Teahupoo takes Stayers’ Hurdle crown
With eight runners-up over the first two days, Gordon Elliott was probably wondering whether he should be wasting his time in the sun this week. Teahupoo had helped Elliott into the Prestbury Park winner’s circle and the resourceful seven-year-old, who was only third behind his stablemate Sire Du Berlais twelve months ago, delivered the goods in the right way.
Under Keith Donoghue, the two-time winner of the hurdle, Floring Porter, took his usual place at the head of the team and remained there for most of the three-mile contest at the horse racing betting websites. Nevertheless, the rivals were always in close pursuit. As this year’s winner, Grace Grace, approached the last hurdle, Jack Kennedy expertly brought her to the front, and with a quick jump on his heels, the pair quickly pulled ahead to gain a comfortable lead.
Flooring Porter launched an uphill chase, but it always looked to be in vain as Teahupoo was able to build up enough pressure in the closing stages before edging out his rival by three and three-quarters lengths.
Home By The Lee held firm to take third place, while Buddy One, who was 40/1, came back to fourth by a big margin.
“It’s great to get a winner because we’ve been hitting the bar all week. The horses have been running well and there are no excuses and no stories of failure, but to win the Stayers’ Hurdle is just incredible – for the whole team, for Jack and Robcourt. It was a long few days, but no horse won that should have won. That was always the plan with Teahupoo. He runs well outdoors, so we came straight here. – said Elliott, for whom this was the 38th success at the festival in his career.
The sponsor defeated Paddy Power, who cut the winner’s odds from 6/1 to 3/1, allowing him to defend his crown twelve months later at Prestbury Park.
