Both feature races on day three of the Cheltenham Festival were won by the same horses as 12 months ago as Allaho and Flooring Porter repeated victories, but there was one big difference.
Who predicted this going into the final day? 😲#TheFestival pic.twitter.com/A1Hhq8KiJg
Advertisement— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 17, 2022
Kim Muir Challenge Cup (5.30pm)
Winner: Chambard (Venetia Williams) - 40/1
Chambard won the closing Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase for Lucy Turner and Venetia Williams.
A 40-1 shot for the three-mile-two-furlong affair, the gelding picked up momentum turning for home after jumping well throughout and outstayed Nicky Henderson’s joint-favourite Mister Coffey and stablemate Didero Vallis to prevail by two and a half lengths.
The victory illustrates the steep ascent of the Williams’ 10-year-old, who was carrying a 5lb penalty after winning three times this term in far less exalted company.
👏 A brilliant performance from Chambard who is a shock 40/1 winner of the Kim Muir for Lucy Turner, leading home a 1-3 for @VenetiaWRacing at @CheltenhamRaces #TheFestival pic.twitter.com/kuYoi9fkHe
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 17, 2022
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Mares Novices' Hurdle (4.50pm)
Winner: Love Envoi (Harry Fry) - 15/2
Love Envoi took her unbeaten record to six when landing a highly-popular success in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Trained by Harry Fry, the six-year-old is owned by the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate. It was a fitting verdict as the former jumps jockey announced his retirement plans after landing the same race on Eglantine Du Seuil in 2019.
Jonathan Burke, given the task of riding the mare, put the opposition under pressure when he kicked on after jumping the second-last flight.
Love Envoi (15-2) kept on strongly up the hill to win by a length and a quarter from Ahorsewithnoname for a fifth hurdle triumph plus one in a bumper. Grangee was a length and a half back in third place with Nurse Susan fourth.
Plate Handicap Chase (4.10pm)
Winner: Coole Cody (Evan Williams) - 22/1
Coole Cody registered a fourth success at Cheltenham when rallying in tremendous style to lift the Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate Handicap Chase.
Evan Williams’ charge was always close to the pace looked booked for minor honours at best in the closing stages, but he found that bit extra to land the spoils.
Imperial Alcazar put in a strong bid but Coole Cody (22-1) led over the final fence and stormed up the hill to win by six and a half lengths in the hands of Adam Wedge. Spiritofthegames was a nose away in third with Stolen Silver fourth.
COOLE CODY 🤝 CHELTENHAM
🏆 Craft Irish Whiskey Co Plate
🏆 Paddy Power Gold Cup
🏆 Racing Post Gold Cup#TheFestival pic.twitter.com/DBkIUPUBBb— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 17, 2022
Stayers' Hurdle (3.30pm)
Winner: Flooring Porter (Gavin Patrick Cromwell) - 4/1
Flooring Porter put up a brilliant performance to make all the running and repeat last year’s win in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Concerns on how Flooring Porter would react to a massive crowd after winning in near silence behind closed doors were allayed, as the Gavin Cromwell-trained seven-year-old put paid to the opposition.
Flooring Porter (4-1) was given a superb ride by Danny Mullins to join the elite band of multiple winners.
He enjoyed an easy lead with Mullins able to control the race throughout and had enough in hand to see off his rivals at the business.
Flooring Porter ran out a cosy winner by two and three-quarter lengths from Thyme Hill with Paisley Park, the 2019 winner, a nose away third.
FLOORING PORTER goes back to back in the @PaddyPower Stayers' Hurdle!
What an intelligent ride from @dan2231 👏 pic.twitter.com/0muj8c5QHd— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 17, 2022
Ryanair Chase (2.50pm)
Winner: Allaho (Willie Mullins) - 4/7
Allaho ran his rivals into the ground to become only the second horse to claim successive victories in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.
A 12-length winner 12 months ago, the Cheveley Park Stud-owned gelding was even more impressive as he emulated Albertas Run, the only previous dual winner in 2010 and 2011.
The eight-year-old, trained by Willie Mullins, made most of the running last year but led all the way this time as he showed his superiority with an imperious performance.
Allaho (4-7 favourite) had Eldorado Allen for company in the early stages with Shan Blue close up until Paul Townend began to turn the screw from four out. The pack tried to close but when it looked like the race would be on, Allaho kicked clear.
Conflated fell at the second-last fence when holding place chances, leaving Janidil to give Mullins a one-two but he was 14 lengths behind the easy winner, whose only mistake came at the final fence. Eldorado Allen was three-quarters of a length away in third.
Mullins and Townend had been luckless in the opening event of the day when Galopin Des Champs fell at the last with the race at his mercy, but the rider was delighted to get on the scoreboard in this event.
THAT. WAS. EASY. 🏆🏆
Now a two-time @Ryanair Chase winner, ALLAHO is some horse 😮#TheFestival pic.twitter.com/JqOqtdh1Ds— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 17, 2022
Pertemps Final (2.10pm)
Winner: Third Wind (Hughie Morrison) - 25/1
Third Wind gave Tom O’Brien further reason to celebrate when narrowly coming out on top in the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Just days after his wife gave birth to their second child, O’Brien was back to business to add a Festival winner to his list of achievements.
Third Wind (25-1), trained by Hughie Morrison, and Fergal O’Brien’s Alaphilippe battled out the finish after jumping the last. There was nothing between them with Third Wind just proving the stronger in the closing stages to get the verdict by a neck at the end of three miles.
Mill Green was two lengths away in third place with Winter Fog fourth and Honest Vic fifth.
The stewards held an inquiry as the first two came close together but the result was allowed to stand.
Morrison said: “On his day he’s a very good horse and when the rain came, he had the soft ground he likes. We said jump off positively and Tom took the brave route down the inner. He said it was easy, and he didn’t even have to hit him.
WHAT A BATTLE 💪
THIRD WIND digs in to impressively win the @PertempsJobs Handicap Hurdle.#TheFestival pic.twitter.com/Qn30RQU0sG— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 17, 2022
Turners Novices' Chase (1.30pm)
Winner: Bob Olinger (Henry de Bromhead ) - 6/5
Bob Olinger was handed victory in the Turners Novices’ Chase after Galopin Des Champs took a dramatic fall at the final fence in the opener at Cheltenham.
Galopin Des Champs looked certain to land the spoils when he jumped the last well clear of Bob Olinger, but he slipped and knuckled over a stride after landing and ditched Paul Townend onto the ground.
That left Bob Olinger (6-5) to come home unchallenged with Busselton picking up the pieces for second place in the four-runner Grade One heat, 40 lengths behind the winner.
Until that untimely exit everything had gone to plan for Galopin Des Champs. Willie Mullins’ six-year-old had jumped exuberantly in the early stages and had Bob Olinger under pressure before the race was turned on its head and the 5-6 favourite crashed out after seemingly clearing the last safely.
Bob Olinger’s rider Rachael Blackmore felt her mount was some way from his brilliant best, even though he added another Festival victory after winning last year’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
She said: “It’s fantastic to win, but nobody likes winning in those circumstances and it was brilliant to see Paul and Galopin Des Champs get up.
“I was happy with him, he made one or two little errors, so there’s definitely room for improvement there, but four out I wasn’t delighted and I thought I’d be travelling better.”
