Queen Elizabeth came to the aid of a beleaguered home defence at Cheltenham on Thursday when Irish-trained horses came within an ace of an unprecedented seven-race clean sweep.
Propelled by a 179-1 Willie Mullins four-timer, Irish horses won the first six races and went into the concluding Kim Muir with four hopes of equalling last year's record tally of 15 winners with a day to spare.
Galway trainer Pat Kelly – who had earlier landed the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle with the 11-1 Presenting Percy – supplied the Katie Walsh ridden Mall Dini who did best of the visitors but ultimately had to settle for fifth behind Domesday Book.
The 40-1 winner was bred by the queen and was in training in Ireland until earlier this year when moved from Henry De Bromhead’s yard to the Newport Pagnell base of Stuart Edmunds, who was securing his very first festival success.
Earlier Michael O’Leary once again had to settle for the runner-up spot in the Ryanair Chase when Sub Lieutenant came up short of the Willie Mullins-trained Un De Sceaux. But the businessman later struck with Road To Respect in the Brown Advisory Plate.
It was a first win over fences at the festival for Road To Respect's veteran trainer Noel Meade, who watched his novice win by six lengths.
“I’ve always thought maybe I would have won more here if I’d run more in handicaps rather than the good races, but I always think this is the championships and we try to come and win a championship,” Meade said.
“I didn’t think he had a chance,” said O’Leary. “But it’s Noel’s first chase winner here so it just goes to show you if you keep banging your head against a brick wall, eventually you will get one!”
Cheltenham’s handicap route had been a source of controversy on the run-in to the festival with accusations of an anti-Irish bias in how horses were being rated.
So if there was one happy Englishman about it could be assumed to be the British Horseracing Authority handicapper Phil Smith who tasted vindication following Presenting Percy’s smooth success.
Smith's decision to rate Presenting Percy significantly higher than his Irish mark had left Kelly feeling like a "raging bull" and jockey Davy Russell publicly incredulous.
To Russell’s credit, after a superbly smooth steer through the big field to win at 11-1, he immediately conceded: “He’s improved for the better ground and I have to apologise to Phil Smith. He was completely right.”
The combination of Kelly, Russell and owner Philip Reynolds were winning the Pertemps for the second year running following Mall Dini’s 2016 victory.
“He’s always run on soft or heavy ground and we hoped to pick up a few of those (16lb) pounds that Phil Smith gave us on a bit of better ground,” said Reynolds.
“I was fed up a couple of weeks. People will say now Phil Smith was right. I still don’t believe that – but today is not the day for arguing.”
