Latest news with #Protektorat
The Independent
04-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
The perfect 10 for Jonbon as Nico de Boinville earns redemption on day two at the Grand National
The relief was palpable. Moments after Nico de Boinville crossed the line aboard a resurgent Jonbon in the highlight of Ladies Day, the Grade One My Pension Expert Melling Chase, weighing room colleague Harry Skelton pulled alongside on a weary Protektorat. The pair shared a handshake and then an embrace. It was more than just a congratulatory acknowledgement, it was two brothers sharing a 'but for the grace of God moment'. As Skelton is all too aware, twenty four hours can be a long time in horse racing, not least a jockey's life. After Constitution Hill crashed out of the Aintree Hurdle on day one, falling in his second successive Grade 1 examination after a similar departure at Cheltenham, de Boinville was inconsolable. Fast forward to day two and the slate, not quite wiped clean, was ready for Jonbon's name to again be carved upon it if he could see off three rivals in the day's feature and land a 10th Grade 1 triumph. In all honesty, there was very little danger as the JP McManus-owned nine-year-old made all to see off Protektorat by three-and-a-quarter-lengths with his closest rival in the market, El Fabiolo (5-2), having fallen at the 11th fence. Having landed last year's renewal from the same runner-up, it was his fourth consecutive success at the Randox Grand National Festival, having won the Top Novices' Hurdle in 2022 and Maghull Novices' Hurdle in 2023. The victory did much to erase a painful Champion Chase defeat for Jonbon with trainer Nicky Henderson paying rich tribute to horse and jockey. He said: 'You've got to admire two things there - the horse is amazing when he's doing that, and Nico. He's been very brave, because it's been a tough little session, and to go out and ride him like that, that's a guy who had no fears. 'They went some clip - I don't know what the time was, but it must have been quick. Whether he's short or long (at his fences) - he's very clever when he dances, isn't he? To be able to do that - when he's long it's great, and when he's short, he's just very quick and in and out. 'It just went all wrong at Cheltenham, and it was proved today, he just loves doing that. That's what he does best. At Cheltenham the start went wrong, and he was on the back foot the whole way. He loves his own space. It was unfortunate, the tape went straight across his face and he went backwards. 'That was some gallop. Not many horses can jump that well that fast. We'll certainly think about going to Sandown again.' Henderson reiterated that the season may not be over for his star hurdler: 'Constitution Hill is fine this morning, he's back home at Seven Barrows in his box, and he trotted up sound, not a bother on him. Our vets and the physios have been all over him. Our intention is take him to Punchestown if we can; we'll see how he is. That's the plan at the moment.' For his part, de Boinville was quick to heap praise on the Seven Barrows collective: 'There was a lot riding on that and Jonbon gets us out of trouble again. You would have said it would be a tough week for us, but all credit to the staff and particularly to the governor and 'JP' and his team. 'They kept the faith in us. We had to pick ourselves up again after yesterday, but luckily I've got really nice horses to ride like Jonbon, and he's an absolute superstar. 'He was a very different horse to the one I rode at Cheltenham. He really enjoyed it out there and you could see that when he's on song he loves his jumping and can come up from anywhere. It's a tough place to be but you just have to roll with the punches and pick yourself up.' El Fabiolo wasn't the only high profile Mullins chaser to trip up, with Dancing City crashing out of the opening Mildmay Novices' Chase when travelling strongly, leaving the way clear for the Paul Nicholls -trained Caldwell Potter to supplement his Cheltenham win with a Grade 1 success in the hands of Harry Cobden. Mullins wouldn't be denied for long though as Salvator Mundo ran out an imperious winner of the Grade 1 Top Novices' Hurdle, while one-time Champion Chase runner-up Gentleman De Mee captured the Topham Chase over the National fences under an inspired ride from Mark Walsh.
