Barry Geraghty: Cheltenham reflections

It was another fantastic four days at Cheltenham with some brilliant stories. Tuesday will live long in the memory mainly for the performances of Constitution Hill and Honeysuckle.

Constitution Hill was brilliant in the Champion Hurdle and while it was what we all expected him to do, he still had to go out and do it on the big stage. To pick up as far as he did and clear the final hurdle was a reflection of what he had in the locker. Let’s just hope he stays healthy because he’s a real superstar.

The impression I get from connections is that they are keen to go down the chase route and he does jump a hurdle like a horse that will jump a fence really well. There’s certainly potential for even more improvement when a horse goes over the bigger obstacles and his jumping style suggests he should be absolutely fine over fences.

We schooled him at home as a three-year-old over fences and he was really good, while he jumped very well in his point-to-point bar a mistake at the last. He’s the right type of hurdler to go chasing and potentially excel at it.

It obviously means a lot to me and my family to see him doing so well. My kids rode him as a youngster which was quite unusual, but that’s just a reflection of how placid and kind natured he was. To see a family pet go on to become a superstar is very special.

I’m sure few will forget the reception Honeysuckle got after winning the Mares’ Hurdle shortly after. Along with Constitution Hill, it was probably the best 45 minutes you could witness in racing.

It was brilliant for Honeysuckle to be able to bow out in that style. She’s had a fantastic career, so to finish it on such a high was what she deserved. It vindicated connections’ decision to run her in the Mares’ Hurdle and I thought Rachael [Blackmore] gave her a fabulous ride, while great credit should go to Henry [de Bromhead] for getting her back to her best.

Galopin Des Champs was a really good winner of the Gold Cup and he answered all the questions that he needed to.

Paul [Townend] rode him like the class horse that he is which is never easy to do when you’re under such a spotlight and he produced him at the perfect time. To see him pull away from the last fence in the manner that he did showed he’s a very good horse and one, baring injuries, we should be talking about in this division for several years to come.

Many were disappointed by Shishkin in the Ryanair and he definitely wasn’t at his best, but I just wonder if it came a bit quick after the race in Ascot. There is quite a close proximity between them, and it might have just left its mark more than we all thought it would.

Does He Know won the Reynoldstown in 2022 by 14 lengths and then was tailed off in the Ultima at Cheltenham on his next start, while I won the Ascot Chase on Riverside Theatre in 2012 before he really laboured to win the Ryanair subsequently, so it might just be too short a gap for horses to fully recover if they then run at Cheltenham.

All that being said, you could argue that Shishkin ran really well. He didn’t travel or jump anywhere near his best, so to run on like he did was probably a more than fair performance.

You would have to worry that Aintree might come too soon, and I wouldn’t be rushing to back him in the Bowl. You would like to think, though, that he’ll stay three miles in something like a King George next season.

Kicking King

It was very sad news to hear of Kicking King’s passing this week. He was a brilliant racehorse that I was very lucky to ride him for almost all of his career. He had the pace for a King George, but still had the stamina to win a Gold Cup, so had pretty much everything you’d look for in a top-class chaser.

His seconds in the Supreme and Arkle were huge performances given he was always going to be better over further. That was the level of quality he had and he gave me some great days in the saddle.

We had so many great days together, but the Gold Cup win was probably the one that stood out. You dream of winning these races, but you don’t dream of travelling so easy and winning in the style he did that day. He didn’t have the ideal prep because he’d had a dirty scope a few weeks beforehand, so we were hopeful more than expectant.

At no point through the race did he not travel like the winner. He cruised through and jumped like a buck – it was an amazing day.

Newbury, Saturday

The action is a bit more low-key this weekend, but there were a few that caught my eye starting with THE BIG BITE in the 2m4f handicap chase in Newbury (2.05pm). He won over course and distance last time and he’s still well-handicapped on some of his old form.

I’d also give a good mention to Heltenham for the Skeltons in the same race. He’s won his last two nicely and looks a progressive type.

The mares’ novices’ hurdle (2.40pm) looks pretty competitive with several having interesting profiles. The one I liked the look of was MOVIDDY for Noel Williams. She’s got a first-time tongue tie and I thought she’d come on from just being touched off in Doncaster last time. She won very well at Lingfield the time before and she should go well again here.

LOVE IS GOLDEN should prove hard to beat in the novices’ hurdle (3.15pm). He was a pretty good horse on the Flat for Mark and Charlie Johnston and he was very impressive on his debut for Gary Moore over this course and distance. A repeat of that would see him go very close again.

There are likely to be lots of exciting types in the bumper (3.50pm), but on pedigree TOMMIE GUN might be worth a second look. He’s a half-brother to Captain Cutter, who won a Challow Hurdle, and Gowel Road, who is a pretty solid yardstick too.