Cheltenham 2011 Reflections

The Centenary Festival 

I think several of us asked why 2011 was billed as the Centenary Festival. There had been a National Hunt Meeting established in 1860 which moved around courses (and had been at Cheltenham in 1861,  1904 and 1905) but it found a permanent home at Prestbury Park in 1911.

The official title of the Cheltenham Festival is still the National Hunt Meeting. The earliest traceable reference to a "Festival" is in the Warwick Advertiser of 1907.

The most pointless dead-heat ever?

You may have missed this at the time but Woolcombe Folly and Mad Max dead-heated for 10th place in the Champion Chase!

Stat of the week (1)

The last 11 runnings of the Gold Cup has gone to a horse in the first three in the betting.

Three Previous Winners in the Gold Cup

The Editor wondered if 2011 was the first time three previous Gold Cup winners had run in the race before. There was certainly an instance in 1958 where Gay Donald (1955), Limber Hill (1956) and Linwell (1957) could not cope with new champion Kerstin. History repeated this year then!

Hat-trick heros

After Big Buck's made it three World Hurdles in a row a question was asked about horses that may have won three non-championship races at the Festival.

Half Free won the Mildmay of Flete in 1984 and then the Catchcart in 1986 and 1987.

Willie Wumpkins won the Golden Hurdle (now the Pertemps Final) in 1979, 1980 and 1981 having already claimed the Aldsworth Hurdle (now the Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle) in 1973.

Baulking Green won the United Hunts Cup in 1963, 64, 65 & 67. Trained by Capt Tim Forster the horse was second in 1966 and beaten a short-head at the age of 15 in 1968. Last run at the Festival in 1973 the Cup is still a prize at May's Hunter Chase meeting.

Beau Normand won one of the divisions of the Gloucestershire Hurdle (now the Supreme Novices) in 1961 and the Spa Hurdle in 1963 and 1967.

Arctic Gold won the Broadway Chase (now the RSA) in 1950, the Catchcart in 1953 and Kim Muir in 1954.

Medoc II won the NH Juvenile Chase in 1938, the Seven Springs Handicap Chase in 1940 & 1941 (and the Gold Cup in 1942) while all the way back in the 1920s Dudley won the Amateur Riders Chase of 1923, the Grand Annual in 1924 & 1925 and the Coventry Cup Handicap Chase in 1928.

(With acknowledgements to The Complete Record).

Stat of the week (2)

For the second year running only Quevega won a race at the Festival after being off the track for more than 100 days. Indeed the second longest absence in 2011 for a winner was the 78 days of Chicago Grey and Big Buck's. In 2010 the second longest absence was the 83 days of Imperial Commander.

Despite those numbers Cue Card (94 days), Great Endeavour (94), Sunnyhillboy (94), Menorah (94), Alfa Beat (182), Time for Rupert (95), Woolcombe Folly (95), Aegean Dawn (117), Denman (111), Imperial Commander (118), Midnight Chase (98) and Weird Al (111) all had their supporters this time round and some of them were very warm orders but none could pick up the win.

Loking back as far as 1989 only Flagship Uberalles (95 days) has won the Champion Chase after such a lengthy absence. Cyborgo (363) is the only Stayer's winner to come back after such a long break and Garrison Savannah (92) is the only Gold Cup winner to break the 90-day hoodoo.

There has been no winner of the Champion Hurdle, Arkle, RSA Chase, Triumph Hurdle or Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle to defy a 90-day plus break in more than 20 years.

Is there a trend worth following here? More on this on a future edition of the Fence I fancy!

Whatever happened to Punjabi?

The 2009 Champion Hurdler weakened from three out in the 2010 renewal and only finished ninth behind Binocular, beaten 25 lengths. The horse's next outing was at Punchestown the following month in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle but this time finished last of eleven 35 lengths behind Hurricane Fly.

Timeform expected the horse to go novice chasing in 2010/11 and Nicky Henderson certainly echoed that in an interview with Attheraces in October saying that Punjabi: "Has come back looking bigger and stronger. He was slightly disappointing when defending his Champion Hurdle and at Punchestown after but he has now schooled over fences, taken to it very well and that’s now where his future lies. I'm pleased with what I’ve seen.”

Since then, nothing. Any info will be gratefully received at Fence Towers.

*Nov 2011 Update - After a visit to the Henderson stables The Judge has an update on Punjabi: "After his poor run in Ireland they found he had joint problems.  They could have kept going with medication, but it would have meant only a short career, so they have rested him for a year to let nature do the repairs in the hope it will prolong his career.  They intend to send him chasing if he jumps and his legs stand up to it."