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Celebrating Tiger Roll, the little horse with the biggest heart who became a national treasure

Kate Johnson — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Don’t be fooled by this “little rat of a thing” and his diminutive stature, says Kate Johnson of the dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll, for this larger-than-life character – who was bred for the Flat – never once fell and knew how to work a crowd

Tiger Roll was a box-office sort of horse. Fittingly, the 2022 Cheltenham Festival delivered more drama than the Oscars.

Rachael Blackmore was “absolutely lost for words” when she became the first woman to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup with a note-perfect ride on A Plus Tard and was greeted with rapturous applause. Jack Kennedy rode a fearsome race on Delta Work to win the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase on an almost waterlogged course and was met with thunderous boos.

The reason? He’d relegated beloved Tiger Roll and Davy Russell into second place and denied what would have been, in Irish trainer Gordon Elliott’s words, “the perfect ending”.

The owners, the O’Learys’ Gigginstown House Stud, had already announced Tiger would retire and live with Michael and his family as his “fifth child” after this race.

Davy was surprised by the crowd’s reaction and says, “I’ve never heard it before. I can understand where people were coming from, but it seemed to be in jest, it didn’t feel like there was any malice in it.”

Michael O’Leary with the Cheltenham 2022 Cross-Country Chase winner Delta Work and runner-up Tiger Roll – an unpopular result for Tiger’s swansong. (Image credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

The emotion Tiger inspires is no surprise to Jerry O’Brien, the retired Coolmore vet who bred the now 16-year-old diminutive bay with the outsized whiter-than-white star and pony-ish thick forelock as a Flat horse.

He recalls with great tenderness his first sight of the foal: “He had an air of invincibility, a beautiful head, an air of whatever it is – confidence – he had that look, you see it in people too, whatever it is.”

All this and “a beautiful mover, a daisy cutter. He’d do anything for you, very placid, though if you took him on or tried to bully him, you wouldn’t win.”

Tiger – or Sausage – Roll

Tiger Roll’s career started unpromisingly at Godolphin in Newmarket where Jerry notes with no delight he was nicknamed “Sausage Roll” and says,“I think they didn’t understand him, he needed one-to-one treatment.”

Having bought Tiger at Tattersalls, Godolphin sold him, unraced, to National Hunt trainer Nigel Hawke. When he refused to go down to the gallops, instead of arguing with him, they showed him a fence and “he cleared it, and the rest is history”.

“They never taught him how to jump, he trained himself,” Jerry says with obvious pride.

His first race was over hurdles, rather than the traditional bumper Flat race, and he won. Nigel said at the time, “this horse can do anything”.

He changed hands and by the time he trounced his competition at the 2014 Cheltenham Festival Triumph Hurdle, he was owned by the O’Learys and trained by Gordon Elliott, who says of the race that put Tiger on the map: “He always showed a brilliant attitude. When he won, if he’d done nothing from then, we wouldn’t have been disappointed, but he never stopped pleasing us.”

The race wasn’t the rocket launch pad one might expect, though, and Tiger’s light wasn’t always burning bright. Plenty of people thought he’d lost his way.

At the next Festival, he only made 13th place in the World Hurdle, and his next win at the Festival wasn’t until the 2017 novices’ chase. In 2018, he took the Cross Country Chase, again in 2019 by 22 lengths, and by 18 lengths in 2021.

Cross-country races were Tiger’s speciality – as seen winning at Cheltenham in 2018. (Image credit: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)

He’d found his race, though there were plenty of disappointing runs between these victories, including being pulled up in the 2020 Cross Country Chase and the Grade One chase at Aintree in 2021 when he finished 92 lengths behind the winner. Gordon never gave up on the horse he describes as “a bit of a character”.

“He was very straightforward, he liked getting on with things and getting his own way,” so Tiger went hunting, cross-country and to the beach, all to spark his interest.

The 2018 Grand National was one more attempt to relight the fire.

Davy Russell recalls: “I felt I was going to be finished very early, I didn’t think he had any chance,” explaining that Tiger’s an “economical jumper”.

“I’d have thought before I rode that he wouldn’t get round in an old National, but guaranteed he’d have won the Grand National no matter what the fences are. He’s just so shocking clever and wicked quick with his fences. I thought it would catch him out, but he knew what he was doing.”

Davy remembers landing over Becher’s Brook: “Tiger sidestepped a horse on the ground and came back to where he was. He was looking after me as much as anything else,” he says.

“The experience was unreal, heart in your mouth at times, he gets so low at his fences, you don’t know if he’ll lift his legs high enough. He has it to a fine art.”

Praise indeed from such an experienced and successful jockey, who gave Tiger a race that Jerry O’Brien describes as “poetry in motion”. He remembers Davy losing an iron between fences and “without losing any momentum or balance he gently got his foot back in. That’s horsemanship at its best.”

“Poetry in motion” – Davy Russell and Tiger Roll over the Grand National fences, en route to victory in 2018. (Image credit: Grossick Racing Photography)

How the Tiger ticks

Davy had found the key to Tiger. On the surface, it’s simply that “Tiger just loves jumping” but the jockey also understands the horse.

“He’s not that keen on being told what to do, you have to ask him to do it,” he explains. “He’ll give you everything, empty the tank, whatever he has he’ll give, as long as you don’t ask for too much too soon.”

