Cheltenham Festival 2021: Minella Indo wins the Gold Cup – live! | Sport

11.44am EDT
11:44

Open Hunters’ Steeplechase (3m 2f) (3.40)

Chameron is pulled up after a sequence of poor jumps left him in peril of being tailed off. On the enterprise finish of the race, Mr Mantilla leads them alongside. Final 12 months’s winner, It Got here To Move makes a mistake … Mr Mantillaleads from Latenightpass and Billaway …

11.42am EDT
11:42

Open Hunters’ Steeplechase (3m 2f) (3.40)

They’re off and racing within the After The Lord Mayor’s Present Stakes, the skilled jockeys taking the locations of their beginner counterparts, who aren’t thought-about elite sufficient to be allowed journey at this Competition due to covid restrictions. Chameron virtually comes a cropper early doorways, however Harry Cobdon stays on board …

11.27am EDT
11:27

St James’ Place Hunters Chase (3.40) preview

Greg Wood

Greg Wooden

Professionals substitute the amateurs for one 12 months solely, in a race that has gone to Eire in seven of the final 10 years and has an Irish-trained favorite in Willie Mullins’s Billaway with Paul Townend within the saddle.

He was a reasonably clean winner in a giant area at Naas final time and was the 10-length runner-up when 11-4 favorite for this final 12 months, however he could make the odd mistake and will probably be simply as quick a value this time round.

The primary hope from a British yard is Paul Nicholls’s Bob And Co (Sean Bowen), in a race that the coach has gained 4 occasions since 2004 and twice within the final 4 years.

His steady jockey Harry Cobden, although, is on Chameron, a horse that’s part-owned by Nicholls and educated by Sam Loxton, whose late spouse Rose, who died final 12 months, was a champion coach within the point-to-point area for a few years. Rose Loxton had hyperlinks to the Nicholls steady for a few years, together with because the groom of the excellent staying hurdler Huge Buck’s, and had a giant affect on the driving profession of Nicholls’s daughter, Megan, with an everyday provide of point-to-point winners when she was a young person.

Up to date
at 11.28am EDT

11.26am EDT
11:26

Rachel Blackmore: She’s had every week past her wildest goals, however a penny for the ideas of Rachel Blackmore, Minella Indo’s normal jockey, who determined to journey A Plus Tard in at the moment’s race as a substitute. It’s a measure of simply how good she is that she had such a troublesome option to make. Hopefully she gained’t beat herself up over it.

11.22am EDT
11:22

Jack Kennedy speaks …

“I can’t consider it,” he tells ITV, whereas on the verge of tears. “That is what I’ve dreamt of since I used to be a toddler. I’m simply so grateful to Henry and [owners] Mike and Barry Moloney for giving me the chance to journey him. I can’t thank them sufficient and I’ll owe them without end.”

On his fightback from a number of accidents: “That is what I dwell for and I can’t consider that is after taking place. I landed during the last and he pricked his ears. He was pulling up however not out of tiredness. When he heard Rachael coming behind him he took off once more.”

CheltenhamRacecourse
(@CheltenhamRaces)

Minella Indo was merely unimaginable!

Henry de Bromhead turns into the primary coach to win the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and the @WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup on the identical Competition#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/FdFpsMlwPq

March 19, 2021

11.18am EDT
11:18

Minella Indo wins the WellChild Gold Cup

After struggling the frustration of being unshipped from Competition hotpot Envoi Allen, Jack Kennedy wins the Gold Cup. Rachael Blackmore had her choose of the 2 Henry de Bromhead horses on this race and, in her first error of judgement this week, picked the flawed one. She has to accept second. De Bromhead, in the meantime, turn into the primary coach in historical past to drag off the Competition Holy Trinity in the identical week.

