Wins on defending champions Quevega, in
the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, and Big Buck’s, in the
Ladbrokes World Hurdle, plus Sanctuaire in the Fred Winter Juvenile
Handicap Hurdle, were sufficient for Ruby Walsh to edge out fellow
Irishman Barry Geraghty, who also rode three winners, and retain his
title as leading jockey.
However, two of Geraghty’s winners,
Spirit River in the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle and Soldatino in the
JCB Triumph Hurdle, were saddled by Nicky Henderson, who also won his
fifth Smurfit Champion Hurdle with Binocular and became leading
trainer at the Festival for the first time in a decade.
Binocular and Big Buck’s aside, the
other ‘championship’ races of the week, the Queen Mother Champion
Chase, the Weatherbys Champion Bumper and the Totesport Cheltenham
Gold Cup went to Big Zeb, Cue Card and Imperial Commander. Hindsight
is, of course, a wonderful thing, but the once-raced Cue Card romped
clear in the closing stages to win by 8 lengths and the same under
Joe Tizzard at odds of 40/1!
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