Brian O’Connor has watched many a “remarkable” race at the Cheltenham Festival, but his description of Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle? “Mind-boggling.” Favourite Constitution Hill, “one of the all-time hurdling greats”, fell at the fifth, reigning champion State Man tumbled at the last, and Golden Ace, the 25-1 outsider, “didn’t so much defy expectations as crush them to a pulp” by winning the opening day’s big one. Mayhem.
There was, at least, some consolation for State Man trainer Willie Mullins, who had two winners on the day, Kopek Des Bordes in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, named after the late Cork jockey Michael O’Sullivan, and Lossiemouth in the Mares’ Hurdle ... although the ease of the latter’s triumph made “‘what if’ scenarios all but inevitable” – should she have been run in the Champion Hurdle instead, as originally planned?
There’ll be a poignancy to today’s big race, the Champion Chase, which will feature Marine Nationale. Two years ago O’Sullivan, who died after a fall at Thurles last month, rode the horse to victory in the Supreme Novices Hurdle. “The whole last few weeks have been very raw for everybody,” owner-trainer Barry Connell tells Brian.
Jonbon is the favourite for the Champion Chase, and should he prevail it would be the first success for owner JP McManus in the race. Brian also looks ahead to the Novice Chase, where the chances of an Irish win are quite high ... because all seven contenders come from our neck of the woods.
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In rugby, Gordon D’Arcy reflects on that defeat by France, giving no end of praise to their defence coach Shaun Edwards for his “massive impact on the outcome”. And Johnny Watterson hears from Andrew Porter who defends himself against French coach Fabien Galthié‘s accusation that he and Tadhg Beirne were to blame for Antoine Dupont’s injury.
In Gaelic games, Seán Moran writes about the widely differing impact of the handpass in hurling and football, while Gordon Manning brings news that Central Council has voted to accept all of the Football Review Committee’s recommended adjustments to their rule tweaks. He also looks ahead to a crucial weekend for Cork’s footballers as they attempt “to outrun the Tailteann Cup”.
And in athletics, Ian O’Riordan fast-forwards to the World Indoor Championships in China later this month to which Ireland will send a seven-strong team – including their three medallists from the Europeans last Sunday. There’ll be a spring in their step.
TV Watch: It’s day two of the Cheltenham Festival (Virgin Media One and ITV, 12.45) and this evening there’s more Champions League action, including the battle of the Madrids, Atlético and Real, with Real 2-1 up from the first leg (RTÉ 2, Premier Sports 1 and TNT 3). Having won their first leg 7-1, Arsenal, you’d imagine, should see off PSV (Virgin Media More and TNT Sports 1), while Aston Villa take a 3-1 lead in to their meeting with Club Brugge (Virgin Two and TNT Sports 2). All three games start at 8.0, so take your pick.
