10 Tuesday March 15 2022
the timesCHELTENHAM
2022Sedgefield
Rob Wright
1.15 Nora The Xplorer 3.50 Ellaat
1.50 Obey The Rules 4.30 Powerful Position
2.30 Lostnfound 5.10 The Tablet
3.10 Soivegotachance
Going: good to soft, soft in places
Sky Sports Racing
1.15 Novices' Hurdle
(£5,827: 2m 4f) (4)
1 1P522FAIRFIELD FERRATA 17 J O'Keeffe 6-11-5 C O'Farrell
2 063-1NORA THE XPLORER 44 (CD) D McCain 7-11-5T Gillard (3)
3 25-P2MAD ABOUT SALLY 19 O Signy 7-10-12 M Kendrick
4 3643 MISS MILANO 29 N Richards 7-10-12 B Hughes
15-8 Nora The Xplorer, 9-4 Miss Milano, Fairfield Ferrata, 13-2 Mad About
Sally.1.50 Handicap Chase
(£5,991: 2m 1f) (7)
1 662P3LUCKY ROBIN 34 (P,C) B Ellison 10-11-12 S Coltherd
201621 ASTRA VIA 14 (T,C) E Williams 7-11-9 A Wedge
312123 OBEY THE RULES 77 (P,CD) D McCain 7-11-8B Hughes
4 -22F3LITTLE ORANGE 77 S Waugh 8-11-6 J Hamilton
5 6P004YOU SAY NOTHING 36 (H) Christian Williams 7-11-4
J Tudor (3)
6 04U44ROXYFET 19 (C,D) M Hammond 12-10-6Emma Smith-Chaston (5)
7 FP062DANNY PARK 8 (P) M Young 6-10-2 J Best
5-2 Astra Via, 7-2 Danny Park, 4-1 Obey The Rules, 6-1 Roxyfet, 8-1 Little
Orange, 10-1 Lucky Robin, You Say Nothing.2.30 Handicap Hurdle
(£5,228: 2m 4f) (11)
1 P6U11DESARAY GIRL 21 (CD) M Hammond 7-11-12
Emma Smith-Chaston (5)
2 -463RVINTAGE FIZZ 42 J O'Keeffe 5-11-12 Craig Nichol
350011 HAJEY 19 (CD) T Waggott 5-11-8 T Midgley (5)
430234 FOLLOW YOUR FIRE 140 (P,CD) J Candlish 7-11-2B Hughes
500625 GLAN Y GORS 5 M Weatherer 10-11-2 N Moscrop
6 P300PBALKOTIC 34 (P,T) M Hammond 6-10-12Jack Hogan (7)
7 505P1CORAL BLUE 14 D Bourke 7-10-11 A Cawley
8 F0500DAN GUN 88 (P,D) S Waugh 8-10-1 T Willmott (5)
904000 LOSTNFOUND 19 (C) D Thompson 9-10-0 A Doyle (7)
10 364F6EX S'ELANCE 5 (P) V Thompson 8-10-0 P Armson (7)
11 2-P5PARCANJA 44 (T,V) R Menzies 8-10-0P J Kavanagh (5)
5-2 Coral Blue, 4-1 Vintage Fizz, Desaray Girl, 11-2 Hajey, 6-1 Follow Your
Fire, 12-1 Glan Y Gors, 25-1 Lostnfound, Dan Gun, Arcanja.3.10 Handicap Chase (£5,991: 2m 3f) (8)
124244 NAIZAGAI 62 (W,P,T) F O'Brien 5-11-12 M Kendrick
260133 BLUEBERRY WINE 39 (T,C) D McCain 6-11-12B Hughes
312214 JUST CALL ME AL 29 (T,CD) G Boanas 9-11-12T Midgley (5)
400505 SOIVEGOTACHANCE 15 (P) D Bourke 7-11-11 T Reilly (7)
525443 GETAWAY JEWEL 14 M Hammond 8-11-0 A Cawley
6 4414FZEN MASTER 91 (C) M Sowersby 10-10-1 A Anderson (5)
