Latest news with #Teahupoo
Irish Independent
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Punchestown Day 3: Winter Fog could shine at rewarding odds while Sixandahalf is primed to bounce back
Teahupoo is bidding to bounce back to winning ways today in the Champion Stayers Hurdle (6.0) after his reversal in the Cheltenham equivalent last month.
The 42
01-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Teahupoo delivers again for Gordon Elliott, defending crown at Punchestown
TEAHUPOO SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED his Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle crown with a comprehensive victory on day three of the Punchestown Festival. Gordon Elliott's charge returned to County Kildare off the back of successive defeats this season, including when bidding for back-to-back wins in the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. The eight-year-old filled the runner-up spot in the Cotswolds, having previously found star mare Lossiemouth too strong in the Hatton's Grace at Fairyhouse, and was a 5-4 favourite to get himself back in the winner's circle under Sam Ewing. Advertisement After being settled in midfield for the majority of the three-mile journey, Teahupoo travelled strongly before being nudged to lead rounding the home turn and the further he went the better he looked, with four and a quarter lengths the margin over Asterion Forlonge. Elliott said: 'This horse has got me out of trouble a few times and he's done it again. He's a star of a horse. Sam Ewing celebrates winning The Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle (Grade 1) with Teahupoo. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO 'I was panicking turning in to be honest. If we had a couple of winners, I'd have had my chest out. 'He's so laid-back at home and you nearly start questioning yourself 'is he a bit heavy going around the ring'. 'Sam gave him a no-nonsense ride and kept it very straightforward. I'm very lucky to have the riders I have, the staff I have and the owners. 'I was dreaming last night if Teahupoo could win today and Meath could win the Leinster final it would finish off what has been a rough season to be a great season.'
Irish Examiner
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Mighty Majborough brings up double century for Mullins
Majborough's wide-margin success in the Grade One Barberstown Castle Novice Chase provided trainer Willie Mullins with his 200th winner of the season in Ireland and his promising young chaser did it in a style befitting the landmark. Readily making amends for his near miss at Cheltenham, he led quite early in this race and dominated thereafter despite a tendency to jump out to his left. Only By Night, who finished a place in front of him in the Arkle, showed a good attitude to hold onto second place, but there were 14 lengths between the first two. "He's always been inclined to do a little left shuffle when he's not sure of himself, but as long as he knows what he's doing, I don't really care,' declared Mullins. 'He's a huge horse but he's very light framed and is an athlete every time you look at him. He's well over 17 hands. From the moment he stepped off the lorry at home, I thought he could be some article. 'Looking at Fact To File and then at him, I was thinking there were similar attributes — they're tall, long athletes with a huge stride and great jumps. 'Looking at him in the parade ring today, there wasn't one ounce of spare flesh on him, and I couldn't have galloped him one more time. He's only five and a summer's grass will really make him mature strong.' Thinking of next season, Mullins added: "I'd imagine you'd have to look at the Champion Chase, but he could go up in trip either. I think he's easy enough to ride." Gordon Elliott broke his duck for the week when the reliable Teahupoo successfully retained his Ladbrokes Champion Stayers' Crown. In a slowly run affair, there were plenty of opportunities to find trouble in running, and the Robcour gelding didn't manage to avoid it all. However, when push came to shove from Sam Ewing, the right response was there, and he raced clear down over the last and strode on powerfully to the line to beat Asterion Forlonge, just as he did 12 months earlier. 'This horse has got me out of trouble a few times and he's done it again,' said a relieved Elliott. 'He's a star of a horse. I was panicking turning in, to be honest, but if we had had a couple of winners, I'd have had my chest out. 'He's so laidback at home you nearly start questioning yourself, wondering if he is a bit heavy going around the ring. Sam gave him a no-nonsense ride. I'm very lucky to have the riders I have, the staff I have and the owners. 'I was dreaming last night if Teahupoo could win today and Meath could win the Leinster final it would turn what has been a rough season to a great season.' For the winning rider, it was a fifth Grade One of the season, and sixth in all. 'I'm delighted for the horse, the Robcour team and Gordon,' said Ewing. 'He was a bit unlucky to run into Lossiemouth at Fairyhouse on his first start of the season and unlucky to be beaten at Cheltenham, but it's absolutely brilliant to win today. 'Gordon told me to kick on off the bend — Jack (Kennedy) did something similar last year . It was hustle and bustle, but I pulled him out a bit wider than I was because I just wasn't happy with how it was going to unfold going down the back and thankfully, I got a nice position then.'