Minella Indo and Jack Kennedy win the Gold Cup. {Photograph}: Tim Goode/PA

11.14am EDT
11:14

WellChild Gold Cup (3.05) end result

1 Minella Indo (J W Kennedy) 9-1
2 A Plus Tard (Rachael Blackmore) 10-3
3 Al Boum Picture (P Townend) 9-4 Fav
12 ran
Additionally: 12-1 Native River 4th
CSF: 39.15
Tricast: 91.54

11.13am EDT
11:13

WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2f)

Minella Indo wins the Gold Cup from A Plus Tard and Al BOum Picture. Minella Indo and Jack Kennedy win the Gold Cup for Henry De Bromhead …

Minella Indo ridden by Jack Kennedy after winning. — Minella Indo ridden by Jack Kennedy after profitable. {Photograph}: Tim Goode/PA

Up to date
at 11.17am EDT

11.12am EDT
11:12

WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2f)

Minella Indo leads from A Plus Tard … Minella Indo leads during the last …

11.11am EDT
11:11

WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2f)

Frodon leads over the third final from Minella Indo and Al Boum Picture …

11.11am EDT
11:11

WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2f)

Frodon continues to guide, leaping superbly with 4 to go … Minella Indo is second …

11.10am EDT
11:10

WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2f)

Frodon pings the eighth and seventh fences from house and Native River is subsequent to return beneath stress. Frodon from Minella Indo and Al Boum Picture …

11.09am EDT
11:09

WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2f)

Eleven fences to go and Frodon continues to plod alongside in entrance with Kemboy on his outdoors … Black Op is third … Santini is pulled up …

11.08am EDT
11:08

WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2f)

Champ is pulled up and Santini blunders into some birch however stays up … Frodon continues to creep alongside in entrance … Black Op is second and Kemboy in third … they’re travelling at 32 miles-per-hour … Santini is 5 lengths behind the sphere …

11.07am EDT
11:07

WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2f)

Frodon is on the rail, inside Kemboy and Black Op. Champ is leaping like a furry goat however nonetheless upright …

11.06am EDT
11:06

WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2f)

THey’re away and operating within the Gold Cup, with Al Boum Picture going off the 9-4 favorite. Native River and Frodon take up the operating … Champ and Al Boum Picture make minor errors on the first …

11.04am EDT
11:04

The parade: The horses line up and parade previous the empty grandstand for the good thing about the TV cameras and the viewers at house, earlier than their handlers launch them into the only care of their jockeys and watch them canter all the way down to the beginning.

11.00am EDT
11:00

Ding! Ding! The parade ring bell goes for the jockeys to mount their horses for the Competition showpiece. Whereas a lot of the eye this week has been on Rachael Blackmore, she just isn’t the one pilot on this race making an attempt to turn into the primary lady in historical past to win the Gold Cup. Bryony Frost can also be driving and will get the leg up on Frodon.

10.45am EDT
10:45

WellChild Gold Cup (3.05) preview

Greg Wood

Greg Wooden

Even by its personal very excessive requirements, this 12 months’s Cheltenham Gold Cup – sponsored by native childrens’ charity WellChild – is wealthy with potential storylines and dramas, a lot so in truth that Al Boum Picture’s try and turn into solely the fifth horse ever to win the race thrice has been considerably overshadowed.

Rachael Blackmore hopes to turn into the primary feminine rider to win, and so does Bryony Frost on Frodon. Henry de Bromhead may very well be the primary coach ever to win the “Huge Three” at a single Competition, Colin Tizzard goes for yet another big-race win earlier than retirement with Native River, British racing makes an attempt to salvage one thing from the wreckage of simply 4 winners on the primary three days … the checklist goes on.

Al Boum Picture must be the place to start out, although, as his course-and-distance type may hardly be any higher and he’s all however assured to run his race. He’s unlikely to really enhance an excessive amount of both although, and an up-and-comer like A Plus Tard may effectively be too sprightly for the nine-year-old. A Plus Tard has raced over three miles simply twice, placing up a profession finest at Leopardstown’s Christmas assembly the place he wanted each yard of it, and Minella Indo, a Grade One winner over hurdles two years in the past, is a helpful second-string for de Bromhead. Frodon took the King George at Christmas, loves the observe and will get on famously with Bryony Frost, as does Native River with Richard Johnson, returning to the scene of their epic head-to-head with Would possibly Chew three years in the past.

