Cheltenham Festival 2022
The 2022 Cheltenham Festival saw the return of spectators for the first time since 2020 and tickets sold out on all four days, with aggregate attendance reaching a record 280,627. Irish dominance continued unabated, all the same, with the visitors winning the Prestbury Cup 18-10, Willie Mullins becoming leading trainer for the ninth time in his career, with a record 10 winners, and Paul Townend becoming leading jockey for the second time, with five winners.
Indeed, Mullins and Townend won two of the ‘feature’ races, the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Ryanair Chase, courtesy of Energumene and Allaho, respectively, and the other three all went to Irish-trained horses. Honeysuckle, trained by Henry de Bromhead, won the Champion Hurdle for the second year running, Flooring Porter, trained by Gavin Cromwell, also defended his title in the Stayers’ Hurdle and A Plus Tard, also trained by De Bromhead, won the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Domestic trainers with cause to celebrate included Herefordshire handler Venetia Williams, who saddled L’Homme Presse to win the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, under Charlie Deutsch, and Chambard to win the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup, under Lucy Turner. Subsequent Grand National winner Corach Rambler, trained by Lucinda Russell, aslo warmed up for Aintree with a narrow victory in the Festival Trophy Handicap Chase.
An individual record of 73,875 spectators were in attendance to witness history in the making in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. County Waterford trainer Henry de Bromhead once again saddled the first two horses home but, in reversal of the 2021 result, A Plus Tard, who was sent off favourite, ran on strongly in the closing stages to beat stable companion, and reigning champion, Minella Indo, by 15 lengths. The winner was ridden by stable jockey Rachael Blackmore who, to add to her numerous traiblazing achievements, became the first woman to win the ‘Blue Riband’ event at the Cheltenham Festival. Reflecting on her historic victory, Blackmore said, “You can never dream too big; this is something I never thought would be possible.”