Davy Russell bust-up, rude horse names, Ally McCoist napping in the car and a toilet leak – Cheltenham 2023 had it all
DON’T be sad because it’s over, be happy because it happened.
We spend months whipping ourselves up into a frenzy about the ‘Fez’ and then it comes and goes before you can say Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase.
PADavy Russell had a very public spat with Michael O’Leary at Cheltenham[/caption]
Sometimes the meeting can be a bit of a dud and not live up to expectations, but this one delivered on more levels than a lift in the Shard.
Now, I can come across as a miserable sod at times, but I must admit the emotion of day one still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Constitution Hill was epic and Nicky Henderson was moved to tears by the crowd’s reception – and the blub-ometer went up a few notches after Honeysuckle’s win.
But, as is often the case at these big meetings, some of the juiciest stuff happened off the track.
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Including when I was complimented on the size of my… car by a parking attendant.
“I must say, it’s such a joy to park a small car, there are so many big ones around these days.”
Whatever floats your boat, I suppose.
The Davy Russell-Michael O’Leary feud is one we should have seen coming and I am truly thankful it’s happened.
It provided a great deal of entertainment on Thursday morning when Russell slagged off his old boss on national television.
After O’Leary criticised Russell for coming out of retirement, the jockey hit back: “I’ve about as much respect for Michael O’Leary’s opinion as he has for mine.”
Delicious. I wonder if Davy was allowed on the Ryanair flight home?
It would be great if he continues riding for a couple of months because I’d love this beef to rumble on for a while yet.
Talking of rumbling on, it’s a long old slog if you’re at Cheltenham for all four days.
And it’s even tougher if you’re on the air doing live radio from 6am throughout the week.
So to make sure he made it to the bitter end, top pundit and big racing fan Ally McCoist decided he’d need the odd power-nap.
But the only place he could find to catch 40 winks was the back of TalkSport commentator Rupert Bell’s bashed-up old Skoda.
It’s not all glitz and glamour in the world of showbiz, you know.
Everything is pretty glitzy in the world of Tony Bloom right now, though.
The Brighton owner enjoyed arguably the best Wednesday of his life when his horse Energumene won the Champion Chase before the Seagulls beat big rivals Crystal Palace.
And he won a cool £1.2 million after staking a monster bet on his star racehorse – no doubt the biggest touch of the week. Has he usurped JP McManus as racing’s biggest punter?
GettyHoneysuckle’s win was one of the highlights of the week[/caption]
Meanwhile, I’m told the censors at Weatherbys let a rude name slip through the net.
You might think that the Skelton’s Coral Cup hero Langer Dan has an innocuous enough name, but in Cork, Langer means tosser.
Apparently – and don’t shoot the messenger – the owner playfully named the horse after his trainer. Good bants.
There were some pretty grim moments at the Festival this week, too, most notably ‘pee-gate’ in the press room.
Yours truly noticed a pretty nasty smell gradually building up throughout the first day, and on the second day it had become unbearable.
Turns out there was a leak in the press room bog and everything that was being flushed away was seeping through the walls and onto the carpet.
Cue a mass exodus from that particular corner of the room, though thankfully the stinky issue was resolved by a couple of handymen.
So yes, Cheltenham has come and gone for another year, but I’m relieved it’s just memories I’m taking home, not a bout of cholera.
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