Cheltenham Festival 2023 results: Envoi Allen and Sire Du Berlais triumph
Last updated on .From the section Horse Racing
Envoi Allen bounced back to his best to win the Ryanair Chase as jockey Rachael Blackmore and trainer Henry de Bromhead scored another big Cheltenham win.
Favourite Shishkin was runner-up after some awkward jumps while Blackmore had a smoother passage on the 13-2 winner.
Blackmore and De Bromhead took the Mares' Hurdle with Honeysuckle on Tuesday, six months after the trainer's son Jack died in a riding accident.
Meanwhile, 33-1 shot Sire Du Berlais landed a dramatic Stayers' Hurdle.
Mark Walsh rode the winner for trainer Gordon Elliott, with favourite Teahupoo promoted to second and 40-1 shot Dashel Drasher demoted from second to third after a stewards' inquiry.
Victory for Angels Dawn, under Patrick King for Sam Curling, in the concluding Kim Muir Chase meant Ireland retain the Prestbury Cup with 15 wins to Great Britain's six with a day to go.
Shiskin beaten as Envoi Allen shines
Envoi Allen added to his Festival wins in the 2019 Champion Bumper and 2020 Ballymore Hurdle with victory here.
Much had happened in between, including the horse being transferred by owners Cheveley Park Stud from Gordon Elliott to De Bromhead.
He unseated his rider when sent off favourite for the Turners' Novices' Chase in 2021, and was third in the Champion Chase back at Cheltenham last year before disappointing in the King George VI Chase.
"I was hoping he would put his best foot forward and he duly did. We've tried to leave no stone unturned but whatever we are doing now seems to be working which is great," said De Bromhead.
It was a third win at Cheltenham this week for the trainer, who had five runners in the Jack de Bromhead Mares' Novices Hurdle named after his son.
Magical Zoe, ridden by Adrian Heskin, fared the best in second when looking a little unlucky in running behind winner You Wear It Well, who scored under Gavin Sheehan for Jamie Snowden.
"The number of people who have come over for Jack's race is amazing. Most of the people up there are my friends or my family," said De Bromhead.
Blackmore said: "It has been incredibly difficult but great to have them all here and they will have a fantastic day."
Shishkin had been diagnosed with a rare bone condition when pulled up in last year's Champion Chase but won at Ascot last time out.
He made a shuddering mistake three from home before rallying to finish second, ahead of Hitman, and is now likely to be stepped up to a three-mile trip at Aintree next month.
"He was hanging a bit left and wasn't the same horse that we saw at Ascot, but we know what he can do, so we'll get him home and get him absolutely spot-on," said jockey Nico de Boinville.
Envoi Allen's victory saw support in Friday's Cheltenham Gold Cup for Blackmore and De Bromhead's 2022 winner A Plus Tard.
Blackmore became the first female jockey to win the Gold Cup 12 months ago and A Plus Tard was halved in price to 7-2 for a repeat triumph.
Sire Du Berlais springs 33-1 shock
Sire Du Berlais, owned by JP McManus, was another horse claiming a third Cheltenham Festival victory after triumphs in 2019 and 2020.
He had also finished runner-up in the Stayers' Hurdle two years ago but approaching veteran status as an 11-year-old, he was something of a forgotten horse.
"Of course it's a surprise, but Sire Du Berlais can do that - he's either first or last," said Elliott.
Walsh said he had been in a rush to return after fracturing a vertebrae in his neck, and gave credit to his medical staff after the win.
Dashel Drasher appeared to take second by a nose, but was demoted to third after a stewards' inquiry into interference.
Trainer Jeremy Scott rued the expensive decision, saying: "To me I felt if it had happened at any meeting midweek it wouldn't have been picked up on.
"I think we've been harshly done to, but rules are rules. It did prick our bubble a bit and the £30,000 would have been nice."
Stage Star wins for Nicholls
The 13-times champion trainer Paul Nicholls ended his long wait for another Cheltenham Festival winner as Stage Star was an impressive victor in the Turners Novices' Chase.
Harry Cobden gave the 15-2 chance a lovely ride from the front as he won by three and a quarter lengths from 40-1 outsider Notlongtillmay.
Nicholls punched the air with delight and no wonder after a frustrating run of 53 losers since Politologue landed the Champion Chase in 2020.
"It has been a tough week so far and a tough couple of years. It's hard to win here. So it's nice to win with a horse we believed in," said Nicholls.
Mighty Potter, ridden by Davy Russell, was sent off the 4-6 favourite but found plenty of trouble in running and could only finish third.
Another trainer returning to the winner's enclosure was Tony Martin as Good Time Jonny gave him a first Festival win since 2015, but he left it later.
The 9-1 winner was left trailing at the start but scythed through the field from last to first in the closing stages under Liam McKenna to claim the Pertemps Hurdle for trainer Tony Martin.
"It was unbelievable - ride of the week. The jockey was absolutely brilliant. He thought he was in trouble, didn't commit him too early, kept saving him. He was last at the top of the hill," said Martin.
Seddon (20-1) took the Magners Plate to give jockey Ben Harvey and trainer John McConnell their first Festival victories.
