DAY TWO REPORTS:BARRY GERAGHTY ensured a perfect St Patrick's Day result for the Irish when landing yesterday's Queen Mother Champion Chase on Big Zeb but while the jockey took the plaudits he acknowledged his wife was entitled to take a bow too.
After a first day festival blank, including Punjabi’s failed title defence in the Champion Hurdle, the normally upbeat Geraghty seemed a little downcast. Mrs Geraghty took that as her cue.
“Paula gave out to me a little bit,” he grinned ruefully after Big Zeb’s 10-1 victory over compatriot Forpadydeplasterer. “She said I wasn’t being myself, that I might be taking myself a bit seriously.”
Such introspection is not normally a fault associated with the famously easy-going former champion jockey whose ability to thrive on Cheltenham’s unique pressure has secured Geraghty every major pot at the festival over the last eight years.
That list includes a pair of Champion Chase victories on Moscow Flyer (2003-2005) and the Meath rider showed he hasn’t forgotten how to get the job done at speed over fences as he persuaded Big Zeb to forget his disconcerting habit of making mistakes to run out a six length-winner.
Geraghty then won the following Coral Cup on Spirit River to complete a 164 to 1 double, but it was Big Zeb’s success that had Irish fans cheering.
The Colm Murphy-trained star exited at the fourth last fence here in 2009 but advertised his claims afterwards when only another jarring mistake at the last at Punchestown looked to prevent him overhauling Master Minded.
Hat-trick history beckoned for the latter yesterday but Master Minded never looked to be going with the same dash as in the previous two years, and struggled home only fourth.
Instead Big Zeb slip-streamed Forpadydeplasterer around the top of the hill, pulled out to get a sight of the downhill fences, and then powered clear to produce a compelling performance.
“I wouldn’t say he’s as good a horse as Moscow Flyer but today was certainly as good a performance as Moscow put in,” Geraghty reported.
For Murphy it was the culmination of a lot of work and a lot of patience with the best horse he has had since the former Champion Hurdle winner Brave Inca.
“What’s meant for you won’t pass you by,” said the Wexford trainer. “I think coming here last year helped him grow up.
“He’s a proper horse now. Barry was very confident and it was definitely a help having him ride because he knows the horse so well. After Brave Inca, it’s just great to be able to come back here with fella like this to win another championship race.”
Forpadydeplasterer’s chances weren’t helped when Master Minded’s stable companion Twist Magic bolted on the walkway out to the track and practically ran his race before it had even started. It meant Tom Cooper’s horse was left to cut out a lot of his own pace.
“We wanted a lead and it didn’t work out like that. I would have liked a stronger gallop. Tony (McCoy) said the faster horse beat us on the day,” the Kerry trainer said. “He’ll be out again, either at Punchestown or Aintree.”
Paul Nicholls was disconsolate with Master Minded’s display and said: “We might just write the rest of this season off and start again in the autumn.”
Geraghty wasn’t surprised. “I was always pretty happy I was on the right horse before the race. Master Minded was good at Newbury but he beat Mahogany Blaze who was a 100 to 1 shot today. He really should have beaten him by a furlong,” he said. On yesterday’s form, Big Zeb would have.
Winning Jockeys
BJ Geraghty 2 (2 overall)
R Walsh 1 (2)
K Walsh 1 (1)
J Maguire 1(1)
DN Russell 1 (1)
J Tizzard 1(1)
From yesterday: R Johnson 1; A Lynch 1; P Aspell 1; AP McCoy 1; AP Heskin 1.
(Irish in bold)
Winning Trainers
N Henderson 1 (2)
F Murphy 1 (1)
D McCain Jnr 1 (1)
C Byrnes 1 (1)
CA Murphy 1 (1)
P Nicholls 1 (1)
CL Tizzard 1 (1)
From yesterday: P Hobbs 1; H de Bromhead 1; J Moffatt 1; M Hourigan 1; WP Mullins 1.
Irish Winners: Weapon’s Amnesty 10/1, Big Zeb 10/1. For the festival: 5.
Ruby Walsh is now the most successful Cheltenham Festival jockey with 26 winners, one ahead of the career tally of Pat Taaffe, rider of the legendary Arkle.
