Good Time again for Tony Martin at Cheltenham

Handicap king returns to Festival winner’s enclosure.

It was a case of mission complete in the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle as Good Time Jonny stormed to Cheltenham Festival success.

Trained to perfection by Tony Martin, he qualified for the big race by finishing third to Maxxum at Leopardstown over Christmas, before tuning-up for his Prestbury Park assignment over an inadequate two miles at the Dublin Racing Festival.

The money had been coming for the eight-year-old building up to the meeting and he was sent off at 9-1 as the tapes went up.

Given a brave steer by Liam McKenna up the inner, Good Time Jonny was out the back as the field headed for home. But his young rider held his nerve to pounce late and deliver his mount with precision, returning a three-and-a-quarter-length winning verdict.

It was a fitting reappearance in the Festival winner’s enclosure for Martin, who has proved synonymous with handicap success in the past and was securing his seventh success at the four-day showpiece.

Martin was full of praise for his rider, saying: “He was last at the top of the hill but had the patience to wait, and it worked out well.

“The horse had been coming on real well since Leopardstown and this is great for Liam.

“When they turned in and started to pick up I knew he would win. Liam never chased him.

“This man has shown when he gets the rub of the green he’s as good as anyone. He hasn’t always enjoyed the breaks you hope for, but when I want to claim I wouldn’t look past him.”

McKenna said: “It’s great for the boys that own him, there’ll be plenty of celebrations from them. They’re great men. It’s great to get these opportunities on a big day like this.

“I got there late enough but that wasn’t my plan, Tony said to get there late and about 10 strides from the line I knew I had it. Just to hear that crowd is different.”

There was further success for the Irish raiders when Seddon gave John McConnell his first Festival winner in the Magners Plate Handicap Chase.

Seddon and Ben Harvey on the way to victory
Seddon and Ben Harvey on the way to victory (Tim Goode/PA)

It was also a first winner at the big meeting for Ben Harvey, who never missed a beat aboard the 10-year-old – bringing him home ahead of Richard Hobson’s Fugitif to strike at 20-1.

McConnell said: “I don’t know what to say. He’s the horse of a lifetime. Top jockey, top worker rider, I don’t do anything. I’m just a chancer, that’s all I am. He’s some horse, and the most beautiful, kindest horse you can ever imagine as well.

“He’s just a happy horse. He loves being a racehorse, people talk about welfare and this is a horse that just loves being a racehorse. He would lay down for you, he’s an amazing horse. With Ben on board it was like robbing 5lb, it’s unbelievable.”

Sam Curling’s Angels Dawn ensured a clean sweep of the St Patrick’s Thursday handicaps went to Ireland when holding off Stumptown to claim the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase by a neck.

Angels Dawn and P A King coming home to win the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase on day three of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse
Angels Dawn and P A King coming home to win the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase on day three of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse (David Davies for The Jockey Club/PA)

The eight-year-old unseated her rider when sent off favourite for Punchestown’s Grand National Trial last month, but bounced back in style here, travelling with real menace in the hands of Patrick King and showing plenty of guts when challenged by Gavin Cromwell’s 7-2 favourite in the closing stages.

Curling said: “That was brilliant – I’m delighted.

“She was unlucky the last day in Punchestown and she’s always promised a lot.

“We’re only a small team and only have about six horses for the track. We have maybe 70 point-to-pointers and mainly buy and sell horses. We sold Marine Nationale, so it was special to see him here earlier in the week. That’s our game.

“This mare jumps well and loves the bit of extra distance and Pat gave her a very cool ride.

“When the rain came I was very hopeful. If she’d won the last day she would have gone up in the weights, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

“She’s in the Irish National, but she probably wouldn’t get into that. I hadn’t really looked beyond today, to be honest.”

King said: “It’s unbelievable, I didn’t think I’d ever have this feeling, it’s surreal, it’s my first ride at the Festival. I’ve had a winner at the October meeting but to ride this for Sam, who has been a big part of my career, I’m delighted.

“I was nearly at the end of riding as things had gone very quiet for me but I joined Sam and since then I’m back, he’s been a big part.

“I’ve known Sam a long time and he told me if I joined him there’d be chances for him and I’ve never looked back.

“I was in front far too soon, I wasn’t supposed to be in front before the last but I thought from a long way out I was going very well and thankfully it worked out.”

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