Friday March 18 2022
the times2 CHELTENHAM
2022BROUGH SCOTThimself by saying: “I’m okay, the
horse is okay. It doesn’t make it
any easier, but what goes around
comes around.”
Today will be his and Al Boum
Photo’s fourth consecutive shot at
the Gold Cup, having won in both
2019 and 2020 and logged a good
third behind Minella Indo and A
Plus Tard last year where today’s
outsider Santini was pulled up
and Royale Pagaille, albeit
impeded by injury and two lost
shoes, ran in only sixth. Al Boum
Photo may be experienced but
his jumping has not always been
perfect — a crashing fall at
Cheltenham 2018 left Walsh
with a broken leg.
All jockeys will know that the
Gold Cup puts extra pressure
on a horse’s jumping and their own
concentration. But barring an
uncharacteristic fall by Minella Indo last
season, all bar one of the 11 runners have
clear enough records to give their riders
confidence. The exception is Asterion
Forlonge, who carries the same black
and yellow Donnelly colours as Al Boum
Photo and last week could be seen
cantering round the racecourse each
morning quite unaware of the big
question mark on his back.
Asterion Forlonge is talented enough
to have started favourite in front of
Shishkin in the 2020 Supreme Novices’
Hurdle but while his switch to fences has
included a brilliant win at Punchestown,
he has also sent his rider rolling in the
turf on four separate occasions — themost recent being a last fence crash in
the King George VI at Kempton.
The rider on that occasion, as well as
during the Punchestown victory, was 29-
year-old Bryan Cooper from County
Kerry who had already been a teenage
sensation before he took three races at
the 2013 Festival and followed with the
Gold Cup on Don Cossack in 2016. Since
then injuries and other things have
stalled a career which is now getting
back on track and could be sealed by
victory this afternoon.
“Oh yes, I think he has a hell of achance,” Cooper said of Asterion
Forlonge out on the track yesterday
morning. “He’s actually a very good
jumper but has just failed to get his
landing gear out the last couple of
times.” That may not sound the most
ringing of endorsements, especially with
Galopin Des Champs in the memory, but
at 25-1 it is worth putting forward with
the thought, “you heard it here first”.
For of course we all have our doubts in
life and they will be there before the
Gold Cup too. But when jockeys pull the
goggles down and face the starter, belief
is the thing.Glory relies on keeping out
N
ever doubt the uncertainty
and never let doubt intrude
on your certainty. It’s the
neatest and harshest of all
the riding maxims and one
that Paul Townend will hold close as he
and Al Boum Photo try to win a third
Gold Cup this afternoon. But what a test
they put it through yesterday.
Swinging in to the straight in the
Turners Novices’ Chase, the first race on
the card, Townend and Galopin Des
Champs had put up a jumping display of
such soaring power that they had not
only left Rachael Blackmore and the
highly-rated Bob Olinger bobbing
wearily in their wake but had some eager
punters already making him favourite for
next year’s Gold Cup.
Although bred in France, Galopin Des
Champs is a big, strapping image of the
classic old fashioned Irish chaser and has
a rolling gallop to match. What he also
has is a leap that could vault a lorry and
he gave the first four fences so much
daylight that you had to wonder how he
would ever handle the landing.
There had been just one blip in 14 of
the 16 fences and the 15th was one more
turn of Townend measuring up and
pumping forward in the last three strides
to spring-heeled take off. On towards us
Galopin Des Champs thundered, and
one last time the rider sent the big horse
up and over with just a furlong of soggy
grass between them and more
Cheltenham glory.
But it was too soggy to effect a 30 mph
landing. The leap was clean but the turf
would not grip the skidding hooves.
One grabbing extra stride failed to
right the capsize, and a moment of
acclamation was reduced to horse and
man rolling on the turf. Galopin Des
Champs may not race again this
season and is likely to go for shorter
Cheltenham targets rather than the
Gold Cup next year. But for Townend,
the shock and the challenge was much
more immediate.
“I am heartbroken for Paul because I
have been that soldier,” Ruby Walsh
said from the commentary box —
reliving the memories of last flight
disasters on Annie Power and then
again on Benie Des Dieux in the 2015
and 2019 Mares’ Hurdle. “The world’s
going to say you should’ve done this or
that, but he made a decision and his
intentions were right. He’ll get vilified, I
know it; I got vilified for years. I’m
gutted for him.”
The chance for vindication or further
vilification was to come within the hour.
Allaho was a favourite for the Ryanair
Chase and for 16 of the 17 fences was less
extravagant and even more foot perfect
than Galopin Des Champs. He was
winging his way to the last with
Townend, 31, at the all-conquering Willie
Mullins yard, poised quiet but insistent
on his back.
Thirty metres out Townend could see
his take-off stride and as he punched
one, two, three for take-off, we could see
it too. Then, in a heart-stopping moment
to all us watchers, Allaho declined, took
another stride and burst the birch with
his chest. But balance was maintained,
momentum restored and Allaho strode
on to victory. Townend could contenth h a c P t 2 t P o aim
s P h p C w GonahorseGalopin Des Champs,
ridden by Paul Townend,
falls at the final fence of
the first race yesterday,
while well clear of Bob
Olinger, circled left
above, who went on to
win with Rachael
Blackmore on boardRob Wright’s top tips
How to bet £20 at CheltenhamGalvin (3.30)
£10 win
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£2 each-way
40-1 with BetfairTotal stake - £20
“
All bar one of the 11 Gold
Cup runners have clear
enough records to give
their riders confidence