It’s the same trait that Jerry first noticed in his foal.

Come the 2019 Grand National, the 4/1 favourite was so wound up, Davy needed a lead from another jockey to the start. This time, he recalls: “I felt he kept a little bit to himself the first year, he was a little bit idle which gave him the opportunity to come back and have another go.”

Together they pulled off a feat not seen since Red Rum in 1974. Gordon says: “Any horse can do it once, but to come back and do it the following year, carrying a lot more weight was very special.”

Tiger Roll flies past the winning post to win his second Grand National, in 2019. (Image credit: Grossick Racing Photography)

He was ruled out of the Grand National in 2022 and his – depending on whom you ask – much-fancied chance to equal Red Rum’s record of three wins, when his owner Micheal O’Leary vociferously disagreed with the handicappers’ assessment and withdrew him.

As Tiger’s career was winding down after five Cheltenham wins and two Grand Nationals, Mary Nugent, who looked after the star, says the staff drew lots before his races, “to give everyone a chance to lead him up”.

“You could work in racing for years and very rarely come across one like him,” she says. “To have any involvement at all is amazing.”

None of which would come as news to Tiger.

Gordon says: “He knows he’s the man, he’s a bit of a show-off.”

And Mary agrees: “He knows how good he is. He’s a really strong character, he knows his own name and when you call him, he comes to his door and expects treats all the time.”

When Gordon’s friends brought their children to the yard, staff would put them up for a spin.

“He’s as good as gold, then a jockey gets on and he tries to buck them off,” says Mary with obvious affection. “He is what he is, there’s not a bad bone in his body, he’s just a monkey.”

“He had an air of invincibility, a beautiful head, an air of whatever it is – confidence – he had that look,” says his breeder Jerry O’Brien. (Image credit: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)

From underdog to national treasure

Why did the public take to him so strongly?

“I think it’s because he’s the underdog – having won at the Festival, he disappeared for a couple of years,” says Davy.

“He was small and unwanted at the start, though he was always well looked after, but he was bred for a different job than he ended up doing. And then to win not once but twice…

“People around the world have an interest in the Grand National, those associated with it end up being household names and for him to continue winning after, which is not the norm, adds to his reputation.”

Gordon agrees: “He’s not the biggest, but he’s got a big heart. It’s his style of racing, he never knows when he’s beaten, a few have said he’s gone and he keeps coming back.”

Surprisingly, when Gordon considers what this horse has done for the yard, it’s not the prestigious wins he cites, but something more intimate and emotional.

“The morale he brings around the place is unbelievable,” he says. “Everyone who comes into the yard – the postman, DHL, someone to see another horse – the first question is, ‘Where’s Tiger Roll?’

“He’s bigger than the yard, bigger than horse racing, all they want to see is Tiger, he stands out on his own.”

At home on the yard, Tiger Roll was a magnet for fans, from delivery drivers to visitor . (Image credit: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Michael O’Leary ungallantly once described Tiger as, “a little rat of a thing, not a good horse, not a class horse, just a complete overachiever”, which Jerry says merely had the effect of “putting everyone on Tiger’s side”.

And for the record, he’s not that small. He’s had more inches added to and subtracted from his height than Tom Cruise over the years, but he was measured at the yard for this article and… he’s 16hh. Or is he? Jerry maintains that he leant into him (he visited Tiger after his second Grand National win) and he’d put him at 15.3hh but “perhaps he was wearing shoes?”.

It’s clear that the only thing that all connections can agree on, is that Tiger Roll is without a doubt the horse of a lifetime.

Facts and figures

Tiger Roll was sired by the 2007 Derby winner Authorized and bred as a Flat horse
He was bought at Tattersalls by Godolphin, who later sold him, unraced to National Hunt Nigel Hawke for £10,000, where he won his debut as a three-year-old over hurdles before being sold for £80,000 to the Gigginstown House Stud and celebrating his fourth birthday by winning the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham on 14 March 2014
45 races
Nine-year career
13 wins
£1.4million prize-money
Never once fell
One of only three horses to win five times at the Cheltenham Festival

Alice Plunkett: ‘Not one person didn’t want him to win’

ITV Racing presenter Alice Plunkett recalls Tiger’s last race at the Cheltenham Festival on 16 March 2022, when he finished second in heavy going to his stablemate Delta Work.

“I went into the pre-parade ring to see him and everyone was appreciating the moment, knowing it was the last time we’d see him on a racecourse,” says Alice.

“I followed him to the parade ring, he was getting a round of applause everywhere he went. It was very emotional, to be there walking along next to him, eight years after the Triumph Hurdle, realising how small he is, how big a personality he has, how much the public loved him.

“When the commentators said, ‘Tiger’s taking the lead,’ the place went mad, everyone was screaming ‘Come on Tiger!’ Not one person didn’t want him to win.

“He got a reception like I’d hardly seen. We averaged 1.2 million viewers for Cheltenham and it peaked at 1.6 million for Tiger Roll.”

On parade in his local village after winning the 2019 Grand National. (Image credit: Sportsfile via Getty Images)

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‘To have created history is very special’: Grand National and Gold Cup-winning jockey retires from ‘dream’ career aged 43

Jennifer Donald — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 14:57:06 +0000

One of the most successful jump jockeys of all time, Davy Russell, has retired from the sport at the age of 43.

