Lecky Watson sprang a minor surprise in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, upstaging some better-fancied stablemates from the Willie Mullins stable to score at 20/1 under Sean O’Keeffe.
Lecky Watson, tipped in Matt Brocklebank’s Value Bet column on Sporting Life, avoided the errors that affected some of his rivals, notably the favourite Ballyburn, and he struck the front going well on the turn for home.
A superb jump at the second last helped drive home the advantage and Lecky Watson kept up the gallop to score by four lengths from 22/1 shot Stellar Story.
Ballyburn, the well-backed 4/7 favourite, made a serious mistake at the seventh fence, the one at the top of the hill on the first circuit, and struggled to get in a rhythm. He finished only fifth, one position in advance of Dancing City who made a serious mistake at the third last. Quai de Bourbon unseated his rider four out.
This was Lecky Watson’s third appearance at the Cheltenham Festival after finishing fourth in the 2023 Champion Bumper and fifth in the 2024 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. He is now unbeaten in three starts over fences after winning a beginners’ chase at Naas and a Grade 3 at Punchestown, both over shorter trips.
Mullins said: “All season he has improved. We just said to Sean maybe go a little bit wider and keep out of trouble. Sean kept it very simple and it was an excellent ride.
“Was it the plan to have not gone over three miles this season? No, it was a case of getting them ready and running them in whatever race possible. We thought he was going to be a stamina horse, but the way the races came up we just took them.
“I hadn’t been planning to go the Gold Cup route with this one, but we have to go that way now. You have got to turn up to the races and find out what you have.
“You can have all the dreams you want at home, but it is out there they will tell you what they are really worth.
“This fella is improving all the time. I do seem a bit surprised, but we had a good team of horses out there and I might have put him in fourth out of our team.”
Game over early on for Ballyburn
On Ballyburn, Mullins added: “Ballyburn was gone early and he wasn’t travelling in my mind and then he made that bad mistake.
“The game was over early for him, but we might now go back in trip with him and maybe make more use of him. I don’t think he enjoyed being put in the box seat there and they weren’t going fast enough for him.”
O’Keeffe, riding his third Cheltenham Festival winner, said: “I’m over the moon. In fairness, when I got the ride on him I thought he had a nice chance. I saw he went out to a big enough price, but I thought if I got him jumping he’d have a big chance.”
O’Keeffe was keen to pay tribute to fellow jockey Michael O’Sullivan who tragically died last month as a result of injuries sustained in a fall at Thurles.
He added: “Michael O’Sullivan was a big fan of this horse and always said he’d win a big race. Michael stayed in the house with us in Cheltenham the last few years so he’s missed there this year. He was a very good friend and we’ll always miss him.”
Jimmy du Seuil lands Coral Cup on belated return
Jimmy du Seuil stormed clear of his rivals to win the Coral Cup on his handicap debut and first start since the Punchestown Festival last May.
Rider Danny Mullins said: “Credit goes to Willie Mullins, coming here with no run this season, preparing one for a handicap, with no run in a handicap – it’s great to be a part of that team.
“The last furlong was always going to be that difficult furlong, but he hit the line very strong, that’s a great performance. He’s a good little pony!”
It was a third Festival win for Danny Mullins who enjoyed back-to-back victories aboard Flooring Porter in the Stayers’ Hurdle in 2021 and 2022. He added: “This is the place we all want to come every year. I’ve been lucky enough to ride winners here before, but you don’t take any of them for granted.
“Any time you get to the top of the hill in front that’s a special feeling.”
Matty at it again at the Festival
Jazzy Matty claimed a second career Cheltenham Festival success, winning the Grand Annual two years on from his first triumph in the Fred Winter when partnered by Michael O’Sullivan, who tragically lost his life after a fall earlier this year.
Trained by Gordon Elliott when successful at Prestbury Park as a juvenile hurdler, he joined trainer Cian Collins after being part of the Caldwell Construction dispersal sale last year and has raised his game again over fences for new connections.
Beaten a head by Path d’Oroux over the same course and distance in a novice event at the October meeting earlier this season, the well-backed Jazzy Matty (15/2) went one better under Danny Gilligan who drove the six-year-old to a length and a half verdict over last year’s Grand Annual hero Unexpected Party, the 11/2 favourite this time around.
Gavin Cromwell was responsible for the third and fourth, Midnight It Is running a big race at 25/1 and finishing just ahead of stablemate My Mate Mozzie at 13/2, while sixth went to 18/1 chance Conyers Hill.
