SATURDAY, 19 MARCH 2016 CRITERION BROTHER AN EASTER STAR ‘COSSACK’ DANCES TO by Kelsey Riley Glenn Burrows has seen it all on both ends of transactions in GOLD CUP VICTORY the bloodstock business, having spent 20 years working for Inglis before opening Willow Park Stud 15 years ago, and Burrows could well be in line for his biggest coup yet, when he offers a Pierro (Aus) half-brother to four-time Group 1 winner Criterion at the Inglis Easter sale as part of his nine-horse draft. “There’s no doubt he’s going to be my sale topper,” said Burrows of the dark bay colt. “The mare has been such a phenomenal producer and she has one of the current champions around who is going to stud this season and will be very keenly sought after.” In addition to Criterion, who will attempt to defend his title in the A$4 million G1 Queen Elizabeth S. on the second day of The Championships Apr. 9, lot 399 is a half-brother to G2 QTC Cup winner Varenna Miss (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}) and listed winner Silently (Aus) (Anabaa). Their dam is the now 17-year-old Group 3 winner Mica’s Pride (Aus) (Bite The Bullet). Cont. p5 Joyous scenes in the winner’s enclosure with Don Cossack and connections | Racing Post SUDDENBREAKINGNEWS LEADS REBEL FIELD by Emma Berry GIII Southwest S. hero Suddenbreakingnews (Mineshaft) Nine years after winning the Grand National in his first season gets the slight morning-line nod in the 14-horse strong GII with a trainer’s licence, Gordon Elliott has added Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park Saturday. steeplechasing’s blue riband to his list of achievements after Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. Don Cossack (Ger) (Sholokhov {Ire}) galloped his rivals into submission in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup. Prominent throughout, the 9-year-old favourite denied the team of Willie Mullins, Ruby Walsh and Rich Ricci another big-race success at this year’s Festival by taking a commanding lead from the third-last fence and staying on strongly to leave Djakadam (Fr) (Saint Des Saints {Fr}) trailing by four and a half lengths, with another Mullins contender, Don Poli (Ire) (Poliglote {GB}) a further 10 lengths back in third. The two ‘Dons’ are owned by Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, which first tasted Gold Cup glory a decade ago with War Of Attrition (Ire). Winning jockey Bryan Cooper, 23, has had mixed fortunes at Cheltenham over the years. He first rose to prominence in 2013 when posting three Festival victories, but a sickening fall at the following year’s meeting in his first year as Gigginstown’s retained jockey left his career hanging in the balance after he broke two bones in his leg. Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL • PAGE 2 of 9 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY, 19 MARCH 2016 ‘Cossack’ Dances to Gold Cup Victory Cont. Aidan O’Brien is of course no stranger to National Hunt racing, “I can't thank Michael and Eddie [O’Leary] enough,” said and neither is his wife Annemarie, the couple each having held Cooper, whose father Tom has trained two Cheltenham Festival the licence at the Piltown stable of Annemarie’s father Joe winners. “From the time I broke my leg here two years ago, they Crowley and each becoming Ireland’s champion jumps trainer have supported me all the way. Last year was hit and miss--I had during that time. After moving to Ballydoyle and switching a couple that got away from us, but they really stuck by me. predominantly to the Flat, O’Brien still held Cheltenham in his That gave me plenty thrall for five seasons as conditioner of the treble Champion of confidence. We're Hurdler Istabraq (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells). And, just like the mighty a great team and this Istabraq, Ivanovich Gorbatov is a former flat performer who has was a great team taken to hurdling with great aplomb in the colours of effort. Don Cossack Cheltenham’s winningmost owner JP McManus. has beaten what's "I can't really put it into words to be honest," said Joseph from been put in front of the middle of a giant media huddle after his star juvenile hurdler him and that's all he led home a trio of Willie-Mullins-trained horses. He added, "It can do. He's the best feels slightly surreal. It's completely different to being in the I've ever sat on.” saddle. When you're riding, you don't get a chance to take in the Don Cossack clears the last | Racing Post Elliott, who has whole occasion, but now I don't have much to do on the day enjoyed three winners at Cheltenham this week, struggled to itself as the job is done, so there’s more time to get nervous. find the words to describe his delight at landing such a major Barry [Geraghty] was as confident as anyone. When he got off prize for his biggest owner, Ryanair boss O’Leary, who him last time out, he said he hated the ground and couldn't sponsored two Grade 1 contests on the Thursday of the Festival. jump. We were in no doubt he would be better on better The trainer said, “That was brilliant, unbelievable, I can't ground and he was. He could be a Champion Hurdle horse--he's believe it. I can't thank Michael and Anita and Eddie and Wendy entitled to go into that grade but it will be a huge step up.” enough, and all the team at Gigginstown--they supported me The youngster has around 70 horses under his care, a mixture from the start. I've never been so nervous in my life. I'm just so of flat and jumps horses, 15 to 20 of which are 2-year-olds, and happy for all of us, all the staff in the yard, my mother and he hopes to be operating under his own licence by June. father.” Asked if he was daunted by following in the footsteps of his father, he said, “I don’t think of it in those terms. I just want to Dream Triumph for Joseph O’Brien... get each horse I have as fit and well as possible and to do the best I can. For the last year I’ve struggled with my weight and I The name on the licence may read Aidan O’Brien, but the knew I wasn’t going to be able to ride forever. I’m very lucky to pre-eminent flat trainer of his generation makes no secret of the have ridden the horses I did.” fact that the man calling the shots at Piltown, the County Kilkenny home of G1 JCB Triumph Hurdle winner Ivanovich Gorbatov (Ire) (Montjeu Pendleton Impresses But Carberry Wins Again... {Ire}), is his son Joseph, Britain’s most decorated female Olympian, the former cycling who recently announced champion Victoria Pendleton, has been riding as an amateur his retirement from the jump jockey this winter in the Betfair-sponsored ‘Switching saddle. Saddles’ challenge and faced the biggest test of her equine At the age of just 22, career at Cheltenham when lining up for the St James’s Place O’Brien junior already has Foxhunter Chase. a formidable string of Positioned out the back of the 24-runner field for the first half riding successes to his of the race, she gradually urged her mount Pacha Du Polder (Fr) Joseph O’Brien congratulates Barry name--including 30 Group (Muhtathir {GB}) into a more forward position to finish strongly Geraghty after the Triumph Hurdle 1 winners and 10 Classic for a running-on fifth place--a remarkable performance for a Racing Post victories--and his second rider of her inexperience. She was no match, however, for the career, though yet to be leading lady of the amateur scene, Nina Carberry, who recorded rubber-stamped with his own training licence from Horse Racing back-to-back wins in the Foxhunter and her sixth overall at the Ireland, has got off the ground in the best possible fashion with Cheltenham Festival aboard the JP McManus-owned On The a debut Cheltenham Festival triumph. Fringe (Ire) (Exit To Nowhere). Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL • PAGE 3 of 9 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY, 19 MARCH 2016 Pendleton Impresses, But Carberry Wins Again Cont. CHANGE OF PLAN FOR INTILAAQ Pendleton, 35, who has been guided by the Oxfordshire-based Connections of runaway G3 Rose of Lancaster S. hero Intilaaq training duo of Alan and Lawney Hill, said, “This is right up there (Dynaformer) have changed their minds over his target on Dubai with anything I've done. It's such a rush, such a thrill. I think it's World Cup night and have chosen the G1 Dubai Turf over the one of my greatest achievements. I feel lucky. To be accepted as evening’s headline event, the G1 Dubai World Cup. Trainer part of this, by the crowd and by the other jockeys today, I just Roger Varian had recently taken the ‘TDN Rising Star’ for a want to say a big thank you. I feel an immense sense of racecourse gallop at Southwell in achievement.” a bid to ready Hamdan Al Speaking of her new-found passion for riding, which she took Maktoum’s colt for his first up just a year ago, Pendleton confirmed that she plans to competitive attempt on a dirt continue to compete in hunter chases and point-to-points.