Andrew Nelis racing

Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Tom Taaffe has hailed  Barry Geraghty  “a top man and a top rider” following the leading jockey’s retirement from the saddle. Taaffe and Geraghty combined to land steeplechasing’s blue riband event with the great Kicking King in 2005, a horse Geraghty rode throughout his 26-race career over jumps. The same combination also landed back-to-back renewals of the King George VI Chase, as well as the Punchestown Gold Cup and the John Durkan Memorial Chase on home soil. Geraghty rode another Festival winner for Taaffe and Kicking King’s owner Conor Clarkson, with Finger Onthe Pulse landing the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase of 2008....                        Andrew Nelis Racing 

Topofthegame could try to emulate Denman by winning the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury en route to a possible Cheltenham Gold Cup run. Denman famously shouldered top-weight to win the Newbury feature in 2007, before going on to beat fellow Paul Nicholls inmate Kauto Star in the Festival showpiece the following spring. Like Denman, Topofthegame won the RSA Chase at the 2019 Festival, but he missed the whole of the last campaign due to a leg injury.

Few would have fancied Monkerhostin to snap a near 30-month losing streak when he lined up in the 2008 renewal of the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown. Philip Hobbs’ runner was a 25-1 shot and seemingly up against it as he tried to claim a first win since beating Kauto Star in the Haldon Gold Cup of November 2005, a race marred by the death of triple Gold Cup hero Best Mate. Monkerhostin had blotted his copybook for plenty of punters when sent off co-favourite for the previous year’s Grand National won by Silver Birch, not taking to the Aintree fences at all before refusing at the seventh. But those that kept the faith were handsomely rewarded, with Monkerhostin defying his veteran status as an 11-year-old to run out a two-and-a-quarter-length winner from Royal Auclair in the hands of Richard Johnson. The four-times champion recalled: “The Bet365 is one of those races you always want to win – the big prize at the end of the season. “Monkerhostin was a real favourite in the yard, h...

Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo showed his well-being ahead of the defence of his crown in a schooling session after racing at Navan on Tuesday. Al Boum Photo, ridden by his big-race partner Paul Townend, pleased trainer Willie Mullins in the racecourse workout. He was in a group of four along with stablemates Kemboy, ridden by Patrick Mullins, Duc Des Genievres (Robbie Power) and Melon (Danny Mullins). “I’m very happy with how they all jumped,” said Mullins. “In the first group we had Kemboy, Al Boum jumped very well, Duc Des Genievres and Melon. “We put cheekpieces on Melon and I think they sharpened up his jumping nicely. “We just went for a circuit, it wasn’t fast work as it was just jumping I wanted to get into them. I was happy.” In a second group, Allaho led fellow Festival hopefuls Carefully Selected and Billaway. “I was very happy with how they all jumped and galloped,” said Mullins. “At the moment my preferred option is the RSA with Allaho....

Sign up to BoyleSports and get up to £25 in free bets. Joe Tizzard is confident forgotten horse Lostintranslation can sneak in under the radar and bounce back to his best in the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday week. The former jockey, who is now assistant trainer to his father Colin, believes the dual Grade One winner can add to his Betfair Chase win at Haydock and Listed victory at Carlisle this season as he makes his third appearance at the Cheltenham Festival. Although Lostintranslation, who finished down the field in the 2018 Supreme and second in last year’s JLT, has a bit to prove after pulling up in the King George VI Chase last time, Tizzard expects a different story on this occasion. He said: “I quite like the fact he has gone a bit quiet now as he can come in there without too much pressure and we feel we have him right back to where we want him. “He has been freshened right up and he goes there really well. We’ve not lost any faith in him. The seaso...

Gordon Elliott would not swap "forgotten horse" Delta Work for any other in next month's Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup and he later confirmed Mark Walsh will take the ride. The seven-year-old was edged into third in last year's RSA Insurance Novices' Chase at the Festival, but he has come of age in fine style this term, winning two of his three starts. Victorious in the Savills Chase and the Irish Gold Cup, Delta Work now boasts five Grade One wins on his CV - and Elliott believes he will be perfectly suited by three and a quarter miles at Prestbury Park. He said: "He's all set for the Gold Cup. I don't think he's done much wrong over the last couple of seasons - he was lame after Down Royal (when he was beaten on his seasonal bow) and was just beaten in the RSA last year. "It just didn't work out for him in Cheltenham last season. It was probably my own fault, as I didn't run him between Christmas and the RSA and he seems ...