Irish Times
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Teahupoo successfully defends his Stayers Hurdle title at Punchestown
It was a case of deja vu all over again at Punchestown on Thursday when Teahupoo beat Asterion Forlonge to lift the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle. It proved to be the same one-two in the €300,000 highlight as last year with Gordon Elliott's 5-4 favourite once more proving a decisive winner from his grey rival. It was a first winner of the week for Elliott, and it completed the set of festival Grade One Stayers prizes for owner Brian Acheson. Bob Olinger proved too strong for Teahupoo at Cheltenham in the Stayers Hurdle while Hiddenvalley Lake took the honours at Aintree for Acheson's Robcour operation in the same division. READ MORE If last season was spotless for Teahupoo, this was a deserved first top-flight prize of the current campaign for Teahupoo. Filling in for the injured Jack Kennedy, Sam Ewing always looked comfortable through a race in which Rocky's Diamond cut out much of the running. Much of the field were still in contention two out but Teahupoo's quality came to the fore when it counted. 'I travelled deadly everywhere, jumped deadly and just got out at the right time and I knew he'd stay at it,' Ewing said. 'He's just a great stayer and brilliant to win on him. He's probably unlucky to be beaten twice this year but he's really stamping his authority as a top stayer.' Having once again filled the thankless role of finishing runner up to Willie Mullins in the trainer's championship, it was nevertheless an eighth Grade One victory of the current campaign for Elliott. He has had 157 winners overall in Ireland but struck only once at Cheltenham. JJ Slevin on Cottesloe Sunshine wins The Close Brothers Irish EBF Mares Novice Hurdle. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho 'I was dreaming last night if Teahupoo could win today, and Meath could win the Leinster Final, it would finish off what has been a rough season to be a great season!' Elliott commented. 'This horse has got me out of trouble a few times and he's done it again. He's a star of a horse.' Mullins reached 200 domestic winners this season in Thursday's other Grade One, the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase, when Majborough atoned for his Arkle defeat at Cheltenham by landing cramped 4-11 odds. Despite ultimately winning with authority by 14 lengths from Only By Night, Majborough again gave an impression of being a work in progress. If jumping blunders left him down at Cheltenham, this time he persistently jumped to his left. 'He has some engine. He always jumps a little bit left but it's the first time he's went that badly left going right-handed,' jockey Mark Walsh admitted. 'If you could just iron them out he has some ability, some engine.' Mullins's initial reaction was to point towards next season's Queen Mother Champion Chase with the former Triumph Hurdle winner. 'He goes a bit to his left but that's his quirk. I won't mind that, and he measures his fences and didn't make any real mistakes today. 'Mark wasn't hard on him over the last two, I thought just getting from A to B and he did that all right. Considering his age and how much he can mature over the next few years, he could be a real, top-class chaser in time. He's got such a stride and when he's long at a fence he can just take it in his stride, to me that's a huge asset; he has huge scope,' Mullins said. Earlier, Grade One-winning jockey Jody McGarvey almost had a fairy-tale finish to his career only for the well-backed Mirazur West to fade to third behind another JP McManus owned hope, Petit Tonnerre, in the Listed handicap chase. The Co Derry rider, 34, announced his retirement immediately afterwards following a career that produced 173 winners. The tally includes four Grade One successes beginning with Great Field at the 2017 Punchestown festival. McGarvey also landed the 2023 Drinmore on I Am Maximus and there was a top-flight double on the same day at Fairyhouse in 2021 through Janidil and Skyace. Cousins Joseph O'Brien and JJ Slevin combined for a double through Busselton in the La Touche and the 33/1 shot Cottesloe Sunshine in the Mares Hurdle. Slevin matched his father Shay who trained the 2017 La Touche winner Treo Eile. 'I've been watching these races for as long as I can remember and it's special to win it,' the rider said. Petit Tonnerre was the first of three cross-channel winners on the card. James Bowen warmed up for his date with Constitution Hill in Friday's feature by landing the Listed handicap hurdle on Jeriko Du Reponet. Bowen's brother, Sean, took the opener on Tony Martin's Putapoundinthejar. The horse was the last winner ridden by the late Michael O'Sullivan at Down Royal in January. The British notched a one-two in the concluding bumper. El Cairos threw away his chance by hanging badly left in the closing stages, opening the door for Alan King's Baron Noir to score. Thursday's official attendance of 20,228 was up almost 2,000 on last year's figure of 18,289.