The Independent
04-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Grand National results LIVE: Tips and updates as Jonbon set to headline day two at Aintree
The Grand National Festival at Aintree continues today after a blockbuster clash between Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth provided thrills and excitement on the opening day. The Willie Mullins-trained Lossiemouth took victory in the Aintree Hurdle after Constitution Hill fell once more following a stumble at the Cheltenham Festival. On Friday, Jonbon will face Protektorat in the Melling Chase and there's interest in Romeo Coolio who hopes to shrug off defeat in the Michael O'Sullivan Novices Nurdle last month. The Grand National main event itself takes place on Saturday 5 April and the field was confirmed on Thursday with I Am Maximus leading the charge once more. The 2024 winner aims to emulate Tiger Roll and Red Rum in winning consecutive Grand Nationals but extra weight may hinder his chances in a strong field that includes Stumptown and Intense Raffles. Good morning! Welcome to The Independent's coverage of day two at the Grand National Festival from Aintree racecourse. Yesterday was a thrilling affair with fans of Willie Mullins celebrating in style as the Irish trainer won the first four grade ones of the day. The peak was a victory for the Paul Townend ridden Lossiemouth who defeated Constitution Hill in the Aintree Hurdle after the latter fell down the final stretch. Today's action is headline by the Melling Chase in which Jonbon will attempt to put aside a poor outing at Cheltenham to triumph against Protektorat, El Fabiolo and Matata. We'll have all the coverage from Friday's races at Aintree as well as build-up to the big race; the Grand National itself running tomorrow at 4pm. Mike Jones4 April 2025 07:31
The Independent
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Who are Rachael Blackmore's winners at the Cheltenham Festival?
March is the month that the Cheltenham Festival dominates the back pages for four days of horseracing action which can send winning jockeys into the mainstream. One such champion is Ireland's Rachael Blackmore. A favourite with the general public following her triumph in the 2021 Grand National which made her the first female jockey to win the famous race. At Cheltenham, Blackmore has cemented her place as one of the best jockeys around riding 16 winners at the festival including A Plus Tard in the 2022 Gold Cup where she repeated her previous feat and became the first female jockey the prestigious trophy. Last year she opened the four-day meeting with a win in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle atop Slade Steel before taking victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase with Captain Guinness. Those were her only two winners in 2024 but she's back to challenge for the greatest honours and titles this time around. Below, we'll list all the horses Blackmore is riding on each day of the festival 2025 and rank their chances of winning: Which horses is Rachael Blackmore riding? Tuesday 11 March 1.20pm: Michael O'Sullivan Supreme Novices' Chase Workahead - Age: 7, Weight: 11-7, Trainer: Henry de Bromhead 2.40pm: Ultima Handicap Chase The Short Go - Age: 8, Weight: 10-8, Trainer Henry de Bromhead 3.20pm: Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle July Flower - Age: 6, Weight: 11-5, Trainer: Henry de Bromhead 4.40pm: Boodles Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle Murcia - Age: 4, Weight, 11-2, Trainer: Willie Mullins Wednesday 12 March 2.40pm: Coral Cup Hurdle Ballyadam - Age: 10, Weight: 11-12, Trainer: Henry de Bromhead 4pm: Champion Chase Captain Guinness - Age: 10, Weight 11-10, Trainer: Henry de Bromhead 4.40pm: Grand Annual Chase Dancing On My Own - Age: 11, Weight 11-10, Trainer Henry de Bromhead Thursday 13 March 1.20pm – Ryanair Mares' Novices Hurdle Air of Entitlement – Age: 6, Weight: 11-4, Trainer: Henry de Bromhead - Won 3.20pm – Ryanair Chase Envoi Allen – Age: 11, Weight: 11-10, Trainer: Henry de Bromhead 4pm – Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle Bob Olinger – Age: 10, Weight: 11-10, Trainer: Henry de Bromhead Which horses have the best chance of winning? Thursday may provide the best chance of Rachael Blackmore secuing her first victory of the week with Air of Entitlement one to watch out for the Ryanair Mares' Hurdle first up. Former Ruby Walsh is keen on it and has tipped the horse to run well but whether it is good enough to win remains to be seen. Below we've ranked Blackmore's horses and the chances they have to win on Thursday: 3. Envoi Allen - An older charge coming up against stronger and younger opponents in the Ryanair Chase. Something extraordinary will have to ahppen for him to get the better of Protektorat and Fact To File. 2. Bob Olinger - At 10, he's the oldest horse in the race along with Home By The Lee which reflects the 33/1 pre-race odds given to him. It could be a struggle for Blackmore to eke out a famous win in the Stayers' Hurdle but there's always a chance. 1. Air of Entitlement - Tipped to perform well but at 18/1 the jury is still out. She could place inside the top four which would be an achievement but winning the race may be a touch too far. Remains Blackmore's best chance of a winner on the day.