The dual Grand National and Gold Cup-winning jockey announced his departure from the weighing room after riding a winner for trainer Gordon Elliott at Thurles racecourse on Sunday (18 December).

“I suppose since I broke my neck [in 2020] it was always on the cards that I’d be going sooner rather than later,” Davy told H&H. “But thankfully I was able to get back to ride and enjoy the last couple of years. It would have been an awful shame to have had to bow out through an injury.

“I definitely wasn’t going to become a better rider and you never want to go downhill, so I was just happy that it felt like the right time. I was in a lovely position to be able to ask Gordon for a nice horse to ride, so it was perfect [to finish with a winner]. I was very lucky – not everybody is able to call on the quality of horses that I was able to call on.”

The Elliott-trained Liberty Dance was Davy’s 1,579th winner in an outstanding career that has spanned more than two decades. He rode his first winner under Rules in 1999, and went on to win back-to-back Grand Nationals in 2018 and 2019 on Tiger Roll, and the 2014 Gold Cup on Lord Windermere. He rode a total of 25 Cheltenham Festival winners, becoming well known for his trademark wave to the heavens. He won the Irish jockeys’ championship three times and ranks as the ninth most successful jockey of all time.

“There was any amount of stand-out moments but winning the Gold Cup was very special, as was winning the jockeys’ championships, but every individual winner from my first to my last, and my first Grade One winner, were all very special at the time,” said Davy. “I was very lucky that I appreciated them when they happened.

“But I suppose it’s hard to get away from Tiger Roll. To win one Grand National is something else, but to do it back to back and create history was very special. Growing up, Red Rum was a household name and it was very nice to be associated with another horse that became a household name, too.”

Jockey Davy Russell: ‘The next step was always the dream’

When looking back to the early days of this incredible journey, Davy said: “You have to remember, I was actually quite happy riding as an amateur, riding point-to-points and bumpers and hunter chases and I felt like I was achieving plenty by doing that. But then to make the next step – that was always the dream, but I didn’t really think it was going to be possible. I was lucky to meet such wonderful people, who gave me such wonderful opportunities, and I’ve ridden an awful lot of winners, so it’s been fantastic.”

Although he is hanging up his riding boots, Davy plans to continue his involvement with Gordon Elliott’s Co. Meath stables.

“He has some very good horses so it’s just nice to be around them,” he said. “I do enjoy being at the sales and buying and selling horses, and I have plenty of broodmares so I’ll carry on breeding; it’s small but we’ve had a bit of success recently with horses we’ve bred.”

Davy won a handicap hurdle recently on one of his homebreds, Riaan, who is trained by Gordon Elliott, and a filly he bred named Media Naranja (Yeats ex Inch Native) won a three-year-old maiden race on the flat in France.

“She looks to be nice and Gordon is after buying her,” explained Davy. “I foaled and reared her and did everything here at home, so moments like that are really special.”

Marking the end of an incredible era for some of the greatest jump jockeys the sport has ever seen, his weighing room colleagues were quick to pay tribute to the legendary Davy Russell; James Bowen called him “the best jockey I’ve ever ridden against” while Barry Geraghty said he was “a brilliant jockey, competitor and had an amazing career” adding: “You have a lot to be proud of, you always kept us on our toes”. Trainer Gordon Elliott, whom was a an amateur rider alongside Davy in their early careers, said: “A great friend and an even better jockey.”

Davy Russell: ‘Just enjoy it – you’ve reached the pinnacle’

Davy Russell — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 14:29:24 +0000

Davy Russell is full of admiration for this year’s Grand National victors but he has a “tough pill to swallow” on day one

Everyone understands that the Grand National is a huge event, but the true enormity of it doesn’t hit you until you win it. The race touches so many people, it’s phenomenal. So the first thing I said to winning jockey Sam Waley-Cohen after he crossed the line was. “Just enjoy it – you’ve reached the pinnacle.”

Sam is a working man and rides for fun, but he’s an amazing jockey – his technique over the fences is impeccable and he’s as brave as a lion. He’s won King Georges, the Gold Cup and now the Grand National – these are the races every jockey dreams of. But part of what makes our sport so great is that it’s so welcoming that someone like him can come in and achieve that.

I’m sure Sam would have been delighted just to have completed the course on what he knew was going to be his last-ever ride, so to win was something special. The Waley-Cohen family have been brilliant for racing and have a long affiliation with Aintree, so they thoroughly deserved that success and all credit to them.

I suppose the one person who’s been a bit lost in the win is Noble Yeats’s trainer Emmet Mullins. I rode with Emmet, he’s a great guy, and he’s now a very shrewd, young up-and-coming trainer. He has a small outfit but it’s no surprise that he’s capable of having a Grand National winner so early in his career. I’d say it’s onwards and upwards for him.

The end of the dream

My run in the Grand National on Run Wild Fred ended sooner than I’d hoped as we fell at the Canal Turn. The field went very quick over the first few fences and I ended up further back than was ideal. I got a bit blinded going into the fence and he was just taken off his feet. It was a shame because he fitted the bill as a Grand National horse in a lot of ways but sometimes you need to get into a rhythm really fast and it takes him a fence or two to do that, so that’s what cost him.

Delta Work, another horse from the Gordon Elliott yard, ran a fantastic race though to finish third. I was right behind him and I noticed that he hit a couple of fences early on, so it was an extraordinary run.