The novice Royale Pagaille has come from nowhere to be a contender on the idea of a outstanding run beneath prime weight within the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock, and together with Champ, types the core of the home-based problem on the finish of every week when Irish dominance has reached new heights.

Vanillier and Mark Walsh — Vanillier, ridden by Mark Walsh, wins the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. {Photograph}: Tim Goode/PA

10.41am EDT
10:41

Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (2.30) end result

1 Vanillier (M P Walsh) 14-1
2 Oscar Elite (Jonjo O’Neill Jr.) 40-1
3 Streets Of Doyen (S D Torrens) 10-1
16 ran
Additionally: 7-2 Fav Stattler 4th
Non Runner: 6
CSF: 476.25
Tricast: 5745.14

10.40am EDT
10:40

Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3m) (2.30)

The unlucky Jonathan Moore misses out on one other winner by harm, with Mark Walsh the beneficiary, getting the leg up from coach Gavin Cromwell.

Up to date
at 10.40am EDT

10.38am EDT
10:38

Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3m) (2.30)

The gray Vanillier goes a size clear as they method the final and pulls away up[ the hill to win under Mark Walsh, who notches his second success of the meeting. Oscar Elite was second and Streets of Doyen was third.

Vanillier clear the last to win. — Vanillier clear the final to win. {Photograph}: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Photos

Up to date
at 10.50am EDT

10.36am EDT
10:36

Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3m) (2.30)

Ask A Honey Bee is being scrubbed alongside behind the sphere, whereas Adrmiel continues to guide on the third flight of hurdles from house. Beatthebullet goes backwards whereas Barbados Buck’s is making floor across the outdoors …

10.34am EDT
10:34

Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3m) (2.30)

They’re cruising alongside at 30 miles per hour with Vanillier and Adrimel main the best way. You can throw a blanket over the intently bunched area …

10.32am EDT
10:32

Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3m) (2.30)

Off they go within the Albert Bartlett and I’ve had a fiver on N’Golo at a giant value, after his namesake’s terrific efficiency within the Champions League in opposition to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday evening. Anyway, they’re away and operating and N’Golo, Stattler and Vanillier are up on the entrance after 4 flights of hurdles …

10.09am EDT
10:09

Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (2.30) preview

Greg Wood

Greg Wooden

The novice hurdle of alternative for future staying chasers, with winners since 2000 together with Bobs Price, who landed the three-mile novice chase after which the Gold Cup within the subsequent two seasons; Minella Indo, who runs in at the moment’s Gold Cup; and Monkfish, who added one other Competition success within the Brown Advisory Novice Chase on Wednesday. Penhill, who took the Stayers’ Hurdle a 12 months later, can also be on the roll of honour. So who will be a part of them?

Fakiera has been the one for cash in a single day, supplanting Stattler on the head of the market, whereas Torygraph can also be outstanding within the betting. Maybe Michael O’Leary will keep away from accusations of bias by naming certainly one of his horses “The Grauniad” when he will get a second. Paul Nicholls’ solely winner this week was at Taunton on Monday, however Barbados Buck’s and Threeunderthrufive have completed little flawed season and together with Tom Lacey’s equally likeable Adrimel, appear prone to provide essentially the most resistance to the Irish onslaught.

10.05am EDT
10:05

County Handicap Hurdle (1.55)

It’s one other winner for the Irish, with coach Peter Fahey saddling the lengthy shot Belfast Banter. Kevin Sexton rides his first Competition winner on the ripe younger age of 26.

CheltenhamRacecourse
(@CheltenhamRaces)

Backside-weight will get the higher of top-weight!