Irish Independent
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Punchestown Day 3: Teahupoo goes back-to-back for Gordon Elliott with defence of Champion Stayers Hurdle
Gordon Elliott's charge returned to County Kildare off the back of successive defeats this season, including when bidding for back-to-back wins in the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. The eight-year-old filled the runner-up spot in the Cotswolds, having previously found star mare Lossiemouth too strong in the Hatton's Grace at Fairyhouse, and was a 5-4 favourite to get himself back in the winner's circle under Sam Ewing. After being settled in midfield for the majority of the three-mile journey, Teahupoo travelled strongly before being nudged to lead rounding the home turn and the further he went the better he looked, with four and a quarter lengths the margin over Asterion Forlonge. Elliott said: 'This horse has got me out of trouble a few times and he's done it again. He's a star of a horse. 'I was panicking turning in to be honest. If we had a couple of winners, I'd have had my chest out. 'He's so laid-back at home and you nearly start questioning yourself 'is he a bit heavy going around the ring'. 'Sam gave him a no-nonsense ride and kept it very straightforward. I'm very lucky to have the riders I have, the staff I have and the owners. 'I was dreaming last night if Teahupoo could win today and Meath could win the Leinster final it would finish off what has been a rough season to be a great season.' Earlier, Britain's newly-crowned champion jockey Sean Bowen was at his brilliant best as he steered Putapoundinthejar to victory in the opening race on day three of the Festival. Taking to the saddle for the first time sine celebrating his title triumph with a big-race success aboard Resplendent Grey in Saturday's bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown, the 27-year-old produced another power-packed ride on Tony Martin's 17-2 shot in the Specialist Group Handicap Hurdle. Battle Of Ridgeway (50-1) was clear of the chasing pack on the run to the final flight, but Bowen conjured a late charge out of Putapoundinthejar, who got up to score by half a length. Bowen, who since Saturday has enjoyed his stag party in Tenerife, said: 'He did well to win as he didn't jump well at all. He got into a rhythm from halfway and did well to pick up the leader. 'I had a good clear run down to the last. He winged the last and picked up well from the back of it. 'It's good ground and he enjoyed that. He will have learned loads today.' Sean's brother James Bowen got his name on the winner's board after Jeriko Du Reponet (13-2 joint-favourite) led home a one-two for Nicky Henderson in the Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle. Doddiethegreat beat Jeriko Du Reponet in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival and the Seven Barrows pair again came to the fore, but this time it was the latter who came out on top to give his rider a timely boost ahead of partnering Constitution Hill in Friday's Champion Hurdle. Henderson said: 'I felt sorry for one horse at Cheltenham and I now I feel sorry for the other one! There was no alternative route other than to come here and take each other on again. 'You've got to be delighted with both of them – two divisions would have helped! 'It all went wrong for Jeriko at the start of the season when he was meant to go chasing and we thought he was going to be the star. It all went wrong at Sandown on his first start, it was terrible and we had to come back over hurdles. 'The Pertemps became the objective, he didn't quite win that but he's got his consolation and we must go back over fences next year and get the job done properly.' There was further success for the raiding party in the Frontline Security Handicap Chase, with 16-1 shot Petit Tonnerre finishing with a flourish under Richie McLernon to strike gold for the father-son training partnership of Jonjo and AJ O'Neill. The latter said: 'We were hitting the crossbar earlier in the week but Richie gave that lad a really lovely ride, very patient, and it was lovely to see it coming off for all the team. 'JP (McManus, owner) is a massive supporter of the game and a massive supporter of ours, so it's amazing to have a winner on a day like today.' Joseph O'Brien and J J Slevin teamed up to land the Mongey Communications La Touche Cup Cross Country Chase with 7-1 shot Busselton. 'It's a special race, historic. It was really exciting for us as it was our first runner in it and even to have a horse for the banks this year was special,' said O'Brien. 'J J has done a great job schooling this horse and gave him a fantastic ride today. He's won under all codes and hopefully will win again.' O'Brien and Slevin completed a surprise double in the Close Brothers Irish EBF Mares Novice Hurdle, with Cottesloe Sunshine (33-1) beating the Cheltenham Festival runner-up and 8-13 favourite Sixandahalf into third place. O'Brien added: 'It was a great ride by J J and a very tough filly. She jumped well today and I'm delighted for Nick (Fahy, owner) and his family who are here today. 'We were coming here fresh and a lot of the competitors had been to all the Festivals over the last few months. I'd be lying if I said I expected her to win but we thought we might run well.' Finally, Majborough bounced back from his Cheltenham Festival defeat with a facile victory in the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase. Last season's Triumph Hurdle hero had looked every inch a top-class chaser in the making after winning his first two starts over the larger obstacles, but a juddering error two fences from home ultimately led to him suffering a surprise reverse in the Arkle at Prestbury Park in mid-March. The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old was sent off at 4-11 to reward those who kept the faith back on home soil and while he pulled his way to the front on the second circuit and raced keenly throughout under Mark Walsh, he stamped his class from the home turn, pulling 14 lengths clear of the Arkle runner-up Only By Night. Mullins, saddling his 200th winner of the season in Ireland, said "He jumped today like we know he can jump. For some reason things didn't go right for him in Cheltenham, but he's redeemed himself today. "He's a huge, big horse but he's very light framed and is an athlete every time you look at him. Looking at him in the parade ring today, there wasn't one ounce of spare flesh on him, and I couldn't have galloped him one more time. "He's only five and hopefully he'll mature this summer. I'm looking forward to what he could mature into over the next 18 months or two years.
