Two years. Two horses. One jockey.
Michael O’Sullivan guided Marine Nationale and Jazzy Matty to wins at the Cheltenham Festival in 2023. A rising phenom, a respected young man, at the cusp of a burgeoning career, a beautiful life. Two years later, those two horses won again at Cheltenham and all we could do is look at the sky and wonder why. Michael’s gone, killed in a fall a month earlier.
Sean Flanagan fell at the same fence on that awful day, got up, walked toward Michael and eventually walked away. Unscathed on the outside, forever scarred on the inside.
Yesterday, Flanagan partnered Michael’s old horse Marine Nationale in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Two miles on knife edge. Favorite Jonbon made a race-over mistake early while Flanagan maneuvered Marine Nationale like he had never had a bad day, a cross thought or a moment’s doubt.
“All the jockeys in the world have been under a cloud for the last couple of weeks. I’m only the man that steered him around,” Flanagan said. “Michael’s the man who made him what he is and he’ll never be forgotten.”
The first race of the meeting, the Supreme Hurdle, was named in honor of Michael O’Sullivan. The whole meeting is about him.
Cheltenham. Day 3.
Race 1. 9:20. Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. Grade 2. 2 miles, 799 yards. Winner: £59,084.
Wide-open opener. I went everywhere in this and eventually sided with Galileo Dame. Still a maiden over hurdles, the daughter of Galileo Gold finished second in a Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown and sported solid flat form before that. Tough and tenacious.
The Picks: Galileo Dame, Aurora Vega, Sixandahalf.
Race 2. 10:00. Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase. Registered as The Golden Miller. Grade 2. 2 miles, 4 furlongs, 127 yards. Winner: £64,300
Another tricky one. Answer To Kayf faced the likes of Impaire Et Passe and Lecky Watson in his first two chase starts before winning at Naas. We’ll land there but it’s a soft landing.
The Picks: Answer To Kayf, Nurburgring, Pic Roc.
Race 3. 10:40. Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle. 2 miles, 7 furlongs, 213 yards. Winner: £61,897.
Check the Racing Post Horse Tracker. Three bombers. If this hits, I’m buying the Guinness.
The Picks: One Big Bang, Feet Of A Dancer, Zain Nights.
Race 4. 11:20. Ryanair Chase. Grade 1. 2 miles, 4 furlongs, 127 yards. Winner: £211,013
The question of the day. Are you with or against Il Est Francais? The front-running, free-traveling, jet-jumping French raider will make it a test from flag fall. Last year’s winner Protektorat and Brown Advisory winner Fact To File will be in the jet stream, waiting and wishing. This will be a spectacle.
The Picks: Fact To File, Il Est Francais, Protektorat.
Race 5. 12:00. Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle. Grade 1. 2 miles, 7 furlongs, 213 yards. Winner: £182,878.
Without a standout, I’ll lean toward the slightly unexposed Lucky Place and try to upset last year’s winner Teahupoo.
Franciscan Rock is better than 60-1.
The Picks: Lucky Place, Teahupoo, Home By The Lee.
Race 6. 12:40. TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase. Premier Handicap. 2 miles, 4 furlongs, 127 yards. Winner: £84,405.
Once more unto the breach of a handicap at Cheltenham.
Thecompanysergeant fetched €110,000 in November, switched from Denis Hogan to Gavin Cromwell, enjoyed a handicap hurdle spin in January and goes back to chasing at Cheltenham.
The Picks: Thecompanysergeant, Masaccio, Jagwar.
Race 7. 1:20. Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup. Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase. Sponsored by Thames material. 3 miles, 2 furlongs. Winner: £36,668.
The amateurs close the card. Hopefully we aren’t chasing our money at this point of the day. I’ll be tepid here.
The Picks: Midnight Our Fred, Johnnywho, Westerninthepark.
