Cheltenham Festival 2009: Magnificent Seven for Walsh

Paul Nicholls became leading trainer at the Festival for the fourth year running, and the sixth time in all, in 2009. In fact, the former jump jockey surpassed his previous efforts by saddling a total of five winners, namely Master Minded in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase, Chapoturgeon in the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase, Big Buck’s in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, American Trilogy in the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle and Kauto Star in the Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup. All bar Chapoturgeon were ridden by stable jockey Ruby Walsh, who upstaged his boss by riding a treble, on Quevaga, Mikael D’Haguenet and Cooldine, for Irish champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins, for a record-breaking seven winners over the four days. 

Other notable winners during a memorable week were Punjabi, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Barry Geraghty, in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle and the much-touted Dunguib, trained by Philip Fenton in Co. Tipperary and ridden by amateur Brian O’Connell, who quickened clear to win the Weatherbys Champion Bumpre by 10 lengths.