7 0016PRED OCHRE 65 (P) C Grant 9-10-1 A Doyle (7)
8 P6442ONENIGHTINTOWN 14 (P,T) M Hammond 8-10-0Miss Becky Smith (3)
11-4 Naizagai, 7-2 Just Call Me Al, 4-1 Getaway Jewel, 6-1 Blueberry Wine,
7-1 Soivegotachance, 10-1 Onenightintown, 12-1 Zen Master, 20-1 Red Ochre.3.50 Handicap Hurdle (£7,842: 2m 1f) (8)
1 U4-51PURPLE KING 7 Dr R Newland 8-12-0(7ex)C Leonard (5)2 321P4COUSIN OSCAR 132 (B,T,C,D) D McCain 10-11-12
T Gillard (3)
331132 ELLAAT 44 N C Kelly (Ire) 6-11-9 S Bowen
4 -4000GAIUS 10 N C Kelly (Ire) 6-11-9 J Bowen
526326 SAYAR 29 (P) N Kent 9-11-8 C Hammond
6 2/345THE DANCING POET 13 (P) B Ellison 6-11-8S Coltherd
7 2552PMONTE IGUELDO 14 (T,BF) O Greenall 5-11-8Craig Nichol
8 B-400THE NAVIGATOR 15 (CD) D Sayer 7-10-10 C O'Farrell
11-8 Purple King, 4-1 Monte Igueldo, 5-1 Ellaat, 8-1 Cousin Oscar, The
Navigator, 12-1 Sayar, 25-1 Gaius, The Dancing Poet.
4.30 Handicap Chase (£8,714: 3m 3f) (6)
1 203PPGAME LINE 28 (B) P Bowen 8-11-12 J Bowen
2 U4U3WIGGLESWORTH 35 (B) Dr R Newland 7-11-10
C Hammond
3 520P2REINE FEE 26 Henry Oliver 9-11-9 D Noonan
4 20-0PFURAX 27 M Hammond 7-11-7 Miss Becky Smith (3)
5 1UF11POWERFUL POSITION 19 (T,CD) Christian Williams 7-11-0
J Tudor (3)
600414 JESSIE LIGHTFOOT 21 J Groucott 8-10-4 B Hughes
11-8 Powerful Position, 5-2 Reine Fee, 11-2 Wigglesworth, 6-1 Jessie
Lightfoot, 8-1 Game Line, 50-1 Furax.
5.10 NH Flat Race (£2,614: 2m 1f) (7)
1 4-54CABHFUILFUNGI 21 (T) J Groucott 6-11-3 R Mania
2 P3545DUKE OF DECEPTION 26 O Greenall 5-11-3
Mr Toby Wynne (7)
3 P-GLORY BRIDGE 325 D McCain 6-11-3 B Hughes
4 1 ROYAL SAM 77 E Williams 5-11-3 A Wedge
5 1 THE TABLET 86 P Kirby 6-11-3 J Williamson (5)
6 TIK TOK Christian Williams 5-11-3 J Tudor (3)
7 4 THE SCORPION KING 32 O Signy 4-10-7 M Kendrick
11-4 Royal Sam, 7-2 Glory Bridge, 5-1 Tik Tok, 6-1 The Scorpion King, 7-1
The Tablet, 8-1 Cabhfuilfungi, Duke Of Deception.7.30 Handicap (£6,480: 1m 4f) (6)
1 (6)21-41WISE EAGLE 12 (P,D) A Nicol 5-9-10 G Lee
2 (5) 22132 PROTECTED GUEST 8 (D) G Margarson 7-9-8L Morris
3 (2)36-63FAIR STAR 12 B Ellison 6-9-5 B Robinson
4 (3)153-5NAPPER TANDY 73 (D) A Balding 4-9-3 D Probert
5 (1)40-24AFFWONN 20 Alexandra Dunn 5-9-2 D Muscutt
6 (4)-2216SOARING STAR 19 (P,CD) P Kirby 5-8-9 S James
7-4 Wise Eagle, 3-1 Protected Guest, 5-1 Napper Tandy, 6-1 Fair Star, 8-1
Affwonn, 10-1 Soaring Star.
