FINISH LINE Cheltenham & Three Counties Race Club Magazine
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MAY 2016 FINISH LINE Cheltenham & Three Counties Race Club magazine RICHARD JOHNSON CHAMPION JOCKEY CONTENTS WELCOME Editors Introduction 3 Tipster competition final result 27 The National Hunt racing world have been We send congratulations to Ciaran Gethings Richard Johnson guest column 4-5 Club News & forthcoming events 28-30 treated to another memorable season who has won the Richard Davis Conditional and this month we have three of the key Jockey’s award for 2015-16. Do try and join us at Paul Nicholls guest column 6-7 Richard Davis award 31 protagonists to give us their perspective Worcester on May 27 for the award presentation Ian Renton guest column 8-9 Win a day at the races competition 31 on the 2015-16 season. that will take place. Our Tipster competition had a thrilling finale which was won at the last gasp Punchestown Festival review 10-19 Liam Treadwell column 32-33 On pages four and five we welcome the newly by Neil Jakes. Well done Neil on securing the title John Hales column 20-21 Adam Hurley column 34-35 crowned Champion Jockey, Richard Johnson. A for a second occasion. Kim Bailey column 22-23 Members jury 36-38 man so universally popular that if he stood for President of any country he would surely enjoy On April 18 many club members were able to Jo Collinson column 24-26 a landslide victory. But the Champions don’t attend the Thanksgiving Service for Alan Lee end there as we talk to the ten time Champion at Christ Church Cheltenham where hundreds Trainer Paul Nicholls who gives us his insight on gathered to celebrate Alan’s life. It is also with the dramatic final weeks of the season where great pleasure that I can announce Alastair the full gamut of emotions were experienced. Down has accepted our invitation to take up the role of Club President with immediate effect. A Jubilant Nico De Our third guest columnist is Ian Renton who Boinville after winning deserves considerable praise for the leadership 2015-16 has provided us with truly memorable the Celebration Chase he has provided in guiding his team to deliver racing days, Douvan’s imperious domination at Sandown on Sprinter the racecourse improvements we now enjoy at of the novice chase division, Sprinter Sacre’s Cheltenham. renaissance as the Champion Chaser, Sacre. Nicky Henderson, Thistlecrack and Cue Card giving the Tizzard’s a The closing month of the season was crammed take a bow. year never to be forgotten. You’ll have your own with drama. Willie Mullins may have been memories no doubt and we hope through this pipped to the UK Championship by Paul Nicholls magazine we’ve been able to capture some of but he still picked up twelve winners at the those moments for you. Punchestown Festival which continues to grow in popularity and was well supported by club As for the summer, I’ve the small matter of members. We learn also of the drama John Hales completing the Edinburgh Marathon on May experienced at Ayr when Vicente landed the 29. I hope to finish in time for our return in Scottish National to move the Championship September where we can look forward to the Title chase back in Paul Nicholls’ favour. new season. In the meantime lets dream of winning the European Football Championships This month we bid a fond farewell and thank and collecting a bag full of medals in Rio. you to Kim Bailey who provides us with his last column – we have enjoyed Kim’s witty and I close by wishing you all a forthright observations over the last three years. great summer and thanking With Kim departing, I’m delighted to report that every one of our contributors for next season we have secured the services to the magazine over the last of Channel 4’s Tanya Stevenson for the 2016-17 nine months. season. We hope to add to our team of regular Enjoy the summer columnists over the summer. Steve Ennis 2 3 in a fantastic light, the racecourse seemed to enjoy. I learned early on that you have to be full of people who love the sport and like to enjoy successes as it’s such a hard place to get RICHARD see people doing well. It enhanced my view of winners. You need luck and now I’m older I National Hunt racing still further and the sport appreciate them a bit more and make the most JOHNSON seems as strong as it has ever been. The battle of them. GUEST COLUMN between Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls made Six of those wins came for Philip Hobbs, the day it into a great finale and I was thrilled to what do you most enjoy about riding for After a thrilling 2015-16 season CTCRC are collect the trophy. I’m a bit sad that Stratford isn’t Philip? delighted to have secured an exclusive the closing event any more but Sandown have He’s just a fantastic boss to work for and a great interview with Richard Johnson, Champion made it into a great occasion. trainer, he’s really supportive. You go through Jockey, in the days following Bet365 day at You had 1044 rides last season, how big is times when horses might not be firing and he Sandown, here’s what Richard had to say; the mental challenge of being focussed on takes it all in his stride. We’ll always share our Congratulations Richard from all at CTCRC, each race? opinions and try and work out a plan for each you’re in your first week as champion I’m very lucky because most of those 1,044 horse I ride. He’s so consistent year in year out jockey, how does it feel? were all in with chances, it’s harder when you’re and had a particularly good season this year. There’s no change at all, I’m still the same person riding 66/1 shots but the owners and trainers You’ve ridden literally thousands of horses, as I was last week, I’ve been lucky enough to I work with are easy to deal with. The mental which was your most treasured win? become Champion and it’s down to the trainers challenge isn’t something I really think about as I’d have to say Anzum winning the World Hurdle and owners who support me. It’s a massive I’m motivated really easily and enjoy trying to Richard celebrates with his children, Percy, Caspar and Willow in 1999 at the Festival for the Duke (David thing for me and the best thing I could achieve get the best out of each horse I ride. I love what Nicholson) was a massive day for me and one I’ll in my career. It’s in the history books forever I’m doing. distance which really helps. My goal is to win the never forget. It really helped me take a step up and that feels great. The whole of the racing title again and I’ve a few in with a chance today. Today is a typical kind of day – four rides the ladder and opened the door to riding more world have made me feel very special and the at Fontwell, a class six bumper at 8.05pm As it transpired Richard rode two winners and a high class horses. We forget now, but Anzum attention I’ve received has built up as the season and a 330 mile round trip. How do you do second at Fontwell from four rides. wasn’t at all fancied and won at 40/1 beating drew to a close. maintain your drive? AP had 4,358 winners. Will we be more feared rivals like Le Coudray, Deano’s Being crowned Champion at Sandown was a I rode out at Henry Daly’s this morning and will celebrating in 2020 or 2021 when you have Beano and Lady Rebecca. great day, were you able to take in how much probably land home around midnight. I’ve got a winner 4,359? When the riding ends in 2021 will you turn the racing public appreciate your success? driver now on days where I have to travel a long I’m fit and healthy so I’ll take it as it comes, I can’t to training? It was possibly plan that far in the future, we’re looking I’ve no plans on training, I’m more into the amazing, I’ve forward only to this season but at present I have breeding, buying and the selling of younger been blown no plans for retirement. The championship is my horses on our farm. I’m sure this will help keep away by only goal. me very involved in racing when the time the support comes to retire. behind me. In the 2014-15 season you did our Maybe people Cheltenham preview for the Paddy Power Richard Johnson meeting at the Centaur, suggesting you are so pleased With Richard riding better than ever it would come because they had a reasonable set of rides. Three days as no surprise if he surpassed the achievements of actually felt later you had nailed seven winners, was AP McCoy. His excellence in the saddle is matched sorry for me this your best sequence at Cheltenham? only by his modesty as a man. National Hunt being second That was a fantastic meeting, I also had four racing has a great ambassador and truly deserving winners one year at the festival.