Black Tears foils Concerta in Mares' Hurdle to give Denise Foster first Cheltenham winner

Jack Kennedy celebrates after riding Black Tears to win the Mares' Hurdle during day one of the Cheltenham Festival

Ashley Iveson and Nick Robson

March 16 2021 01:47 PM

Black Tears got up in the final strides to give trainer Denise Foster a first Cheltenham Festival winner in the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle.

Foster is currently in charge of Gordon Elliott's string at Cullentra House Stables in County Meath while he is serving a suspension.

Jack Kennedy produced Black Tears (11-1) with a perfectly-timed challenge to deny the Willie Mullins-trained 10-11 favourite Concertista in a thrilling finish to the two-and-a-half-mile contest.

Great White Shark and Floressa made the early running, with Roksana and Indefatigable tracking them and Concertista held up at the rear.

Ryan Mania riding Vintage Clouds win The Ultima Handicap Chase during day one of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse

The complexion of the race changed coming down the hill when Roksana made her bid - but Concertista was hot on her heels.

The latter looked the likely winner when she jumped the last in front, but she had no answer to Black Tears, who got up to win by a head with Roksana two and three-quarter lengths away in third and Indefatigable fourth.

Elliott was banned for 12 months, with the last six months suspended, after an image of him sitting on a dead horse appeared on social media. Foster took over the licence at the yard last week.

Kennedy said: "She jumped and travelled brilliant the whole way. The line was coming and we were just starting to get up so I was praying it wouldn't come to soon, it didn't, thank God.

"To be honest we'd have been delighted if she'd finished in the first three and I knew turning in I had a fair chance, as she was going to stay going. It was just a case of if the line came too soon."

He added: "It's massive that she's won (given the recent headlines). The amount of effort that everyone puts in at home it's days like these that make it all worthwhile.

"We've gone through a bit of a tough time, but we've kept going and showed that today."

Galvin, formerly with Elliott before being transferred last week to Ian Ferguson's yard in Northern Ireland, was a gritty but decisive winner of the closing Sam Vestey National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' Chase.

Appreciate It, ridden by Paul Townend, after winning the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle

In a race usually confined to amateur riders but this year exclusively for professionals - while their counterparts remain subject to suspension under coronavirus restrictions - Kennedy doubled his tally for the meeting.

He had 7-2 shot Galvin in contention throughout, but behind the leaders in this marathon contest, until taking closer order into the straight and jumping to the front at the last to beat Next Destination by a length and a half.

Foster's Escaria Ten was the same distance back in third.

In the 2.30, Vintage Clouds finally won the Ultima Handicap Chase at the fifth attempt with a game display at Cheltenham.

The Sue Smith-trained grey, owned by Trevor Hemmings, made a lot of the running before his stamina and determination kicked in as he improved on two placed efforts from his four previous efforts in this staying contest.

Jockey Ryan Mania had the 11-year-old Vintage Clouds (28-1) at the front from the start with Pym and Alnadam also close up.

There was little change in the order until the tempo increased with five fences left to jump.

Pym soon weakened, but Vintage Clouds stuck to his guns and kept finding extra to win by five and a half lengths from Happygolucky with Aye Right a further two and a quarter lengths back in third and Cepage fourth.

In the 1.55 race, Shishkin justified his prohibitive odds when taking his winning streak to seven with an easy victory in the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy.

Winner of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on this card 12 months ago, Shishkin is now unbeaten in four races over fences as he gave trainer Nicky Henderson a seventh Arkle - a race the Seven Barrows trainer has taken with stars such as Sprinter Sacre and Altior.

The 4-9 favourite was always travelling well in the hands of Nico de Boinville, as Allmankind and Captain Guinness made it a true-run race over the two miles.

Shishkin joined the two leaders at the third-last fence, setting sail for home and going on to score by 12 lengths.

Eldorado Allen picked up the pieces for second place close home, just ahead of Captain Guinness and Allmankind.

Shishkin was given a quote of 5-2 for next year's Queen Mother Champion Chase with Coral and William Hill, while Paddy Power went 6-4.

Henderson said: "We'd always hoped (to win like that), but you never expect. It was strange, it will be all week without the crowds, but it doesn't make it any easier watching them. Winners here are winners tough and without the crowd they are still special.

"We knew there was going to be plenty of pace, I didn't know the other horse (Captain Guinness) would take him (Allmankind) on as well. But he's got a high cruising speed and just sat on their tails.

"He came wide and had plenty of space, but he was impressive the way he came up the hill.

"We've had great days here in this race, Sprinter Sacre, then Altior followed him and it's a shame he's missing this week, but it's extraordinary to find another. He looked as good as the other two did in this race today. He's got a long way to go to match them, but you had to be delighted with what he did today.

"It was a different challenge today. We schooled on Thursday and he nearly hurdles his fences, he's very quick which frightens you a little. He's very fast, he's always looked like a chaser but he's definitely a two-miler, he's just a natural."

The first race got the Irish off to a flyer, as Appreciate It lived up to his pre-race billing as he powered to victory in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

The 8-11 favourite, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, outclassed his seven rivals with a dominant display in the Festival curtain-raiser.

It was the start the Irish hoped for with Appreciate It coming home 24 lengths clear of the opposition to give Mullins a seventh success in the race.

As expected, For Pleasure set the pace, but Appreciate It was always nicely in his slipstream. Townend made his move at the third-last, with the seven-year-old taking over from the penultimate obstacle.

From then on, Appreciate It pulled easily clear. His stablemate Blue Lord was his nearest pursuer when he came down at the last. That left Henry de Bromhead’s Ballyadam to claim second place, having made a mistake when hitting the second-last flight.

For Pleasure stuck to his task admirably to claim third place, two and a quarter lengths further away.

Shishkin was a wide-margin winner of the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase.

Nicky Henderson’s brilliant novice stayed within touch of a strong pace set by both Allmankind and Captain Guinness, before pouncing to jump into the lead three out on the way to victory by 12 lengths under Nico de Boinville.

Posting a second successive impressive success for an odds-on shot at the start of the Festival, after Appreciate It’s romp in the opener, Shishkin (4-) was also following up his victory in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 12 months ago.

Colin Tizzard’s Eldorado Allen stayed on past Allmankind and Captain Guinness to grab third, at 33-1 and a very respectful distance.

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