I was fortunate to have had a winner earlier in the day in the Grade One Novices’ Hurdle on Three Stripe Life, who Gordon has had since a three-year-old. We always knew he had a lot of potential and he showed that during the year, but we just bumped into Sir Gerhard a couple of times so we felt that instead of going back to Punchestown and meeting him again, we’d go to Aintree. It worked out, particularly to get a winner for joint-owner Kenny Haughey, who has been a big supporter.

There were some great riding performances over the three days from the likes of Foxhunters’ winner Gina Andrews and Topham victor Sean Bowen, who has really matured as a rider. Mark Walsh enjoyed a fantastic Festival along with owner JP McManus.

A tough pill to swallow

I thought I’d had another winner on Thursday when my ride Pied Piper dead-heated with Knight Salute in the juvenile hurdle, but a stewards enquiry resulted in them placing Knight Salute first and my horse second.

It was a tough pill to swallow because there was no doubt mine was the best horse in the race. He went a bit left at the last, but it was clear that I didn’t cause any interference and Paddy Brennan, Knight Salute’s jockey, said he wasn’t inconvenienced – I thought both horses ran gallantly and fairly to the line.

I told the stewards my horse had run about a bit in the past and perhaps they misunderstood my argument. Either way, it was a strange decision by the stewards, which the owners are keen to appeal and I’d be in favour of that.

But overall, Aintree produced a fantastic festival – it felt great to be back.

This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 14 April

Jockey Davy Russell reflects on unlikely Grand National hero Tiger Roll (and reveals why he’d never make a showjumper)

Jennifer Donald — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 07:32:25 +0000

With the Randox Grand National at Aintree set to take place later today (9 April), we’ve taken a look back on the career of one of the heroes of the world’s most famous race, Tiger Roll, who retired from the sport last month.

Jockey Davy Russell rode Tiger Roll in both his Grand National victories, in 2019 and 2020, and one of his five Cheltenham Festival successes, and he tells H&H racing editor Jennifer Donald on this week’s episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast that he “ran like a little terrier” in the finish of his races.

But Davy’s great association with Tiger Roll only came about when he was offered a catch ride on a four-year-old Tiger in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2014.

“You would have imagined that he was going to be a hurdler back then, with his stature and the way he jumped his hurdles low and accurate,” says Davy. “He really stayed on up the hill and he was impressive that day.”

As Tiger Roll progressed and began his career over fences, Davy describes his slightly unorthodox jumping style.

“He jumped the fence the same way he jumped the hurdle – very low and very fast – he would rub his belly along the birch he was so low and at times it would actually pull his girth back. He was shocking quick over them though and he was very sturdy on his feet, so he never felt like he was going to fall, but he just didn’t give you the feel of a real chaser. But the more Tiger Roll jumps, the more he sees a fence, the happier he is and the more interested he is.”

Keeping him interested at home was key to his training.

“He’s not that keen on going round the gallop – he gets bored quite easy,” says Davy. “But when he gets racing and jumping and schooling, that’s when he really comes alive.”

But while he can soar over the formidable Grand National fences without batting an eyelid, Davy reveals he’d never make a showjumper.

“I wouldn’t like to jump a course of 1m on him!” he says. “He’d break every pole in the place!”

Tiger also liked to keep his rider – and everyone around him – on their toes.

“He’ll buck you off!” reveals Davy. “He also has a habit of sticking his bum under the white railing and kicking it up off the cups. He’d frighten every horse around him and I’m sure he did it on purpose.”

Davy describes Tiger Roll as an unlikely Grand National hero, but the gelding made history by becoming the first horse since Red Rum to win back-to-back Grand Nationals.

“I didn’t think he’d get round the Grand National because of the way he jumps – they’re such demanding fences,” he says. “But as soon as we crossed the Melling Road to show him the first fence, I could feel him sitting back on his hocks and looking at the fence and I was really pleased because he was giving me the feeling he knew he had to jump something different.

“His speed from take off to landing was incredible – he could pass horses in mid-air,” he adds.

Looking ahead to this year’s race, Davy, who has been booked to ride another Gigginstown fancy, Run Wild Fred, says: “After all those days when you’re riding round in the muck and the dirt wondering ‘Is anyone watching, why are we doing this?’ Then all of a sudden you have an opportunity to ride in the Grand National and you’re centre stage for those few minutes. It’s just a marvellous event.”

Hear more from Davy Russell as he talks about Tiger Roll and the Grand National on episode 97 of The Horse & Hound Podcast – listen here or search “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.

The Horse & Hound Podcast 97: Tiger Roll’s former jockey Davy Russell | Caring for your horse’s teeth and mouth | News round-up

Gemma Redrup — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 05:45:34 +0000

In our 97th weekly episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, H&H’s Jennifer Donald talks to jockey Davy Russell about Tiger Roll’s fantastic career, his two Grand National victories and what makes this little horse so special. H&H’s Pippa Roome then catches up with the H&H news team to discuss who can work in show ponies, concussion in children and riders’ recent experiences while travelling to Europe. Finally, we’ll be hearing from bits and bitting expert Tricia Nassau-WIlliams, who talks about equine mouth assessments and keeping your horse’s teeth in order. We hope you’ll enjoy listening.

Episode 97 of The Horse & Hound Podcast, our popular audio service available every Thursday morning for our H&H digital subscribers, is now live.