Belfast Banter springs a 33/1 shock within the @ltd_mccoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/qTaXJanvqh

March 19, 2021

10.02am EDT
10:02

County Handicap Hurdle (1.55) end result

1 Belfast Banter (Ok C Sexton) 33-1
2 Petit Mouchoir (J C Gainford) 22-1
3 Milkwood (R T Dunne) 28-1
4 Eclair De Beaufeu (J W Kennedy) 11-1
25 ran
Additionally: 5-1 Fav You Raised Me Up
Non Runner: 8
CSF: 633.16
Tricast: 18582.92

Belfast Banter ridden by Kevin Sexton wins the County Handicap Hurdle. {Photograph}: Tim Goode/PA

Up to date
at 10.06am EDT

10.00am EDT
10:00

County Handicap Hurdle (2m 1f) (1.55)

Milk Wooden leads them during the last but it surely’s Belfast Banter who wins from Petit Mouchoir after weaving his method by the sphere beneath a superb journey from Kevin Sexton.

Belfast Banter comes through to lead the field. — Belfast Banter comes by to guide the sphere. {Photograph}: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Up to date
at 10.30am EDT

9.58am EDT
09:58

County Handicap Hurdle (2m 1f) (1.55)

Mengli Khan continues to guide them alongside from fifty Ball and Petit Moucher and Third Time Lucki… they’ve three-quarters of a mile to journey however solely two hurdles left to leap …

9.57am EDT
09:57

County Handicap Hurdle (2m 1f) (1.55)

They’re away and operating on this 25-strong County Handicap Hurdle area. Mengli Khan tows them alongside from International Citizen and er, the 23 others …

9.54am EDT
09:54

Paul Townend: Requested by ITV’s Luke Harvey, down firstly, if there’s any level in exhibiting the horse the “apply” hurdle earlier than they set off, as is customary, the jockey says: “In the event that they don’t know bounce them by now we’re in bother.” He has a degree.

9.53am EDT
09:53

Some unhappy information: ITV Racing have simply introduced that Chester Barnes, former English table-tennis champion turned side-kick and assistant coach to Martin Pipe, handed away final evening.

9.41am EDT
09:41

A pleasant gesture: On ITV Racing, Ed Chamberlin has simply introduced that, as a thanks to Cheltenham Racecourse for taking care of them so effectively this week, the Irish trainers, jockeys and steady employees have had a – pun supposed – whip spherical and will probably be donating €25,000 to WellChild, the sponsors of at the moment’s Gold Cup.

Discussing Rachel Blackmore’s possibilities of beating Ruby Walsh’s file of six winners in a single Competition with AP McCoy, Ed can’t resist resist a giggle when the previous champ says with – pun supposed – unbridled relish: “I actually hope she beats him”.

9.33am EDT
09:33

County Hurdle (1.55) preview

Greg Wood

Greg Wooden

Such is the week that Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore are having fun with that the punters are beginning to again them blind, and Champagne Gold may effectively begin favorite right here having opened at round 14-1 on Wednesday. He has a good likelihood, however a 12lb hike for ending second at Leopardstown in early February doesn’t make his life any simpler.

Ganapathi, in the meantime, raced in Grade One firm final time and completed a close-ish second in a Grade Two in January, but carries 4lb lower than Blackmore’s mount right here, which simply doesn’t really feel proper. Elsewhere within the area, Denise Foster’s Eclair De Beaufeu can also be outstanding within the betting and may boast some respectable course type – albeit over fences – when second right here final 12 months within the Grand Annual Chase.

Third Time Lucki bids to enhance Dan Skelton’s file on this race to what can be a reasonably mind-boggling 4 out of the final six, whereas Fifty Ball and Edwardstone characterize the Betfair Hurdle type having completed second and third at Newbury final month.

9.32am EDT
09:32

Rachael Blackmore: In her post-race interview, Rachael factors out that Quilixios was, till very just lately, a resident on the yard of suspended coach Gordon Elliot earlier than being moved to Henry De Bromhead’s steady. She says “all of the credit score ought to go to them, we simply needed to put him on the boat”.