English/Ire
Heart Wood waltzes to Ryanair success
Henry de Bromhead’s Heart Wood went one spot better than he did twelve months ago to land the Ryanair Chase.
With short-price favourite Fact To File, who had been in the mix to compete in the Gold Cup on Friday, withdrawn less than an hour before the race due to unsuitable ground, Heart Wood's task was made considerably easier.
Henry De Bromhead's eight-year-old still had the likes of multiple Grade 1 winners Jonbon and Impaire Et Passe to deal with but under an ice-cool Darragh O'Keefe ride, Heart Wood stormed clear to win by a commanding ten lengths, with Nicky Henderson's Jonbon (2/1) left still searching for his first Cheltenham Festival success back in second.
Joseph O'Brien's former King George hero Banbridge kept on well to grab third, while JPR One, who made the running, faded to finish fourth.
De Bromhead said: "It was brilliant, Darragh was brilliant on him and he jumped amazing.
"He ran a blinder last year, and we probably rode him to sort of be placed last year, whereas this year we said that we would go out and give it a real go. They went some gallop, to my eye but he just winged fences. It was just one of those dream runs."
Reflecting on how hard it is to win at The Festival, he said: "It's getting harder and harder. It's been even more competitive this week, but we have a great team at home, we all work hard and it's lovely to get these rewards."
The success also provided owner Brian Acheson with a quick change of fortunes after Teahupoo and Bob Olinger, both of whom were leading fancies in the preceding Stayers' Hurdle, failed the find the winners' circle.
He said: "Half-an-hour ago I was on the floor after Teahupoo (disappointed) in the Stayers' Hurdle and then you come back and win this – it just shows you what a screw-up game this is!
"This fellow was always there and when the favourite came out, he had a chance, but we were having such a bad week you start to talk yourself out of it.
"I'm delighted for Henry and Darragh, it's their first winner (of the week) and it's all about them – the trainer, the jockey, the horse and the team at Knockeen."
Jonbon, who maintained his record of never finishing outside of the top two, could now head to Punchestown instead of Aintree, with Henderson feeling that the two tough races at Ascot to win the Clarence House and Ascot Chase left their mark.
Henderson said: "He's done his best and tried his heart out. He wants to protect that record. It's amazing isn't it. He still wants to fight, and I've never seen him jump better.
"We were umming and aahing about whether to get a bit more time into him after those two hard races at Ascot, but he did everything to tell us he was in great form at home.
"If he was a bit below the boil there we are hardly going to come back at Aintree, but let's just see how we go.
"Look how he finished there, on that you'd say three (miles) would help. He could do three at Punchestown, but he'll tell us.
"They can tell us 90% how they are, but that 10% you need to be winning races like that, if it's missing because they haven't got over their last race. They were two hard races at Ascot in proper winter ground and that probably told on him."
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