Each episode is available for all H&H fans to listen to via your favourite podcast app 24hrs after its early release to our H&H digital subscribers. Search for “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your preferred podcast app and click subscribe to be notified about each new episode. This will allow more listeners to make The Horse & Hound Podcast an essential part of their week on Friday morning.

View all episodes of The Horse & Hound Podcast

In our 97th weekly episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, H&H’s Jennifer Donald talks to jockey Davy Russell about Tiger Roll’s fantastic career, his two Grand National victories (one pictured above) and what makes this little horse so special.

“He was so quick; his speed from take-off to landing was incredible – he could pass horses in mid-air” – Davy Russell on Tiger Roll’s phenomenal talent as a racehorse.

H&H’s Pippa Roome then catches up with the H&H news team to discuss who can work in show ponies, concussion in children and riders’ recent experiences while travelling to Europe.

“As a judge, Jill Perkins said that she didn’t like to see ponies that had been “set up” by an older rider and that a child should be a pilot rather than a passenger” – H&H’s senior editor Eleanor Jones on the discussion around who can warm up show ponies.

Finally, we’ll be hearing from bits and bitting expert Tricia Nassau-Williams, who talks about equine mouth assessments and keeping your horse’s teeth in order.

“Having a good equine dental technician checking your horse’s teeth and mouth every 12 months is very important, regardless of how old the horse is or the amount of work that the horse is doing – he’s got his teeth and he’s using them every day” – Tricia Nassau-Williams

We would love to hear your feedback on all our podcasts, so please do send your thoughts to pippa.roome@futurenet.com

Horse & Hound Podcast: episode 97

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Wedding bells, family success, and more things the horse world is talking about

Lucy Elder — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 07:02:25 +0000

Wedding bells

A photo posted by on

Racing superstars Hollie Doyle and Tom Marquand tied the knot in a ceremony in the bride’s home county of Herefordshire on Monday (21 March). The Group One-winning jockeys said their vows at St John’s Church in Ivington, followed by a reception at Bredenbury Court Barns. Tom said it was the “best day that will ever be”.

Family success

Jan Ebeling thinks the Future Challenge classes are ‘a wonderful idea’. (Image credit: Meg McGuire Photography LLC)

Father and son Jan and Ben Ebeling both enjoyed winning campaigns at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington. Ben and the 14-year-old mare Indeed took the CDIO3* grand prix freestyle with a commanding 78.41%. “I knew that coming into this week, I had some difficult competition in this individual final, and I wanted to crank up the difficulty with Indeed,” said California-based Ben, 23. Not to be outdone, his father Jan scored a place in the Future Challenge grand final, which aims to identify up-and-coming young FEI horses, with his prix st georges win on Zitat. “I love this series,” said Jan. “It’s really something that I hope will catch on in this country because these types of classes are so big in Europe. It’s an awesome class. We need to promote the young horses just like we need to promote our up-and-coming riders.”

Find out more about the duo’s success

Tiger Roll memories

Tiger Roll ridden by Davy Russell (nearside). (Image credit: Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Top jockey Davy Russell reflects on the 2022 Cheltenham Festival in his exclusive comment for H&H, including the stand-out performances, which yards the winners were coming from, watering and, of course, Tiger Roll. Davy, who partnered Tiger Roll to both his Grand National victories, was in the saddle again for the horse’s racecourse swansong in the cross-country chase (16 March). “You can be known as a jockey your whole life but when you win a Grand National it changes the whole landscape of what you’ve done in your career, and Tiger Roll made that happen for me,” he said.

Read Davy’s full review of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival

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Gearing up for Cheltenham Festival 2022: the pick of Scottish and Irish hopes

Marcus Armytage — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 08:32:30 +0000

There was a bumper feast of racing to savour from the likes of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, Musselburgh, Sandown and Wetherby over the weekend (5-6 February) and we were spoilt for choice with pointers to the Cheltenham Festival in March. Here are some key names to add to your Cheltenham ones to watch notebook and this week they come from Ireland, Scotland and England…

Ahoy Senor

Far from grinding out victory in the William Hill Towton Chase at Wetherby, Ahoy Senor (one of H&H’s horses to follow at the start of the season) showed an impressive turn of foot up the home straight, having jumped immaculately most of the way and, in particular, when it mattered over the last four. He remains in the Gold Cup but with the more likely option of the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (former RSA if you are getting confused with race sponsor changes).

“He’s still a novice,” said trainer Lucinda Russell. “He’s got immense talent but we’re still crafting him. We didn’t lose anything in defeat at Kempton [to Bravemansgame] and if we’d gone straight from his win at Newbury we wouldn’t have learnt anything, but Kempton taught us something.”

Honeysuckle

The reigning Champion Hurdler may even have stolen Tiger Roll’s mantle as the most popular horse in Ireland judged on Sunday’s clap-o-meter. Honeysuckle became the only horse to win their first 14 races over hurdles when she ran out a comfortable winner of the Irish Champion Hurdle; previously she shared the record with Bula. She was sent off the 1/5 favourite and beat Zanhahiyr 6½ lengths under Rachael Blackmore, but she will certainly face a stiffer test at Cheltenham.

“The crowd here today is unbelievable,” said the jockey, who won last year’s Grand National in front of two men and a dog and landed the Champion Hurdle in front of fewer.

