The 2018 Cheltenham Festival was an
epic event which saw the favourites live up to the billing while they
were a few underdogs who managed to make some surprises. The only
downside of the event was probably the death of at least five horses
both during and subsequently soon after the Cheltenham Festival,
something which has prompted the authorities to launch an
investigation into the matter. Besides this rather unfortunate turn
of events, everything else was smooth and punters who managed to go
to the Festival and those who placed their bets online at various
sportsbooks such as NetBet
Sport were thrilled at most of the favourites won. The last day
of the Festival provided the bulk of the action, let’s relive some
of the action.
Gold Cup
The Gold Cup epitomised this year’s
Cheltenham Festival’s brilliance and style as the top horses all
fought resolutely for the ultimate prize. In a race that was widely
awaited for by many, the Gold Cup did not disappoint as Native River
won the prestigious Gold Cup in stunning fashion. The favourite
before the start of the race Might Bite had to settle for second
place despite putting in the performance of a winner.
The Gold Cup which also presented Might
Bite’s trainer, Nicky Henderson with the opportunity to record a
first Cheltenham Festival treble ended in disappointment as
Henderson’s horse, Might Bite could only manage second place. Nicky
Henderson’s previous two wins were in the Champion Hurdle with
Buveur d’Air and the Champion Chase with Altior.
With favourites, Minella Rocco, Shantou
Flyer, and Double Shuffle ruled out for this year’s Cheltenham
Festival, Might Bite’s task was made a little bit easier. However,
Might Bite paid dearly for a slow start which allowed Native River to
get on the front from the word go, a position Native River maintained
for the entirety of the race.
Grand Annual
The penultimate race of the Cheltenham
Festival saw some top horses battle it out in the Grand Annual. The
two-mile handicap chase which is a test of stamina and speed was full
of action from start to finish. The race was made much more
intriguing by the fact that there was no clear favourite before the
start. Last year’s winner, Rock the World though competing again
was not tipped by many to retain the title. North Hill Harvey, Don’t
Touch It, Theinval, and Vanietux were some of the horses with
favourable odds at the start of the race.
At the start of
the race, Bright New Dawn took the lead and showed incredible pace as
he tried to establish a wider gap between him and the other horses.
However, the fast start was halted a bit when he failed to negotiate
some jumps and Gino Trail took the lead. It was only after some leaps
that Bright New Dawn came back into the thick of things. With Gino
Trail leading by two lengths, last year’s winner North Hill Harvey
fell at the third last. A few lengths before Gino Trail could claim
his first Cheltenham win, Le Prezien took a great leap and overtook
Gino Trail to finish the race in pole position leaving Gino Trail
having to contend with second place. Le Prezien which was being
ridden by Barry Geraghty gave him his second win in three races at
the 2018 Cheltenham Festival.
