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Cheltenham aftermath: What the Irish will have learned

Wayne Bailey pours over the flaming embers of a middling Festival for runners from across the Irish Sea

So that's it for another year!

For some, it was a war of attrition and they're glad to see the back of it - for a while at least. Others have already started counting down to Tuesday, 10th March 2009.

Personally, I'm somewhere in-between. I must admit it wasn't my greatest Festival ever, but I managed to get out alive at least. Win or lose, we must now reflect on the results from Cheltenham and put them to good use. Battle weary as we may be, this is no time to rest on our laurels. For a start, we've the Aintree festival quickly approaching, but more important, we've Punchestown. For the uninitiated, Punchestown is pretty much Ireland's version of Cheltenham, and this year it has been extended to a gruelling five days!

Make no mistake - this is serious business with more than €3m in prize money on offer. It kicks off on 22nd April, and the fact that it happens later than Cheltenham can be seen as a plus for punters. Many of the Irish horses we witnessed at Prestbury Park will be on display again - but they now have big time racing experience under their belt, which wild lend a few clues.

So what can be learned from Ireland's performance at Cheltenham?

With seven winners we fared a little better than expected, but quite a few 'bankers' were overturned... which brings the fist important question to the fore - has Ireland's dominance of the top hurdle races come to an end? Judging by the Champion Hurdle, it would appear so.

The Irish often laugh at the English betting public for ignoring our racing scene throughout the year, then reacting with shock and horror when our horses dominate the top English races.
It's the Irish however, who have egg on our faces this time round.
Many people (myself included) expected to see a new Irish superstar emerge in the guise of Sizing Europe, and I would have offered you whatever price you wanted on England claiming the first three Champion Hurdle finishing positions.

It's not all bad news however, as our staying novice hurdlers performed exceptionally well. In fact, the first four home in the Ballymore were all Irish-trained.

With future betting in mind, let's have a look at the six Irish winners...

BGC Cross Country: Garde Champetre
Not a huge surprise to see the Irish do well in the cross country as we've a strong point-to-point and hunting scene here. This race however, smashed a long-held misconception that women jockeys are not as good in chases, and Nina Carberry's performance was superb.

Supreme Novices' Hurdle: Captain Cee Bee
A race dominated by the McManus colours, this was a dream come true for Eddie Harty - his first Festival winner. Despite winning the race, Captain Cee Bee actually prefers better ground, and should be seriously considered the next time conditions are in his favour. Connections are as yet undecided on the next step for their seven-year-old winner.

Jewson Novices Chase: Finger Onthe Pulse
A good hurdler, he's now had his first taste of success over fences. His never-say-die attitude when coming up the hill gives me plenty of hope that this seven-year-old can become a very serious animal.

Champion Bumper: Cousin Vinny
Willie Mullins' sixth bumper success, Cousin Vinny outperformed stablemate Apt Approach and hot favourite Zaarito. Keep an eye on him if he goes to Punchestown.

Ballymore Properties Novices Hurdle: Fiveforthree
Another Mullins trained winner, this race had a good fighting finish, so it's actually worth sticking the Mouse Morris-trained runner-up Venalmar in the notebook too.

Grand Annual Chase: Tiger Cry
He's a very versatile horse, and I've heard word that they're considering entering him in the new Ballymore Properties Hurdle race at Punchestown. If they do, he'd have an excellent chance.

Vincent O' Brien Handicap: Silver Jaro
He was unfancied, and went off at [86.0] on Betfair. This was his first win but I doubt it'll be his last. He seemed to have plenty of stamina coming up the hill, and is definitely another one for the notebook.