Conflated

Gordon Elliott already has the horse, Galvin, which I consider the trump card in this year’s Boodles Gold Cup in his Meath yard. But he threw a spanner in the works on Saturday when Conflated, an 18/1 outsider rated 18lb inferior to Minella Indo whom he beat by 6½ lengths, won the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup. If Elliott chooses to go the Gold Cup route, Conflated will go there still as something of an unknown quantity.

“Thankfully Michael and Eddie [O’Leary, Gigginstown House Stud owners] let me run him so I could find out how good he is,” said Elliott. “ I said to them he’d either win or pull up. I know he has a massive engine but he’s not straightforward and can be very hot and cold. We have the Gold Cup and Ryanair and he’s in the Grand National as well but we’ll have to see where we go.”

L’Homme Presse

Venetia Williams has her horses in cracking form, and 20 years to the day since Golden Goal won her last Grade One, L’Homme Presse hacked up in the same race, the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown, by 21 lengths.

“There is no point in thinking of alternatives, it’s Cheltenham now,” said the trainer.

Read Marcus’s full report on the weekend’s racing action in Horse & Hound, in shops on Thursday 10 February

Davy Russell: ‘Irish racing has a lot to be proud of’ H&H Plus

Jennifer Donald — Tue, 11 May 2021 08:00:37 +0000

Davy Russell reflects on initiatives in Irish racing and ones to watch

WITH the end of the National Hunt season, we can reflect with pride at just how high the calibre of horse in Ireland is at the moment.

The finale, the Punchestown Festival, was The Willie Mullins Show. You’d think Henry de Bromhead would carry on through with the same dominance but it was really only Honeysuckle who starred – it’s unbelievable how one trainer’s fortunes can completely turn around like that. But isn’t the filly spectacular? She was absolute dynamite when taking her tally to 12 wins from 12 races now.

In 2013, the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (ITBA) recognised that fillies needed a bit of help. They introduced the National Hunt Fillies Bonus Scheme whereby they pay out €5,000 (around £4,300) if any eligible horse wins a mares’ bumper, maiden hurdle or beginners’ steeplechase.

That’s an opportunity to win an extra €15,000, which covers your training fees for a good bit of the season.

The initiative has been really successful in getting more fillies to run, which has benefited the whole industry. Owners can now have a valuable horse to go to war with, and keeping them in training gives us all a chance to see how good they are – and there are some seriously good mares racing at the moment.

Paul Townend saw off the challenge from Rachael Blackmore to take his fourth jockeys championship, despite injuring his foot a couple of weeks before Punchestown. His first ride back was on Chacun Pour Soi in the Champion Chase, which was an outstanding performance from both horse and rider.

They rode him completely differently from Cheltenham, where he finished third; they took the bull by the horns and made all the running with a lot of pace on, making it a truly run championship race which was a joy to watch.

There was good competition from English horses at Punchestown, with trainers including Paul Nicholls and Harry Fry sending out winners, and amateur jockey David Maxwell took the Champions Hunter Chase in great style.

A DIFFERENT CLASS

GOING in my notebook as one to watch next season is the Willie Mullins-trained Dysart Dynamo, who won the bumpers at Clonmel and Punchestown and looks to be a very smart horse.

Jockey Jordan Gainford is really stamping himself – he took the leap of faith to turn professional this year and he’s reaping the rewards with a Cheltenham Festival winner on The Shunter then he rode a treble at Down Royal recently – he looks a different class.

Then from the training ranks, one name will be familiar as Emmet Mullins is the nephew of champion trainer Willie, and he has enjoyed winners at Punchestown, Cheltenham, a Grade Two at Kempton and his horses ran well at Aintree this season.

From the other side of the Irish Sea I’m impressed by the new champion jockey Harry Skelton while his brother Dan has really stamped his authority on the game.

A WELL-DESERVED BREAK

ONE of the best new initiatives in Irish racing is that jump jockeys can now enjoy a proper holiday lasting 24 days. The eight meetings between 7 and 30 June will be restricted to conditionals and jockeys who have ridden fewer than 15 winners in the past year.

It’s a fantastic opportunity for them and it means the busier lads and the senior jockeys get the chance to rest up and get their bodies back in shape without worrying about championships or your rivals getting an advantage on you.

Meanwhile, all is looking good as I recover from my broken neck – everything is healed how it needs to be, so I just need to find the right date to go back at it all again and I can’t wait.

Before then it’s sales season, starting at Doncaster, where everybody will be looking to stock up, then we’re also into festival territory with the likes of Killarney, Listowel and Galway.

Overall, it’s been a marvellous year and all credit to the medical staff in the industry for keeping the whole thing safe and allowing us to carry on. We’ve a lot to be proud of.

You can also read this exclusive column in the 13 May issue of Horse & Hound.

Davy Russell: ‘There’s no better person to pass the mantle to’ H&H Plus

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 14:00:27 +0000

Dual Grand National winner Davy Russell reflects on a momentous day

A SENTIMENT that really struck a chord for me came from the late Aintree chairman Rose Paterson. She told me when I first won the Grand National in 2018 that winning the race was a fragile thing and the person receiving that honour should look after it carefully.

Hopefully I’ve done my part and I can’t think of a better person to pass the mantle to than Rachael Blackmore. I think Rose’s words would ring true with her, too, and I hope they will be remembered for many years to come.

