Cheltenham Gold Cup

Bookmakers may have edged ahead of punters on day two and three of the Cheltenham Festival but Friday started in the worst possible fashion for the layers ...

"A Plus Tard was by far the best-backed horse in the Gold Cup, having been smashed into favouritism early this morning. Betfred spokesman Matt Hulmes said: "Willie Mullins has caused chaos on the trading floor and ensured we have done our conkers. "When you have four big-name favourites winning on Gold Cup day and a jolly winning the big race itself it’s going to be painful. It's unbelievable." Rachael Blackmore is just unreal." Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes added: "Rachael Blackmore has done it again.

The show has returned for 2022, with an action packed weekend of racing and the prestigious Gold Cup.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt run over a distance of about 3 miles 2 ½ furlongs with 22 fences to be jumped. The most successful horse at the event is Golden Miller, who secured five wins between 1932 and 1936. The festival, which started on Tuesday, will finish on Friday, March 18 and will showcase seven races every day.

Blackmore becomes the first woman to ride a Gold Cup winner, adding to her two Champion Hurdles and the Grand National.

This is what it’s all about. Robbie [Power] was brilliant on Indo and Rachael amazing on A Plus Tard. De Bromhead said: “The class of him there – he was so impressive and Indo ran an absolute blinder as well, he really did. “Rachael was brilliant on him. “You can’t do this without the horses and being attached to Henry’s yard is just absolutely phenomenal. Racing doesn’t let that happen all the time and for some reason it’s happened to me today.

Other key races at the festival also have sizeable prize funds, including the Champion Hurdle, with £400,000, and the Queen Mother Champion Chase, with £300,000 ...

The range for jump racing jockeys sits between 8 and 9 percent, most of the time, whilst flat racing jockeys find their prize money cut sitting at around seven percent. It is difficult to give a definitive answer of how much jockeys get paid, but there are a number of factors that contribute to their salary. The festival, which began on Tuesday, March 15, will last until Friday, March 18, when the much anticipated Cheltenham Gold Cup will take place.

Our champion tipster picks his best betting selections for final day of this year's Cheltenham Festival as Rachael Blackmore wins Gold Cup.

His trainer Peter Fahey has continued to prove himself a particularly shrewd handler and his representative here looks to have a great chance of outrunning his likely long odds. The 2m6f Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Novices’ Hurdle from Leopardstown last month could hold the key here, with the third, fourth & sixth set to re-oppose, namely Hollow Games, Freedom To Dream and Grand Jury respectively. Once again, Willie Mullins looks to have taken aim at this contest and Billaway is strongly fancied to make it third time lucky for his connections. This sees her escape a penalty coming into this Grade 2 event and she can prove worth the wait. "You can't do this without the horses and being attached to Henry's yard is just absolutely phenomenal. I just can't explain how lucky I feel."

After a momentous week of racing, it is time for the grand finale of Gold Cup day at the Cheltenham Festival. Stay tuned with Mirror Sport's live blog for ...

It's the closest thing to feeling like a rock star I think that you'll ever feel when you aren't able to sing." 6 The Goffer (IRE) 5 11 6 Mr Allan Snow Gordon Elliott Ireland 11 Banbridge (IRE) 6 11 3 Mr R. A. Bartlett Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland It has been a Festival for the ages. 13 Chemical Energy (IRE) 6 11 3 Caldwell Construction Ltd Gordon Elliott Ireland 2 Hollow Games (IRE) ts 6 11 9 Bective Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland And we might even get five days out of it..... But today, the world will be watching at 3.30pm when 2021 champion Minella Indo, runner-up A Plus Tard and Al Boum Photo are among 11 contenders in the showpiece race. Racing TV is the only channel broadcasting every race live from the Cheltenham Festival, with two exclusive races each day. 3rd Hollow Games (IRE) ts 6 11 9 Bective Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland Well, time to round up our live coverage from an epic four days. 1st Banbridge (IRE) 6 11 3 Mr R. A. Bartlett Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland

TRAINER Dan Skelton believes the team he is sending to this year's Cheltenham Festival is the best he has ever had in terms of quality – and he is dreaming ...

