before being exported to Hong Kong as an unraced three-year-old in October, 2018). Indeed, he has raced exclusively at Sha Tin, where, at the last count, he has won 17 of his 18 starts, including the last 14 in a row, and amassed over £7.35 million in prize money.

Owned by Stanley Chan Ka Leung, trained by Francis Lui Kin-wai and ridden, exclusively, by Vincent Ho Chak-yiu, won his first three starts, all over 6 furlongs, before tasting defeat for the one and only time on his first attempt at 7 furlongs in July, 2019. However, that proved only a momentary ‘blip’ and he continued his progress through the ranks, graduating from handicaps to Group Three, Group Two and, eventually, Group One company.

A strong-travelling, hold up type, Golden Sixty is blessed with an extraordinary turn of foot, which has often seen him clock under 22 seconds for the final quarter of a mile of his races. That an impressive as any rivernilecasino online casino winning run! Now a 5-year-old, in 2021, he has won three Group One races, the Stewards’ Cup, Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup and FWD Champions Mile, by a head, a short head and a head, respectively. Sooner or later he may be beaten but, for now, his winning streak continues.

Granted that Irish-trained horses won 23 of the 28 races at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, it should come as no surprise that two such horses, both Festival winners, topped the ratings in the novice hurdle division, according to Timeform. Those horses were Appreciate It (160p), trained by Willie Mullins, and Bob Olinger (159p), trained by Henry de Bromhead, although My Drogo (156p), trained in Warwickshire by Dan Skelton, was adjudged just 3lb inferior to the Irish pair by the venerable ratings organisation.

Beaten favourite in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, Appreciate It opened his account over hurdles, at odds of 1/12, in a modest maiden hurdle at Cork in November. Thereafter, he raced exclusively at Grade 1 level, winning the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas and the Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle, over the same course and distance, in February en route to the Cheltenham Festival. In the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Appreciate It was sent off 8/11 favourite and, having travelled and jumped well, held an unassailable 6-length lead at the final flight. At that point, his nearest pursuer, stable companion Blue Lord, fell, leaving him to come home in splendid isolation, 24 lengths ahead of Ballyadam.

Interestingly, Bob Olinger was beaten by Ferny Hollow, erstwhile conqueror of Appreciate It in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, on his hurdling debut at Gowran Park in November. However, he was impressive when making all to win, by 14 lengths, at Navan the following month and, like Appreciate It, spent the remainder of the season in Grade 1 company. He made short work of the aforementioned Blue Lord in the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle at Naas in January, winning easily by 6½ lengths and, in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, cruised home by 7½ lengths and 4½ lengths from Gaillard du Mesnil and Bravemansgame.

According to trainer Dan Skelton, the 2021 Cheltenham Festival never was the ‘be-all and end-all’ for My Drogo, whom he considers ‘every inch a chaser’. A steeplechaser in the making he may well be, but that didn’t stop him from winning all four starts over the small obstacles in 2021, culminating with the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in April. On that occasion, he beat Minella Drama by 9 lengths, eased down, with a below-par Ballyadam only a distant fourth, beaten 43 lengths.

According to Timeform Master Ratings, three colts, namely St. Mark’s Basilica (132), Adayar (131) and Baeed (130), were neck-and-neck at the head of the three-year-old division in 2021. The first named was retired to stud after winning the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in September, following the recurrence of an injury sustained in a freak gallops incident earlier in the season, but the other two reportedly remain in training in 2022.

Hailed by trainer Aidan O’Brien as ‘possibly the best we have ever had in Ballydoyle’, St. Mark’s Basilica was named Cartier Horse of the Year after an unbeaten three-year-old campaign. The half brother to 2,000 Guineas winner Magna Grecia comfortably won the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, a.k.a. the French 2,000 Guineas, on his reappearance at Longchamp in May and took the step up to 1 mile 2½ furlongs in his stride when following up in the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly in June. His 3½-length defeat of Addeybb in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown in July was arguably a career-best effort, but he returned from injury to beat subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up Tarnawa in the Irish Champion Stakes.

By contrast, Adayar made a relatively low-key start to 2021, finishing runner-up in both the Classic Trial at Sandown and the Derby Trial at Lingfield. In the Derby itself, he was passed over, not for the first time, by William Buick, but belied odds of 16/1 by keeping on strongly to win by 4½ lengths and 3¼ lengths from Mojo Star and his stable companion Hurricane Lane. The following month, reunited with Buick, he became one of the rare Derby winners to run in, and win, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, beating Mishriff by 1¾ lengths.

Owned by Shadwell Estates, following the death of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum in March, and trained by William Haggas, Baaeed did not make his racecourse debut until June, 2021. However, the son of Sea The Stars made spectacular progress throughout the season, winning his first four starts – including the Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood in July – in impressive fashion. On his first venture into Group 1 company, in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, in September, he landed odds of 1/2 with a smooth, 1¼-length success from Order Of Australia. On his sixth and final start of the season, he edged out the outstanding miler of recent years, Palace Pier, in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes ar Ascot in October to maintain his unbeaten record.