You could see the delight in Rachael’s face when she crossed the line, but it was always going to happen for her. Many good female riders have tried before her, but that’s the calibre of Rachael – she stands alone not just as a female rider breaking the mould, but as a rider who has broken every ceiling this year by winning the Champion Hurdle, being crowned leading rider at Cheltenham, landing the Grand National and now she has a squeak at becoming Irish champion jockey, too.

From the second fence, my eye was drawn to three riders in sequence – Tom Scudamore on Cloth Cap, Mark Walsh on Any Second Now and Rachael on Minella Times. In the National, riders either catch the eye because of how well they’re travelling or because they’re not going well at all, and I followed Rachael step by step because she looked to be having a great ride the whole way round. Minella Times jumped fantastically for her with not a moment’s worry other than maybe getting a bit close at the third last, but he still didn’t touch a twig.

Always in control

LONG-TIME leader Sam Waley-Cohen’s run on Jett perhaps came to an end a bit sooner than the other riders would have anticipated, but Rachael was sat there in front with plenty of horse under her.

In the end, it was her stablemate who would be her biggest challenger – with Aidan Coleman riding 100-1 shot Balko Des Flos – but Rachael was always in control and the further she went, the less doubt there was in your mind that she would make history. She also led trainer Henry de Bromhead’s amazing one-two in the race.

It was a great result for JP McManus, too, whose horses finished first and third. Owners are such an important part of our sport, so it’s fantastic that all their input can be rewarded at this level.

I can’t say whether Mark Walsh and Any Second Now would have won had they not been unlucky in running and badly hampered, but it’s a huge credit to his horse for coming back after that to finish third.

Credit must also go to Aintree itself for the spectacle in difficult times. I had plenty of feedback from the lads there and they were so complimentary about everyone involved at the racecourse.

The end of a great era

MY final word must go to four-time champion jockey Richard Johnson, who announced his retirement last week. He was a huge talent from a very early age and exploded on to the scene, but was always knocking on the door behind AP McCoy – he certainly kept him on his toes for many years.

We had the pleasure of seeing Richard riding in Ireland a fair bit on the likes of Florida Pearl and I was around him a bit more during my time in England – he was always a great competitor, but an even nicer person. The way he came from out of the clouds and flew home to win the 1999 Stayers’ Hurdle on Anzum will always stick in my mind. It’s certainly the end of a great era.

This exclusive column is also available to read in this Thursday’s H&H magazine (15 April, 2021)

Jockey given four-day ban for ‘punching’ horse

Lucy Elder — Wed, 06 Sep 2017 11:23:48 +0000

Jockey Davy Russell has been given a four-day ban after a second hearing into an incident where he hit a horse on the neck, leading to a public outcry on social media.

The twice champion Irish jump jockey was originally given a caution by the Irish Turf Club after an investigation into the incident at Tramore on 18 August.

The film clip shows Davy’s ride, Kings Dolly, approaching the “show” hurdle at speed before stumbling into it. Davy then appears to strike the mare with his fist, close to the top of her neck.

Left me wondering, how long jockeys should get banned for such behaviour?pic.twitter.com/tcPPfWJccALeft me wondering, how long jockeys should get banned for such behaviour?pic.twitter.com/tcPPfWJccA— racingpete (@Betracingnation) August 19, 2017— racingpete (@Betracingnation) August 19, 2017

The referrals committee handed Davy a caution with no further punishment on 26 August, which caused a further furore online.

After an internal review of the decision, the Turf Club said the registrar of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee had asked the appeals body to look at the referral committee’s findings.

The appeals body hearing took place yesterday (5 September) “to review the leniency of the sanction” and handed Davy a four-day ban.

In his defence, the jockey argued that he wanted the horse to focus and that it was inappropriate to use a whip in these circumstances.

A statement from the Turf Club on the decision states the appeal body expressed the view that it was a “serious matter to strike a horse, particularly in the vicinity of the head” and that the incident “should not have occurred”.

“It was noted that Mr Russell had given a frank account of what had happened. The incident and its aftermath had a serious impact on him and his family as well,” added the statement.

“The appeals body noted similar cases which had been referred to during the hearing and the sanctions that had been imposed in each case, including UK cases.

“The appeals body stated that in the present case they regarded five racedays as an appropriate sanction for such an offence in the middle range and expressed a view that few, if any, cases would merit less but that other cases may merit more.

“The appeals body stated that in arriving at an appropriate penalty, the seriousness of the offence and also to the personal circumstances of the offender, including his disciplinary history will be taken into account.

“It was noted that the delay in finalising the matter had put additional strain on Mr Russell and his family, but this was not to underplay or mitigate the offence.”

It concluded that the loss of four race days can have a “significant financial impact” on a jockey and “should not be viewed as lenient”.

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David Muir, equine consultant for the RSPCA, said he hopes lessons will be learned from the affair and the timescales involved in a reaching a final verdict.

“We’ve all got to be pragmatic about this, Davy Russell has gone through the system for the past two weeks, which has let racing down,” he said.

“If four days was the punishment on the day, there would have been no furore.

“However, because of what happened originally he’s gone through two weeks of hearings and what have you, where the end result is four days. I’ve no complaints over the punishment, but there needs to be a clear line of what is acceptable.

He added “punching horses in the head is obviously not” acceptable, and the penalty needs to be clear.