The public adoration of winning a Grand National with Neptune Collonges when I worked with Paul (Nicholls) blew us away. A Gold Cup-winning rider or trainer – if you can say that then not everyone can. I’d love to have a couple more novice hurdlers going, but you can only run the horses that are good enough to go there and stand up to the fire.

All the horse racing results from the final day of what is universally known as the Greatest Show on Turf.

I just thought at the second last I have a squeak here and he stayed so well. With two to jump, the exertions became clear as Winged Leader began to paddle badly and he was cruelly usurped as the line was very much in his sights. Maid O'Malley fell at the second last and didn’t deserve that given her efforts. Ten for Mullins and a five-timer on the day. Zambella – 11/1 Adamantly Chosen and Chemical Energy both had their chances though neither really finished their races having got into position to do so. Bar – 20/1 Couple that with the Punters darling Rachael Blackmore striking gold on A Plus Tard and it was already mare before Mullins’ Mare, Elimay became his fifth winner of the day.” Banbridge – 11/1 Cobblers Dream – 12/1 Party Business caught the eye staying on into a never-nearer fifth. It was neck and neck in the bookies v punters battle going into Gold Cup Day but Willie’s winners have ensured a winning festival for the backers.

Stuart Williams runs through the likeliest winners of the blue riband race, with a new brigade lining up to threaten the established order.

Elliott’s eight-year-old will relish every yard of this trip and decent ground would really play to his strengths. While A Plus Tard will bid to emulate 2018 hero Native River by winning this blue riband prize at the second attempt. In fairness, why would you want to change a formula that has proven so successful in the past? Minella Indo undoubtedly saves his best for Cheltenham in March and I would expect to see a much more improved performance once again. Paddy Power Gold Cup runner-up Protektorat is completely unexposed over staying trips and could easily opt yet another career best performance. Henry de Bromhead capped off a remarkable Cheltenham Festival last year with a 1-2 in the blue riband contest.

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Tornado Flyer was a surprise King George winner on Boxing Day and is in the running for Willie Mullins this afternoon. He had to make do with minor honours in third behind the De Bromhead pair in his hat-trick bid last year and returns off a familiar preparation – a solitary New Year’s Day win at Tramore. Minella Indo and Jack Kennedy denied A Plus Tard and Rachael Blackmore 12 months ago behind closed doors as Blackmore again sides with A Plus Tard, who was a runaway winner of the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November. Minella Indo is partnered this time by Robbie Power.

Rachael Blackmore continued her remarkable rise in jump racing history when she won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on runaway winner A Plus Tard.

I said to her to do whatever she wanted, and she started banging on about what she was going to do as we were about to leg her up. “Cheltenham is such a special place, but it is so special because of the atmosphere and the people,” she said. By the last, A Plus Tard was a split-second in front of Minella Indo and an excellent jump there carried him into an ever-widening lead. “Thankfully he was just good over the last two and he picked up incredibly over the last. She backed herself, in other words, and the punters took the hint, supporting A Plus Tard down to 3-1 favourite at the off. Twelve months ago, Blackmore’s decision to ride A Plus Tard rather than his stable companion, Minella Indo, in the Festival’s showpiece event was the only wrong move she made all week.

Rachael Blackmore powered clear over the final fence to defeat 2021 victor Minella Indo on A Plus Tard, pulling away to win by 15 lengths; it was another ...

"It definitely does (feel different this year), just the crowds looking here at the stand - it's just incredible. Robbie (Power) was brilliant on Indo and Rachael amazing on A Plus Tard. "Rachael was brilliant on him. Winning trainer Henry De Bromhead added: "The class of him there - he was so impressive and Indo ran an absolute blinder as well, he really did. "You can't do this without the horses and being attached to Henry's yard is just absolutely phenomenal. I just can't explain how lucky I feel."

This time, she made no mistake on the 3-1 favourite, moving ahead of Minella Indo after the last and racing clear to win for trainer Henry de Bromhead.