8.00 Handicap (£2,970: 7f) (12)
1 (3)11-04PATONTHEBACK 32 (C) D O'Meara 4-9-7D Tudhope
2 (12)60-46RECTORY ROAD 27 (D) Joseph Parr 6-9-7
Alice Bond (7)
3 (11)104-0EXCHEQUER 19 (P,T,D) Phillip Makin 11-9-6Laura Pearson (3)
4 (1)200-0DICK DATCHERY 53 J Wainwright 5-9-5
Z Wheatley (5)
5 (7)221-0KEY LOOK 14 (P,D) G Harker 5-9-5 S James
6 (9)341-4HARVEST DAY 68 (D) M & D Easterby 7-9-4
Joanna Mason (3)
7 (2) 41512 DAAFY 10 (V,BF,CD) D Shaw 5-9-0 C Hardie
8 (4)24-04CRUNCHIE 13 G Kelleway 4-8-10 R Havlin
9 (10) 21002 TREVIE FOUNTAIN 19 (B,D) R Carr 5-8-9JP Sullivan
10 (6)4560-THE BIG HOUSE 169 (D) Adrian Nicholls 6-8-8B McHugh
11 (8)200-0LOFTY 68 (P,T,D) L Morgan 6-8-7 K O'Neill
12 (5)445/0LYNCHPIN 40 P Leech 6-8-2 Laura Coughlan (5)
5-2 Daafy, 5-1 Trevie Fountain, Harvest Day, 13-2 Patontheback,
7-1 Crunchie, 10-1 Lofty, 12-1 Key Look, 14-1 Rectory Road, 16-1 others.8.30 Handicap (£3,510: 6f) (12)
1 (2)202-5SARAH'S VERSE 15 (D) R Harris 5-9-7R Clutterbuck (3)
2 (6)0-356HELVETIAN 12 (D) K Frost 7-9-6 D Probert
3 (9)-0523IGOTATEXT 12 (D) A Watson 4-9-6 L Morris
4 (5)0-510TRIBUTO 26 (T,D) S C Williams 4-9-5 M Ghiani
5 (8)-2053WATER OF LEITH 8 (BF,D) R Menzies 4-9-5C Bennett
6 (11)630-4RAJMEISTER 20 (H) Tom Clover 4-9-5 H Turner
7 (3)-3233BURROWS SEESIDE 22 (T,BF,D) P Kirby 5-9-5G Lee
8 (1)640-0ELDELBAR 28 (H,D) G Harker 8-9-4 S James
9 (12)5024-BURJ MALINKA 130 Adrian Nicholls 4-9-4B McHugh
10 (10)-2461CAPLA SPIRIT 30 (B,CD) G Kelleway 5-9-3 R Havlin
11 (4)^13600 STEELRIVER 12 (CD) M Herrington 12-9-0 J Hart
12 (7)4602-VIVENCY 139 J Mackie 5-8-11 C Hardie
5-1 Capla Spirit, 11-2 Igotatext, 6-1 Water Of Leith, 7-1 Rajmeister,
Burrows Seeside, 8-1 Sarah's Verse, Steelriver, 12-1 Tributo, 16-1 others.Southwell
Rob Wright
5.20 Only The Brave 7.30 Napper Tandy
5.55 Silver Bubble 8.00 Crunchie
6.30 Art Expert 8.30 Capla Spirit
7.00 Iesha
Going: standard
Draw: no advantage Sky Sports Racing
5.20 Amateur Jockeys' Handicap
(£2,823: 1m) (12)
1 (2)444-0ENDERMAN 19 (BF) P Midgley 4-11-1 Mr S Walker
2 (3)0350-FORESEEABLE FUTURE 151 (P) R Carr 7-11-0
Miss E Bullock (3)
3 (1)6660-OTTO OYL 133 T D Barron 4-10-13
Miss A M Keighley (7)
4 (11)0-050CASHEL 26 (P,D) M Appleby 7-10-13
Miss S Brotherton
5 (7)6-500CITY ESCAPE 24 M Loughnane 5-10-11 Mr F Gingell (5)
6 (9)36-6GOSSAMER SILK 57 D P Quinn 4-10-10
Mr Henry Main (5)
7 (5)240-6ONLY THE BRAVE 32 (B) A Watson 6-10-9
Ms B Hampson
8 (12) 04306 RANGER BOB 20 (P,T) R Menzies 5-10-9
Miss Alex Garven (7)
9 (6)000-0TOP ATTRACTION 14 (V,D) C Fairhurst 5-10-8Danielle Mooney
10 (8)5040-DANCING JO 277 (D) G Deacon 6-10-5 Oliver Timms (7)
11 (4)60-30CARIBBEAN SPRING 32 (CD) G Margarson 9-10-5
Miss R Margarson (5)
12 (10)3000-FAST DEAL J35 M Chapman 5-10-5
Miss Kiah Adams (7)
3-1 Enderman, 6-1 Only The Brave, 13-2 Cashel, 7-1 City Escape, 8-1 Otto
Oyl, Ranger Bob, 10-1 Foreseeable Future, Dancing Jo, 14-1 others.