“If jockeys do that then they need to be severely punished, which is down to the Turf Club and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA),” said Mr Muir.

“Hounding a jockey is not right, which is what has happened here, so the Turf Club, and BHA, need to learn from this.”

What happened when?

18 August: Davy Russell is seen to hit his ride Kings Dolly with his fist on the top of her neck in front of a “show” hurdle ahead of the 18.35 mares handicap hurdle at Tramore.

20 August: The Irish Turf club announces it is investigating the incident

26 August: The Turf Club’s referrals committee gives Davy a caution. This is followed by an outcry online over the leniency of the punishment

30 August: The Turf Club asks its appeals body to review the “leniency of the situation” — the date for the hearing is set as 5 September at 11am

5 September: The appeals body imposes a four-day ban — 21-23 September and 25 September

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Irish jump jockey thwarts diesel thieves

Amy Mathieson — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:43:43 +0000

Irish jump jockey Davy Russell cemented his local hero status recently — by thwarting some diesel thieves.

Trainer Jimmy Mangan had two runners heading to Gowran Park in Kilkenny on 24 January. But en route to the racecourse, his box was targeted by thieves.

“They were driving along in Co Waterford when a car passed the box and pulled in, forcing driver Pat Murphy to stop,” Jimmy told H&H.

“Three big guys got out and started to try to suck out diesel from the lorry.”

Luckily for Pat, Davy was passing by, also on his way to the races. Spotting the lorry, he jumped out to help.

“Davy scared them off,” said Jimmy, who trained 2003 Grand National winner Monty’s Pass. “They said they’d just needed a drop of diesel and then took off.

Pat and the horses were fine — it gave him quite a fright though.”

All arrived safely at Gowran Park and Davy duly won the main race on the card, riding Bog Warrior.

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (7 February 2013)

Ireland wins six out of seven at Cheltenham Festival

Horse & Hound — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:44:12 +0000

Irish horses swept the board on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival, winning six out of seven races.

The tone was set when Chicago Grey gave trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Derek O’Connor a first Festival success in the National Hunt Chase, and only the aptly-named Cheltenian winning the last race, the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, denied Irish trainers, jockeys and breeders the full set.

The Sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase, the day’s feature race, went to Sizing Europe, who led home an Irish 1-2-3-4. Trained in Co Waterford by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Andrew Lynch – who also won yesterday’s Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase with Sizing Australia – the nine-year-old hadn’t won since taking the Arkle here last year. A brilliant novice, he had seemed to struggle in open company this winter, but swept past last year’s winner Big Zeb before the final fence and was five lengths ahead of him at the line.

Master Minded was sent off favourite, but looked beaten when a bad blunder at the last lost him any chance of a place.

“It’s unbelievable,” said de Bromhead. “After he crossed the line I turned to some poor man and said, ‘did Sizing Europe just win the Queen Mother?’ and he said ‘Yeah’. God, the horse was good and Andrew was phenomenal.”

Sizing Europe spent some time being schooled on the flat by Rosemary Connors after disappointing as favourite in Katchit’s Champion Hurdle in 2008, and de Bromhead gave Connors, one of Ireland’s best-known horsewomen, credit after the race.

Two for Russell and O’Leary

The day’s most successful jockey was Davy Russell. He took the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle on the Mouse Morris-trained First Lieutenant, a six-year-old son of Presenting, by a short-head from Paul Nicholls’ Rock On Ruby. Russell then rode Carlito Brigante to an easy victory in the Coral Cup, giving Gordon Elliott a second training success of the afternoon.

Both of Russell’s winners were owned by Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, who said: “I think that’s our fifth win at the Festival but it feels just as good as the first one. The Irish are doing well but I’m pretty sure that by the end of the week the English will have beaten us.”

Harrington knows how to win at Cheltenham

Best remembered for handling the great Moscow Flyer, Jessica Harrington has long been one of Ireland’s most successful trainers, and she produced another Cheltenham winner today in Bostons Angel, a surprise winner of the RSA Chase at 16-1. Bostons Angel is owned by Elder Scouller, better known to most H&H readers for his eventing partnership with the advanced horse Pebbly White Stuff, and was bred by his late father Philip.

The sixth Irish winner of the day was What A Charm, whose light weight of 10st 6lb just allowed him to edge past top weight Kumbeshwar in the last stride of the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle for Arthur Moore and Paul Townend.

But then Richard Johnson came to spoil the party and claim one back for Britain in the last. Cheltenian, trained in Somerset by Philip Hobbs and bred in France, powered clear in the bumper ahead of Aupcharlie. Tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day, and the Irish will be back with a vengeance.

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Although he is hanging up his riding boots, Davy plans to continue his involvement with Gordon Elliott’s Co. Meath stables.

“He has some very good horses so it’s just nice to be around them,” he said. “I do enjoy being at the sales and buying and selling horses, and I have plenty of broodmares so I’ll carry on breeding; it’s small but we’ve had a bit of success recently with horses we’ve bred.”

Davy won a handicap hurdle recently on one of his homebreds, Riaan, who is trained by Gordon Elliott, and a filly he bred named Media Naranja (Yeats ex Inch Native) won a three-year-old maiden race on the flat in France.

“She looks to be nice and Gordon is after buying her,” explained Davy. “I foaled and reared her and did everything here at home, so moments like that are really special.”

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