Minella
Indo emerged victorious in a fantastic Cheltenham Gold Cup under
rider Jack Kennedy to deny Blackmore’s A PlusTard in a 1-2 for
trainer Bromhead.
The
win completed a historic treble for the Irish horse trainer, who also
won the Champion Chase and Champion Hurdle.
The
9-1 chance Indo emerged victorious by only one and a quarter length
with 2-time champion Al Boum Photo in third place.
Blackmore,
who happens to be the top 2021 Cheltenham rider with six victories –
was hoping to emerge the first female horse jockey to win.
Selecting
A PlusTard ahead of Minella
Indo
was perhaps trailblazing Blackmore’s only wrong choice of the racing
week, but it was indeed an emotional triumph for Kennedy.
The
21-year-old jockey, who has sustained a broken leg on four occasions
in his brief career said: “I can’t believe it. This is what I
have dreamed of as a child,”
“It
could always be lot worse – broken legs and broken collarbones will
heal. It’s obviously unfortunate, but you have to get on with it.
“It’s
definitely the best day of my life. I know I’m still young, but I
suppose I have been in the position where I could have been winning
them for a couple of years, so to get it done is brilliant.”
Happy
De Bromhead, who emerged victorious at Queen Mother Champion Chase
with Put the Kettle On, on Wednesday, was left to absorb what he had
achieved at Cheltenham.
The
48-year-old who trains his horse at Knockeen said: “It’s all
come together here and it’s fantastic,”
“To
win a Cheltenham Gold Cup is something you dream about. I think I’m
still in my hotel, it’s Monday evening and I’m about wake-up and
nothing’s even started yet. That’s where I’m at at the moment, it’s
brilliant.”
Native
River, the 2018 winner, came fourth and Frodo emerged fifth, while
last year’s RSA Chase victor Champ and the runner-up at 2020 Gold
Cup,Santini, pulled up, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise as
BoyleSports
horse racing
already included them in their odds.
Blackmore
was handed a 2-day suspension for making use of her whip above the
authorized level from turning in.
A
total number of twelve runners went to post, and Bryony Frost was the
early leader from the front on the 6-time Cheltenham victorFrodon.
The
2019 and 2020 winner Al Boum Photo was one of many traveling fluidly,
along with his Willie Mullins-trained mate Kemboy, as the race
evolved.
Blackmore,
who emerged the first female rider to win the Champion Hurdle after
triumphing with Honeysuckle during the week, was another going pretty
well on her A PlusTard.
Frodo
started to fade two fences from home and Minella Indo, placed second
to Champ at Cheltenham in 2020, overtook and could not be caught even
up the hill.
Cheltenham
Festival-winning jockey, Katie Walsh, said on BBC Radio 5 Live
that Jack
Kennedy is a great rider and has been riding out his heart out.
Although he had suffered horrible injuries in the past but is a
fantastic Irish talent who deserved the win.
The
last day of the 2021 Cheltenham Festival
followed the same pattern of the last three days with Irish horses
taking full control.