5.55 Amateur Jockeys' Handicap
(£2,823: 1m) (12)
1 (10)-3120DONYA 13 I Williams 4-11-0 Mr Josh Agar (7)
2 (8)3050-RAFFLES REBEL 178 P Kirby 4-10-13Mr Henry Newcombe (5)
3 (5)020-0ONE TO GO 31 (B,D) A Watson 6-10-13 Ms B Hampson
4 (7)44-30SILVER BUBBLE 55 (P) G Kelleway 4-10-11 Mr R Birkett
5 (6)-5202BROUGHTONS FLARE 31 M Loughnane 6-10-10Miss M Wingrove (5)
6 (4)0-422DIVINE CONNECTION 7 (B,BF) Craig Lidster 5-10-10Mr Kevin Skelton (7)
7 (11)-2312ODD SOCKS HAVANA 17 (P,T,D) R Menzies 4-10-9
Miss Alex Garven (7)8 (3)1235-KRYSTAL MAZE 181 (D) O Pears 4-10-8
Miss Chelsea Brooks (5)
9 (9)006-0DREAM CHASER 32 (P) F O'Brien 4-10-7
Miss Fern O'Brien (5)
10 (12)00/6-STAR OF ST LOUIS 285 D P Quinn 5-10-5
Mr Henry Main (5)
11 (2)0-350LUKOUTOLDMAKEZEBAK 36 (P,D) D Thompson 9-10-5
Mr J Thompson (7)
12 (1)0-555YOU MISSED HER 40 (P,T) Alice Haynes 4-10-5Miss A Collier (3)
4-1 Divine Connection, 5-1 Odd Socks Havana, Broughtons Flare, 7-1
Donya, 8-1 Krystal Maze, 10-1 Lukoutoldmakezebak, One To Go, 12-1 others.6.30 Handicap (3-Y-O: £2,970: 1m 3f) (11)
1 (4)-6322ART EXPERT 12 D Loughnane 9-11Laura Pearson (3)
2 (9)^33331 AWAY WIT DA FAIRYS 6 (P) Alice Haynes 9-9(6ex)K O'Neill
3 (2)006-1ALL ABOUT ALICE 52 Martin Smith 9-7 J Haynes
4 (1)06-64FORESHADOW 11 (B) J J Quinn 9-5 J Hart
5 (7)000-5PEACE ANGEL 12 (P) T Coyle 9-4 C Hardie
6 (10)000-3CAPTAIN KANE 12 G Scott 9-2 D Muscutt
7 (11)0002-FAST FORWARD 105 (P) A King 9-2 D Probert
8 (8)500-0BACKSTAGE 18 (B) K Burke 9-2 C Lee
9 (3)06-42RITA RANA 52 A West 9-1 T Whelan
10 (6)000-0D'CRAICOFDAWN 71 (P) A West 8-13 C Bennett
11 (5)600-BAZZA THE BARREL 151 (T) O Greenall 8-13
B Robinson
7-2 Art Expert, 4-1 Away Wit Da Fairys, 5-1 All About Alice, 11-2 Captain
Kane, 13-2 Fast Forward, 8-1 Rita Rana, Foreshadow, 20-1 others.