It was the fourth equine fatality of the meeting. It was absolutely brilliant - she gave him an absolute peach of the ride. "I'm delighted with the whole team," added Mullins senior. When the gap opened up round the home bend it was all over. I tried to keep hold of him a bit more this year and it is great when it works out. She is as cool as cucumber. "You can't do this without the horses and being attached to Henry's yard is just absolutely phenomenal. It was just an absolute pleasure to watch. He is an incredible horse." She got a gap at the second last and there wasn't room for a mouse to get through there but she put the horse's nose in there and he went through it like a knife through butter. "I've had so many special days. "I just can't believe it.

We could see an amazing comeback completed in the Cheltenham Gold Cup today as Davy Russell goes for glory aboard Galvin.

Billaway deserves to win the St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase (4.10). Beaten by a short head in the race last year, he was second in it under Patrick Mullins the year before. The Albert Bartlett (2.50) has seen horses win at big prices in recent years. He won an ordinary race on soft ground at Limerick at Christmas and is essentially very hard to assess. But Vauban, who is closely matched with Pied Piper on Irish form, looked superb at Leopardstown. Russell’s sole Gold Cup victory was an unlikely one on Lord Windermere in 2014. Russell was off for 11 months with a serious neck injury before returning last year.

Minella Indo returns to defend Gold Cup crown, with stablemate A Plus Tard, Galvin and dual winner Al Boum Photo among the opposition; Porticello leads ...

He won by 27 lengths that day, against rivals who were nothing special, but they were not useless either, and a BHA mark of 142 looks on the generous side to me. He is a staying type and his jumping has improved since. There is not much between him, Vauban and Pied Piper on form, but clear blue water in terms of their odds. Before that, A Plus Tard had looked an improved model when winning the Betfair Chase at Haydock by 22 lengths from Royale Pagaille in a very good time. It was a stop-start race, and he ended up doing a great deal of running from three out until tying up a bit near the finish. He went fast that day, almost too fast, got only the briefest of breathers, then took off again.

Irish-trained horses have won five of the last six Gold Cups and in Minella Indo, A Plus Tard and Galvin, they have the three frontrunners this time around.

“We know he stays and has won around Cheltenham three times. He felt in fantastic form so there are a lot of positives about his chances." "He has been there, done that and worn the t-shirt.

The Irish jockey rode the Henry de Bromhead-trained horse to defeat of last year's winner, Minella Indo, on a day otherwise dominated by the Willie Mullins ...

Even Santini at 66/1, the slow himself, might have a chance. That’s equalling his best ever tally of eight and he will win a record-breaking ninth top trainer award. Jack Kennedy, who rode Minella Indo last year to win the Gold Cup, has no ride. Off the final bend, Minella Indo goes and has gone well clear, and A Plus Tard is after him, and jumps to the lead and Rachael Blackmore has done it, Minella Indo second, a reverse of last year! A patient ride, so cool considering what happened last year when A Plus Tard lost out to Minella Indo. They won by 15 lengths or so. To quote a friend who knows more than I do: “[Rachael] kept [A Plus Tard] covered up so brilliantly and then used his pace to perfection. The second running of this Grade Two contest, which produced a thrilling finish 12 months ago as Colreevy got up in the final 50 yards to beat Elimay, the likely favourite today. Elimay starts off strongly but drops back as Zambella looks keen in front, and Elimay is slow to jump. That was a tenth Mullins win, a fifth of the day, and in the last, the assistant trainer, David Casey, once a good rider himself, suggests Adamantly Chosen can win the last. Mark Walsh, the winning jockey on Elimay in that mares’ race, says to Racing TV: “I had to give a squeeze and got us to the line. And Banbridge takes it for Ireland, a clean sweep on the day. A perfect ride on A Plus Tard to take the Gold Cup and write herself further into history.

After Wednesday's deluge the ground has been gradually drying out and it's a beautiful day at Prestbury Park today - "T-shirt weather".