The Guardian
13-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Cheltenham festival 2025 day three: Stayers' Hurdle and more
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Greg Wood's selections for Thursday, with full previews of each race to follow. While the Gold Cup on Friday revolves around the odds-on Galopin Des Champs and his bid for a third consecutive success, the Ryanair Chase over two and a half miles on Thursday is much more open, with live contenders from Britain, Ireland and France, and the prospect of seeing the bold front‑runner Il Est Francais tackling Cheltenham for the first time, with top-class opponents including Fact To File and Protektorat in hot pursuit, is one to savour. Il Est Francais (3.20) was a clear leader for much of the way in the King George VI Chase at Kempton at Christmas before Banbridge reeled him in on the run to the last, and his devastating front-running success in the Kauto Star Novices Chase at the same meeting in 2023 was one of the best performances by a novice in recent years. The fact that his best form outside France has come at a flat track is a slight concern, but the drop back on Thursday to an intermediate trip on decent ground should suit and Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm's seven-year-old has a big chance to become only the second French‑trained winner at the festival meeting since 2005. Share Further news, via PA Media: Gordon Elliott has issued a positive update on Galvin, who was taken away in a horse ambulance for assessment after being pulled up in the Cross Country Chase. Elliott said on ITV's Opening Show: 'Galvin had a haematomma on his knee but he was x-rayed and everything was good. He's on his way home now.' Share Weather report: sunny spells expected between 12pm and 5pm today's conditions should be ideal. Share Going news: good to soft ground, no longer soft in places. A dry night in Cheltenham, in one sense at least. Share Some news ahead of the third day. Langer Dan is out of the feature race, the Stayers' Hurdle. Dan Skelton took to X to announce the sad news the Cheltenham specialist will be out. Unfortunately it's not great news for Langer Dan this morning,' said Skelton on X. 'He had a slightly dirty nose and we've had the vet have a look at him. We did a tracheal wash and there's a bit of mucus and it was too much. I've made him a non-runner which is very disappointing. He's been a horse who has turned up there every year since he was a four-year-old. I'm absolutely gutted for Colm [Donlon] who owns him. We always trust him to come alive at this time of year. He will, however, go to Aintree with a bit of luck. It shouldn't take long to clear up, it's just bad timing. These things happen and I'm sure he'll be cheered on in the Aintree Hurdle, one of the great races of the meeting. Share Greg Wood Good morning from Cheltenham on day three of the 2025 festival meeting – effectively the day that was added to the schedule 20 years ago to expand it from three to four. It still feels a little uncertain of itself, with two Grade Ones in the middle of the card rather than a standout feature, but one or other of the Ryanair Chase or the Stayers' Hurdle generally throws up a decent yarn, and sometimes – as was the case on a memorable afternoon in 2019 – it is both. This year, perhaps – it is always risky to be too dogmatic at Cheltenham – it will be the Ryanair, which is a vanishingly rare meeting of top-class chasers trained in the three major jumping nations. The Irish team is led by Fact To File, who was quoted at fairly short odds for the Gold Cup after winning the three-mile novice here last year but is leaving that to his stable companion, Galopin Des Champs. The British challenge is headed by Protektorat, last year's winner, while France fields the hugely exciting Il Est Francais. He is, admittedly, trained in France by an Englishman and a Swede (Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm) but having had just a single winner at this meeting since 2005, the French will celebrate long and hard all the same if the front-running Il Est Francais can stamp his authority on Cheltenham at the first attempt. He announced himself as a major talent with a devastating display in the Grade One novice at Kempton's Boxing Day meeting in 2023, and put up a similarly spectacular display for much of the way in the King George VI Chase at Christmas. Something similar over this very different course this afternoon will be quite the sight to see. It is a bright, clear morning in the west country, with a chill in the air but no sign of any of yesterday's snow as the action switches to the New Course for the final two days of the meeting. The going is good-to-soft (from good-to-soft, soft in places), while the news from the weighing room is that Jack Kennedy, Gordon Elliott's number one, will have to pass the doctor to ride today after slightly aggravating the leg injury that ruled him out of much of the earlier part of the season. Since Sam Ewing, who had been filling very successfully for Kennedy earlier in the year, is also ruled out today, it could be a real headache for Elliott. My picks for the afternoon – full disclosure: currently showing a slight loss of £2.18 to level stakes – are here, and you can get the latest news on Kennedy, his potential replacements and much, much more here on the blog as the day unfolds. Share
