Cheltenham 2021 off to cracking start with impressive Appreciate It

It’s a great start to the meeting. I couldn’t believe that he won so easy. Things were looking a bit tough rounding the last bend in Leopardstown (last month) and we were wondering whether he’d left his best performance of the year there (at Christmas), so we just brought home and freshened him up and it seems to have worked. The way he finished the race today he looks as good as any of our previous winners of the race — it was a Vautour-like performance.

Shishkin right on target on the biggest stage again in the Arkle

We’d always hoped (to win like that), but you never expect. It was strange, it will be all week without the crowds, but it doesn’t make it any easier watching them. Winners here are winners tough and without the crowd they are still special. We knew there was going to be plenty of pace, I didn’t know the other horse (Captain Guinness) would take him (Allmankind) on as well. But he’s got a high cruising speed and just sat on their tails. He came wide and had plenty of space, but he was impressive the way he came up the hill. We’ve had great days here in this race, Sprinter Sacre, then Altior followed him and it’s a shame he’s missing this week, but it’s extraordinary to find another. He looked as good as the other two did in this race today. He’s got a long way to go to match them, but you had to be delighted with what he did today. It was a different challenge today. We schooled on Thursday and he nearly hurdles his fences, he’s very quick which frightens you a little. He’s very fast, he’s always looked like a chaser but he’s definitely a two-miler, he’s just a natural.

Persistence wonderfully rewarded for Vintage Clouds

Blackmore makes history on exceptional Champion Hurdler Honey

I can’t believe we’ve won a Champion Hurdle. Kenny Alexander (owner) and Peter Molony (racing manager) are both at home with their families. It’s a pity they can’t be here today. When Goshen headed off and then came back in I was just slightly worried, but she did everything I wanted her to do throughout the race and it’s just unbelievable. Henry produces her every day in that kind of form for me to just steer round. I’m so thankful to be a part of her (Honeysuckle) — it’s all about her. She’s getting better and improving. Her run the last day was a career-best and again today. It’s phenomenal. It was unbelievable. She’s a very laid-back, chilled out mare — she’s amazing. I’m so used to mine being ridden handy away and after two or three hurdle Rachael looked really happy. After jumping the second-last she had to get after her and Goshen going to the right for a while was a bit worrying as well, but all in all it was probably one of the more relaxed races I’ve watched here. Coming down to the last you just wanted her to get over it, obviously. Rachael is a brilliant rider on any horse and Honeysuckle is just a brilliant horse. The combination is deadly — it’s the perfect storm. I’ll discuss it with Kenny and see what everyone would like to do, but I’d say there’s every chance she’ll head to Punchestown.

Tears turns decent Cheltenham form to gold in Mares' Hurdle

Flanagan off the mark at Cheltenham Festival on Jeff Kidder

When we got levelled out into the straight I knew he was going to stay well and he’s jumped well on the whole. I’m delighted for Noel and all the team at home. If it wasn’t for Noel, I wouldn’t be here — you need the horses and the staff and everything. To be fair to Noel said after a bit of work last week that this horse had a right chance and when he says something like that you stand up and take note. To be fair, he was right. I genuinely said when I passed the line, ‘I can’t believe it’. I was talking to a few of the lads who have ridden here and they said it’s a feeling you can’t explain. Even though there’s no crowds here, it was brilliant — I can only imagine what it would have been like if there was (a crowd). I thought he had a chance. He worked the other day and I was very happy with what I saw. I said to Sean you’ve got two good rides at Cheltenham for me this week and I think you will be thereabouts on this one. He is a stayer on the Flat and that’s what you need around Cheltenham. That is what he ended up doing, just outstaying them. I think the better ground helped as well. He won at Fairyhouse then we put in him a Grade Two at Leopardstown over Christmas which was a very good race. He had been running on the Flat and he was a winner on the Flat so he was used to the hustle and bustle. Colin Keane has been riding him on the Flat and he said he will win you a Cesarewitch one day a

Kennedy doubles up on Galvin in National Hunt Chase