WITH the Cheltenham Festival now 14 days away, the Sun Racing team will be bringing you their ‘Festival 50’ every day between now and 10 March.
We will salute the Prestbury Park heroes that made us fall in love with the Festival, all the way until the ‘Cheltenham roar’ signals that the wait is finally over.
Cause Of Causes won at three Cheltenham Festivals
Number 14: Cause Of Causes
JP McManus’ green and gold will have been carried to victory at Cheltenham by many classier horses than Cause Of Causes – but few as popular.
The Gordon Elliott-trained stalwart would often be quiet during the winter, but you could bet your bottom dollar that he was cherry-ripe every time the Festival rolled around.
In fact, over the final three years of his career, his only successes came at Cheltenham in March when ridden by Jamie Codd. He came alive in the spring time.
His first victory came in 2015 in the four-miler when he was given a trademark waiting ride by his brilliant amateur.
Codd rode the 8-1 shot with ice in his veins, creeping through the field, producing him to lead on the run-in and pushing him out to win decisively.
It was a superb effort in the saddle and from the horse, for whom this was a first win over fences.
But the following year he produced one of the most memorable performances in recent Festival memory.
Lining up as a well-punted 9-2 shot in the Kim Muir, he was ridden chilly once again – but this time Codd looked to have overdone the waiting tactics.
He only had three runners behind him heading to the third last and was out of camera shot turning in – but as soon as he levelled up for home he took off.
Roared on by the crowd, he sprouted wings and powered home to register an emphatic victory, bringing the bookies to their knees in the process.
And he showed his versatility 12 months later when landing the odds in style around the Cross Country course, breezing clear on the run-in to bring up a memorable hat-trick under his regular pilot.
Codd said: “He’s had three wins here now, he is so durable – he is a remarkable little horse.”
Amen to that.
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