7.00 Handicap (£2,970: 5f) (12)
1 (7)02/3-LYNNS BOY 74 D P Quinn 4-9-7 D Muscutt
2 (11)0100-BIRKENHEAD 83 (CD) P Midgley 5-9-6A Fielding (7)
3 (12)16-02EQUALLY FAST 13 (H,D) R Harris 10-9-6 K O'Neill
4 (1)^43620 SCALE FORCE 15 (V,CD) G Kelleway 6-9-6Bradley Furniss (7)
5 (2)36-16TANTASTIC 24 (CD) J Wainwright 4-9-5 B McHugh
6 (4)0-012IESHA 32 (P,CD) C Wallis 4-9-2 C Beasley
7 (9)0600-TOM TULLIVER 92 (B,CD) S Dixon 5-9-0J Fisher (5)
8 (5)-0312BRANDY STATION 21 (P,CD) L Williamson 7-8-13
Z Wheatley (5)
9 (6)0406-HARROGATE 139 (D) P Midgley 7-8-13 G Lee
10 (10)60/0-LOQUACIOUS BOY 270 R Carr 4-8-10 JP Sullivan
11 (8)^24014 RAABEH 8 (H,CD) A Brittain 5-8-6 C Hardie
12 (3) 25010 MOVEONUP 10 (B,CD) G Kelleway 6-8-4
Molly Gunn (7)
4-1 Iesha, 5-1 Brandy Station, 7-1 Equally Fast, Lynns Boy, 8-1 Raabeh,
Harrogate, Scale Force, 12-1 others.T
he prospect of the Cheltenham
Festival being extended to a
fifth day has reared its head
again recently, with the trainers
Nicky Henderson and Kim
Bailey voicing their support for the idea.
On the plus side, it would undoubtedly
raise extra funds for the Jockey Club,
which owns Cheltenham racecourse, and
it would provide extra chances for
owners, trainers and jockeys to win a
coveted race at the meeting.
That, though, is where the good news
ends. The Festival is widely regarded as
the Olympics of jumps racing. It has just
about managed to retain that belief
despite the dilution of quality that was
caused when the meeting was extended
from three days to four in 2005. A fifthDay-five money grab would risk
further diluting Festival quality
day would surely stretch the quality to
breaking point.
The Festival dominates the National
Hunt season as it is the pinnacle of the
sport. For it to retain that status it needs
to be a meeting where the best race
against the best.
With the races that have already been
added, that is open to doubt, with what
once would have been mouthwatering
clashes now diluted because top-class
horses are able to avoid each other.
Racegoers would have travelled far
and wide to have seen a race between
the great Big Buck’s and Quevega but
the introduction of the Mares’ Hurdle, in
2008, meant that clash never happened.
Instead, Big Buck’s won the Stayers’
Hurdle four times — the final three at
odds-on — while Quevega mopped up
the Mares’ Hurdle for six successive
years, starting a warm favourite every
time. Comparisons with Royal Ascot,
which added a fifth day in 2002, arespecious. Yes, Ascot is a big meeting but
it is not the focal point of the entire Flat
season. It is part of a rolling narrative
that includes the Guineas at Newmarket,
the Derby meeting at Epsom, Glorious
Goodwood, the Ebor meeting at York
and St Leger at Doncaster.
Cheltenham is all-encompassing over
jumps. Rightly or wrongly, every race
through the season is seen as a trial for
the Festival. The number of grade one
races at Cheltenham has already gone
up from ten in 2005 to 14. There are
barely enough top-class horses to justify
that many top-flight contests.
Last year there were seven odds-on
favourites at the Festival, which hardly
suggests competitive races. This year
there will again be a host of red-hot
favourites. In 2002, no race had an
odds-on shot. If you get to a point where
the best can win races without real
opposition, what’s the point?
A veterans race has been suggested asa potential extra race — two would be
needed to have six races a day over five
days, rather than the four seven-race
cards that we have now.
That is a dreadful idea. Imagine the
outcry if and when one of these much
loved veterans is killed in action in the
cauldron of the Festival.
There is an added concern as to turf
husbandry. As it stands, the first two
days are staged on the Old Course at
Cheltenham and the final two on the
New Course, which runs inside it.
Conditions could become unsafe by day
five, on whichever course has to stage it,
especially if the ground is heavy.
Money talks, so doubtless a fifth day
will arrive, possibly sooner rather than
later. It might mean greater profits in the
short term but you cannot keep diluting
a top-class product and expect to
maintain the aura that Cheltenham now
enjoys. A fifth day could kill the goose
that lays the golden egg.ROB WRIGHT
COMMENT