The greatest show on turf

13 April 2012

You never know how much you love something until it's gone. Luckily for those of us who have fallen in deep, desperate and passionate love with the Cheltenham Festival, its removal from the fabric of our sporting lives was only temporary.

I will admit here and now that I was at the front of the queue of those arguing that it could not be held in the midst of the foot-and-mouth crisis that devastated the farming community this time last year. I still believe that to have staged the Festival with no Irish runners and at the risk of antagonising the very people upon whose support it depends would have done jump racing as a whole irreparable harm. A small herd of sheep ended the debate and the meeting was abandoned. End of story.

It is now two years since Istabraq won his third Champion Hurdle, since Tony McCoy and Edredon Bleu got the better of a titanic battle with Direct Route to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase and since Looks Like Trouble powered away from Florida Pearl in the Gold Cup. It seems like 10 years and God, has the racing world missed the buzz. The roar of the crowd, the manic magic of the betting ring, the examination of nerve, the strain of emotions: over three days and 20 races, the best horses Britain, Ireland and France can offer, all at the peak of their form, will try their hearts out as owners and trainers hear the beat of their own quicken beyond the medically recommended rate.

In the face of the greatest pressure of all, only the great will excel. The Cheltenham Festival has no room for mediocrity. Every race is run at a faster pace than usual, with decisions having to be made that much more quickly and mistakes punished more severely. Horses are primed for this meeting, slowly brought to peak fitness and then wrapped in cotton wool until the moment when their ability will be exposed for all to witness.

Legends are created at the Festival and reputationsare shattered. Every trainer, owner and jockey fights for success and none can dominate in an environment that is so fiercely competitive. Even perennial champions like Martin Pipe and McCoy know that they are lucky if they come away with one success and blessed if they visit the hallowed winner's enclosure more than twice.

The one horse who has epitomised perfectly timed excellence is Istabraq. Winner of the Royal & SunAlliance Novices Hurdle in 1997 and of the Champion Hurdle in the following three years, he is attempting the so far impossible task of winning the latter for the fourth consecutive time. Allowing for the fact that there are no certainties in the shadow of Cleeve Hill, the general assumption was that he would have romped home this time last year. This year, the bookmakers and punters alike are less confident.

Istabraq could fill a library with the reams of newsprint dedicated to his achievements, with a special section reserved for the obligatory scare stories. Victoria Beckham would envy the pages per appearance that Istrabraq can generate and feel humbled by the sheer volume and variety of rumours, conjecture and speculation. His trainer Aidan O'Brien has spent more time worrying about this one 10-year-old gelding than the rest of his team put together.

Given the crucial importance of peaking at the right time, Istabraq is rarely seen in public, surrounded by high security whenever he ventures out and frequently leaves the racing scribes perplexed rather than informed. He has not been seen on a racecourse since just after Christmas when he scrambled to a less than convincing win at Leopardstown. The attendants of that same racecourse collectively held their breath when he twice fell at the last hurdle in December 2000 and April 2001, fearing the worst. Both times he clambered to his feet, his aura of invincibility dented but not shattered.

Istabraq is the epitome of the Cheltenham champion. Ears flat back, head low, travelling with ease and devouring his hurdles with the hunger of a true competitor. For four years he has been swarmed by a mass of well-wishers, led by his beaming owner JP McManus, as he has been led back into the amphitheatre of a winner's enclosure. Can he do it again? Can he defy age, stiffening muscles and increasingly frail limbs to become the first horse to win four Champion Hurdles?

Belief is a beautiful thing and despite his protestations that it would "take a miracle" for the old horse to win again, the terminally cautious O'Brien believes in Istabraq. His jockey Charlie Swan (who now trains in his own right) is happy to adhere to the credo of O'Brien. If Aidan says the horse is right, the horse is right and Swan will ride with the according confidence.

When Istabraq walks last into the Paddock on Tuesday, he will be right - and even Cheltenham will not have heard a roar like the one that will greet him as he jumps the last upsides and powers away up the hill. I may not believe in fairy tales but I believe in Istabraq, in the genius of O'Brien, the luck of McManus and the coolness of Swan. He alone does not need to be backed to have every punter in the land cheering him home. Even McManus, a gambler to his very core, will not dilute his appreciation of his horse by gambling on him.

The desperation to ride at the meeting and the desolation when that aim cannot be achieved is summed up by the rotten luck of Adrian Maguire. Having won the King George VI Chase on Florida Pearl thanks to an aggressive front-running ride, Maguire was booked for the top Irish chaser in the Gold Cup. A fall at Warwick on Saturday left him with a broken bone in his neck and the knowledge that for the fourth year in eight, he will be watching from the sidelines. The sympathy of his fellow jockeys will not ease his frustration.

The history of Cheltenham is littered with shattered illusions and false predictions so it is with some trepidation that I offer the following suggestions:

1. Istabraq will win the Champion Hurdle. Hors La Loi III and Geos are worth an eachway interest.

2. Edredon Bleu will win the Queen Mother Champion Chase after another epic struggle, this time with Flagship Uberalles and Tuitchev.

3. The Polish-bred Galileo will mirror his Derby-winning namesake by taking the Royal & SunAlliance Novices Hurdle. Master George could run into a place at a big price.

4. Jonjo O'Neill will be the toast of the training world with at least two victories, including a 1-2 in the Champion Bumper with Rhinestone Cowboy and Iris's Gift.

5. The Gold Cup will be won by Marlborough, or Looks Like Trouble. Florida Pearl will be placed again and everyone will be impressed by the run of Best Mate who will be made favourite for next year's race.

For those who bet, steer clear of the Irishtrained horses in the handicaps but go with them in the other races, good luck and don't be disillusioned if you don't get a winner until Thursday. For those who do not, watch in wonder, enjoy the greatest array of talent that jump racing has to offer and don't take it for granted. It doesn't happen every year.

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