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Festival racing golden moment

For me it was approaching two out in the Champion Hurdle as a gap opened up between Zanahiyr & Appreciate It to reveal Honeysuckle just behind, and you knew that was the moment she was going to come storming through. Then she duly obliged right on cue!
 
Well another one I can think of is L'Homme Presse proving to be a future Gold Cup contender. Venetia Williams is a long term NH stalwart with a reputation of training mud loving handicappers, not Grade One champions (though Teeton Mill did win the King George). A Venetia Williams Gold Cup winner would be something she deserves imo.
 
Don’t think it’s been mentioned yet but one of the best moments I’ll remember from the festival was the huge cheer that went up when Journey With Me got up after what felt like a lifetime on the deck. Every man and his dog was on Sir Gerhard in the grandstand and the place really built up to fever pitch by the off and as they swung for home. Townsend switching Sir Gerard sent the place into a frenzy. Everything seemed to go the way of the favourite and the atmosphere was huge. And then that fall happened - and it looked bad. And the screens went up. And almost in unison the delight turned to worry. And everyone stopped celebrating and all eyes went to the last hurdle where that big green screen was up. And it was still up. And still. Every second felt like a minute for everyone transfixed on that huge green screen in the centre of the straight.


And then IT happened. An almighty cheer went up for JWM rising up like a warrior and those screens coming down was proper ‘something in the eye’ stuff. Call me a big old softy but it felt like at that exact moment Cheltenham was back. Proper racing people who care for the horses they’re watching. There’s something unique about the Cheltenham crowd (particularly the Tuesday-Thursday people) you don’t get anywhere else in racing in my experience. That wave of relief when the gallant JWM gained his strength was both heartwarming and emotional wrapped into one humongous cheer. For every person who’d got louder and louder seeing SG travel on the snaff down the hill in behind JWM, there was 3 smiling as Journey With Me and his emotional groom strode back towards the paddock.

Not sure my love for both the sport and the festival will even beat that moment for me.
 
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