1 of 1 UPDATED 12:08PM, MAY 8 2021
Faugheen, Douvan and Benie Des Dieux, three of the dominant jumps horses of the last decade, have been retired.
All owned by Rich and Susannah Ricci and trained by Willie Mullins, the three won 23 Grade 1 races between them, including five at the Cheltenham Festival, as well as just shy of £2 million in prize-money.
Douvan s last run was in November 2019, when winning the Clonmel Oil Chase, while Faugheen and Benie Des Dieux s final appearances were at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival.
Faugheen won over £1m in prize-money over his 26-race career, with highlights including his victory in 2015 Champion Hurdle and his 15-length romp in the 2016 Irish Champion Hurdle.
Image: James Crombie/INPHO
OWNER RICH RICCI has announced the retirement of three of of his equine superstars in Faugheen, Douvan and Benie Des Dieux.
Faugheen in particular will go down as one of the most popular National Hunt horses of the modern era, with the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown and back-to-back victories in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton featuring on a glittering CV.
It looked as though his racing career could be over in the spring of 2019 after he was found to be suffering from a heart problem when pulling up in the Aintree Hurdle.
UPDATED 9:16PM, MAR 16 2021
There was nothing unusual about Denise Sneezy Foster watching the Close Brothers Mares Hurdle on a couch in the sitting room of her County Meath home. She has done that for the last couple of years. What was unusual was the fact that she trained the winner and was uncorking a bottle of Taittinger afterwards.
It has been a whirlwind week for 67-year-old Foster. She took charge of Cullentra House last Tuesday as Gordon Elliott began a six-month suspension for bringing racing into disrepute and Black Tears provided her with a first festival winner after a thrilling tussle with the odds-on favourite Concertista.
Cheltenham Festival: Three tips for day four including the Gold Cup
By Sporting Life
16:16 · FRI March 19, 2021
Timeform have three to follow for the final day s action at the Cheltenham Festival, the clearest top-rated horse, a flag horse on their Race Passes and a handicap fancy.
Clear on ratings
Elimay ridden by Mark Walsh
Willie Mullins has dominated the two mares’ races over hurdles since they were introduced at the Festival and there’s every reason to expect it will be the same story in the Mares’ Chase which will be run for the first time this year. At a Festival that has been notable for some small fields, a double-figure entry is an excellent start for the new race and Mullins is responsible for four of the 11 runners with two in particular, Colreevy and Elimay, standing out. Novice Colreevy is unbeaten in three starts over fences this season but it’s the year-younger Elimay who tops the ratings. She barely has more experience over fences herself but has won t
CHELTENHAM TIPS FOR DAY 1 OF THE 2021 FESTIVAL
Cheltenham tips for Champion Hurdle Day, Tuesday, March 16
Reporter: );
1.20pm - Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle
Willie Mullins trains the favourite for the very first race on the card this year in
APPRECIATE IT (7/4) who should win to get punters off to a good start from their sofas. His only defeats for Willie Mullins came on debut back in 2019 at Fairyhouse and at Cheltenham last year when his colours were lowered by Ferny Hollow in the Champion Bumper. Since then, he has looked iron clad over hurdles, winning three from three, including at the Dublin Racing Festival in February where he stamped his authority on a good field which included Ballyadam, currently third in the betting market for this race. If 7/4 is too short for you from a betting perspective,