Cheltenham Festival Focus

Of the National Hunt jockeys still riding, Barry Geraghty, Richard Johnson and Ruby Walsh have all won the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice and will, no doubt, have further opportunities to win the race. That said, while none of the trio looks set to retire any time soon, Johnson turns 42, and Geraghty and Walsh both turn 40, in 2019, so they all have work to do to become the most successful jockey in the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

As it stands, that honour belongs to the late Pat Taaffe, best known for his association with the legendary Arkle, trained by Tom Dreaper, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup three years running in 1964, 1965 and 1966. Taaffe also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Fort Leney, again trained by Dreaper, in 1968 for a total of four wins in the premier steeplechase. Interestingly, Taaffe also won the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the RSA Chase five times apiece and all bar two of his 25 winners at the Cheltenham Festival came in steeplechases.

Arguably the greatest steeplechaser of all time, Arkle was owned by Anne Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster, whose iconic yellow and black colours he carried to victory in twenty-seven of his thirty-five starts. His victories famously included a hat-trick in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in 1964, 1965 and 1966, and he remains, albeit controversially, the highest-rated steeplechaser of all time, according to Timeform.

Arkle was trained, throughout his career, by livestock-farmer-turned-trainer Thomas William ‘Tom’ Dreaper, who took out a public training licence at the family farm, Greenogue, in Kilsallaghan, Co. Meath in 1931. Dreaper first rose to prominence in the late Thirties, when he was sent four young horses, including 1946 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Prince Regent, by British flour tycoon Jimmy Rank. He was anything but a ‘one hit wonder’, but will always be remembered for scaling the heights with Arkle, whose hind leg action was initially so bad that jockey Pat Taaffe thought he would be a ‘slow-coach’, but was later revered simply as ‘Himself’ in his native Ireland and beyond.

The redoubtable Jenny Pitman OBE will always be remembered as the first woman to train the winner of the Grand National. What is, perhaps, less well remembered is that within twelve months of saddling Corbiere to win one of the two most prestigious steeplechases in the country Mrs. Pitman also saddled the winner of the other, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Prior to his success in the Grand National in 1983, Corbiere had won the Welsh National, at Chepstow, the previous December, and it was in the same race that Burrough Hill Lad would demonstrate his credentials, as a top-class staying ‘chaser and a bona fide contender for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. In his preparatory race for the Welsh National, Burrough Hill Lad, ridden by Phil Tuck, had finished a respectable third behind stable companion, Queen’s Ride, ridden by Mark Pitman, over hurdles at Nottingham.

However, at Chepstow, owner Stan Riley was keen to secure the services of John Francome, who duly rode Burrough Hill Lad at 10st 6lb, plus 3lb overweight. Backed from an opening 33/1 to 100/30 favourite, Burrough Hill Lad won impressively from Royal Judgement and Lucky Vane. He subsequently won the Anthony Mildmay, Peter Cazalet Memorial Chase and the Gainsborough Chase, both at Sandown, under Francome but, in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the reigning champion jockey was required to ride Brown Chamberlin due to his retainer with Fred Winter, so Burrough Hill Lad was reunited with Phil Tuck.

Brown Chamberlin took the field along at a good pace and, turning into the home straight it became clear that he and Burrough Hill Lad would dominate the finish. Brown Chamberlin still held a slight advantage approaching the second last fence, but jumped out to the right at the obstacle, allowing Burrough Hill Lad to take the lead. Even so, there was little between them at the final fence, but Burrough Hill Lad battled on up the hill to win by 3 lengths, with the pair separated almost by the width of the track.

Her Grand National success and all that followed will come as no surprises to those around Pitman, all well aware of her steely determination and no nonsense approach. Those looking for Grand National betting advice wouldn’t go far wrong by keeping a look out for horse trainers with these exacting qualities, as one of the factors that can make the difference between winning and losing. Jenny Pitman herself has now retired though still keeps involved in the sport of kings (and even writes novels with a racing slant to them, and well as being a member of the Disciplinary Panel and Licensing Committee of the British Horse racing Authority).  In short, you can’t keep her away from racing that easily!

In this era of female excellence, it’s also important to recognise that Pitman paved the way for, or in some cases flourished alongside, other women horse trainers such as Lucinda Russell OBE (who trained 2017 Grand National winner One For Arthur), Henrietta Knight and Jessica Harrington.