Cheltenham Results: Al Boum Photo with Gold Cup glory at last for Mullins

It's all over for another year...

Al Boum Photo Gold Cup

By / Cheltenham Festival, Horse Racing Tips / 5 years ago

Triumph Hurdle – 1.30pm

This race was marked by tragedy as the favourite Sir Erec suffered a fatal injury around half-way through the race. The Joseph O’Brien-trained horse, who had been reshod before the off, will be sorely missed.

Pentland Hills under Nico De Boinville went on to take victory, but trainer Nicky Henderson was quick to pay tribute to the fallen favourite: “Sir Erec was a gorgeous horse, he was just stunning.”

Result

1st – Pentland Hills – 20/1

2nd – Coeur Sublime – 20/1

3rd – Gardens of Babylon – 9/1

County Hurdle – 2.10pm

In truth, Ch’tibello with Harry Skelton on board made all this seem rather straightforward. He seized the lead from Eclair De Beaufeu at the final flight and outlasted We Have A Dream and Countister.

Ruby Walsh’s Whiskey Sour ran into fourth, with second-favourite Monsieur Lecoq languishing in 10th.

Result

1st – Ch’tibello – 12/1

2nd – We Have A Dream – 14/1

3rd – Countister – 18/1

4th – Whiskey Sour – 5/1

Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle – 2.50pm

This one was a bit of a surprise, with 50/1 Minella Indo storming clear and managing to hold off Gordon Elliott’s fancied 4/1 Commander Of Fleet.

Rachael Blackmore, unsurprisingly, did a smashing job on Henry de Bromhead’s long shot, taking it comfortably in the end.

Result

1st – Minella Indo – 50/1

2nd – Commander Of Fleet – 4/1

3rd – Allaho – 8/1

4th – Dickie Diver – 14/1

Gold Cup – 3.30pm

At long last, Willie Mullins has his Gold Cup win, with Al Boum Photo under Paul Townend doing the job in Friday’s feature race. Romping in at 12/1, Al Boum Photo outlasted a late-charging Anibale Fly, who made up some ground late on but eventually ran out of track.

It was a lovely return to the Cheltenham spotlight for the horse, who famously fell with Ruby Walsh on his back in the JLT at the Festival last year.

Bristol De Mai and the fancied Native River ended up third and fourth respectively, with favourite Clan Des Obeaux back in fifth.

Result

1st – Al Boum Photo – 12/1

2nd – Anibale Fly – 22/1

3rd – Bristol De Mai – 18/1

4th – Native River – 6/1

Foxhunter’s Chase – 4.10pm

Finally, a win for a favourite! Hazel Hill emerged triumphant from another big Foxhunter’s field to take the spoils for Philip Rowley. With one jump to go, Alex Edwards allowed his mount to stretch its legs and was far too strong for the rest.

Hazel Hill remains unbeaten for the season. What a mighty horse.

Result

1st – Hazel Hill – 7/2

2nd – Shantou Flyer – 7/1

3rd – Top Wood – 33/1

4th – Road To Rome – 7/1

Grand Annual – 4.50pm

Well, this was another turn up for the books. Before today, 66/1 shot Croco Bay had only been seen once since the 2017 Cheltenham Festival, when he was fifth in that edition of the Grand Annual. Last time out, he managed second at Worcester – back in July 2018 – but stole the show with this performance.

It was just reward for jockey Kielan Woods, who first mounted the horse back in 2014.

Result

1st – Croco Bay – 66/1

2nd – Bun Doran – 11/1

3rd – Brelan D’as – 8/1

4th – Forest Bihan – 33/1

Martin Pipe Conditional Handicap Hurdle – 5.30pm

The final race of Cheltenham. Mixed emotions for everyone involved – though not for Jonjo O’Neill Jr, who rode clear of the field on Early Doors to take the 2019 Martin Pipe. A late doors victory for Joseph O’Brien, who sadly lost Sir Erec earlier in the day.

Result

1st – Early Doors

2nd – Dallas Des Pictons

Not to worry – still plenty of racing to be found this weekend

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