CHELTENHAM HAS heard some tall tales over its 100-year history but fact and fantasy merged yesterday when a record six Irish-trained horses flashed past National Hunt racing’s most famous winning post in front.
Only a miss in the very last race prevented a clean sweep of all seven contests but it is already odds-on that the 2006 record Irish tally of 10 winners will be smashed.
Going into the last race that clean sweep looked entirely possible as six Irish hopes lined up in a race traditionally dominated by the visitors. But the fairytale was not to be as Divine Rhapsody did best of them in seventh behind the day’s sole British-trained winner, Cheltenian.
Even then there was an Irish input as the spoil-sport Cheltenian was formerly trained in Ireland by Liz Doyle – daughter of former Fine Gael minister of state and MEP Avril Doyle – and was sold to his current trainer Philip Hobbs for £210,000.
But even that figure pales beside the accumulated odds of 1,525,919 to 1 on the six Irish wins that included Champion Chase hero Sizing Europe and a pair of winners, Carlito Brigante and First Lieutenant, for Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary.
Paddy Power described the results as an “early Patrick’s Day” but added the day overall had been profitable for the bookies.
The three other Irish winners in a sequence that could become a pub quiz standard were Chicago Grey, Bostons Angel and What A Charm.
And, on the eve of the St Patrick’s Day action, maybe the tallest tale of all will be the one told by a gambler claiming to have backed yesterday’s super six.