Telegraph
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Cheltenham Festival Day 3 tips: Lucky 15 and accumulator
Day three of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival features two Grade 1 races – the Ryanair Chase at 3.20pm and the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle at 4pm. Protektorat and Teahupoo are the respective defending champions, but will either be one of your Lucky 15, accumulator or bet365 Super Boost? Read on to see how your selections compare with ours. If you already have a bookmaker account and are looking for a new operator to use for this week's racing, check out our list of Cheltenham free bets that can be used on day three of the Festival. Tips for Cheltenham day 3 1.20 Galileo Dame @ 9/2 with Betfair 9/2 with Betfair 2.00 Nurburgring @ 5/1 with Betfair 2.40 D Art D Art @ 11/1 with Betfair Catch Him Derry @ 14/1 with Betfair 3.20 Fact To File @ 11/10 with Betfair 4.00 Nemean Lion @ 25/1 with Betfair 4.40 Personal Ambition @ 20/1 with Betfair La Malmason @ 20/1 with Betfair 5.20 Sa Majeste @ 8/1 with Betfair Odds provided by Betfair and correct at the time of writing. Each-way selections are highlighted in the analysis below. Cheltenham Day 3 Acca tips Galileo Dame, Nemean Lion and Sa Majeste each-way @ 1,287/1 with Betfair Cheltenham Day 3 Lucky 15 tips D Art D Art, Nemean Lion, La Malmason and Sa Majeste each-way @ 58,968/1 with Betfair If you are looking for a bookmaker to use for day three of the Cheltenham Festival check out our list of betting offers from the UK's best betting sites 1.20, Cheltenham – Ryanair Mares' Novices Hurdle (Grade 2, 2m 1f) Joseph O'Brien-trained GALILEO DAME is the opening tip of day three and she holds very strong claims carrying 10lb less than all of her opponents because of her four-year-old's allowance. So many of these horses are pretty unexposed and inexperienced. But despite her age this cannot be said of Galileo Dame, who was a classy 96-rated middle-distance horse on the Flat who ran in last year's Irish Oaks. Her two seconds over hurdles read well as they were not restricted to her own sex, so today's task should be manageable. Selection: Galileo Dame @ 9/2 with Betfair Go to site > 2.00, Cheltenham – Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2, 2m 4½f) NURBURGRING can go well stepped up in trip for today's two-and-a-half-mile contest. He enjoyed a good juvenile season last year when finishing fourth here in the Triumph before winning the Galway Hurdle in the summer. His first couple of runs over fences looked very educational and he would have benefited a lot from them. The return to good ground, reapplication of a hood and being awarded a handy mark based on his hurdles and Flat form are all positives and calculated into his price. 2.40, Cheltenham – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Class 1, 3m) D ART D ART looks tailor-made for this trip after flashing home late to qualify last time out. Staying-on finishes are a trademark of this horse and should help him charge up the Cheltenham form. He looks full of potential and is unlucky not to have more wins to his name – but having been put away since December, today has clearly been the long-term target, so expect him to run his race. The next selection is CATCH HIM DERRY who has notched up three wins in the past 12 months and looked very measured last time out when doing so in the qualifying for today. He needed a significant jump in the weights to make it into this field and did so successfully as he is running off 1lb above bottom weight. The Skeltons know exactly how to prepare a horse for a big handicap win and his progressive season might not be over. 3.20, Cheltenham – Ryanair Chase (Grade 1, 2m 4½f) There is plenty of pace in today's renewal, with Jungle Boogie and Il Est Francais likely to bound along in front and set a frantic gallop. The former is a bit of an unknown quantity, having only run seven races under Rules at the age of 11. The latter, while capable, has blown out on more than one occasion in his career so has it all to prove. This will tee up the race perfectly for the class horse in the field, FACT TO FILE, who will let them lead him into it and will soar on by going up the Cheltenham straight. The Willie Mullins-trained horse won the John Durkin in impressive fashion earlier in the season ahead of the two-time Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs and last year took home the Brown Advisory with ease. While he dropped out tamely of the Irish Gold Cup, today's conditions will be much more suitable for another JP McManus Cheltenham Festival success. 4.00, Cheltenham – Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1, 3m) Last year today's favourite Teahupoo won this competition at short odds. But in the years before, this contest was taken by long-odds outsiders – and today that may also be the case, with Teahupoo not being seen since finishing second to Tuesday's Mares' Hurdle winner Lossiemouth 102 days ago. NEMEAN LION stands out as a horse with untapped staying potential and can make it four wins in a row today upped to three miles for the first time. The Kerry Lee-trained horse was in fact entered into the three-mile Rendlesham at Haydock in February, but they decided that the ground was unsuitable and he was duly pulled out. What was eyecatching that day was the huge amount of market support behind Nemean Lion as his price shortened from 13/2 to 5/2. While he will need more today, this is an underrated horse at a very healthy price. 4.40, Cheltenham –TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (Class 1, 2m 4½f) The first pointer for PERSONAL AMBITION was that jockey Ben Jones, who has already tasted victory this week, chose this mount ahead of Shakem Up'arry, who he steered to victory in this race last year off just two pounds lower than his mark today. If that is not confidence enough the horse also has sound form claims, having finished 13 lengths ahead of the current Kim Muir favourite, Johhnywho, in a Grade 2 novices' chase in December. He also showed a lot of class in his hurdling days, beating Tuesday's Arkle winner Jango Baie at Kelso a year ago. All of that suggests his mark of 137 is manageable. The second selection is LA MALMASON, who is trained by the Cheltenham handicap specialist Gavin Cromwell. She won over course and distance in December 2023 in a mares handicap chase, which is a big positive, and she can overcome her lofty mark against geldings today. She beat the geldings at Fairyhouse in December, and the runner she beat in second went on to win comfortably next time out. That was then followed by a gallant second herself over the festive period, proving she is more than capable at this level. Being by Walk In The Park, today's better ground could eke out the necessary improvement to win again. 5.20, Cheltenham – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase (Class 2, 3m 2f) Willie Mullins holds many records at Cheltenham, but one he will not be proud of is that heading into this Festival he had not won a handicap chase. The master trainer campaigns his horses to reach a level above this, and in doing so often blows their handicap marks. But SA MAJESTE still looks very well treated despite two wins and a second from his four chase runs. A mark of 142 is definitely still in his reach. He was sent off 5/1 favourite when disappointing in last year's Coral Cup, but Patrick Mullins can right that wrong today as he faces off against fellow amateur jockeys. What is the Cheltenham Day 3 bet365 Super Boost? bet365 Super Boosts are being announced at 10am every day during the Cheltenham Festival. bet365 will be considerably boosting the price of one selection each day – this will typically be a popular odds-on shot boosted to evens, but you may even get prices like 6/4 or 2/1. Last year three out of the four bet365 Super Boosts were successful. Cheltenham tips: Frequently asked questions What is an accumulator bet? An accumulator or acca is a bet that consists of multiple bets (or legs) that multiply together for bigger odds if they all win. What is a Lucky 15? A Lucky 15 is a bet with four legs that consists of 15 separate bets: four singles, six doubles, four trebles and a fourfold accumulator. What is an each-way bet? An each-way bet is when you not only bet on your horse to win, but you also bet on them to finish in the top designated places in a race (this will vary from race to race and bookmaker to bookmaker). The bet to finish in the places will be a fraction of the win odds (usually 1/5, but sometimes 1/4). What does NAP mean? Nap is short for Napoleon and denotes a tipster's best bet of the day. What does SP mean? SP stands for starting price – a horse's odds when a race begins. What does BOG mean? BOG stands for best odds guaranteed, an industry standard offer. Regarding bets placed after a certain time of day, if a horse's starting price is bigger than the odds you bet on, you will get the larger odds. Click here for the best Cheltenham BOG operators
