The haunting silence that replaced the famous Cheltenham roar in 2021 spoke volumes about the extraordinary circumstances surrounding that year’s Festival. Yet amidst the empty grandstands and masked celebrations, one narrative emerged that would have brought the house down in normal times – the remarkable ascendancy of Henry de Bromhead to the pinnacle of National Hunt racing.
The County Waterford trainer orchestrated what can only be described as a tactical masterpiece, achieving what no trainer had done before by claiming the Festival’s triple crown: the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, and Gold Cup. It was a feat that redefined excellence in jump racing, executed with clinical precision in the strange quiet of a pandemic-era Cheltenham.
The culmination of this extraordinary campaign came in the Gold Cup, where Minella Indo’s triumph under Jack Kennedy, followed by A Plus Tard in second, gave de Bromhead an unprecedented 1-2 in steeplechasing’s blue riband event. Kennedy overcame injury and odds of 9/1 – making a free bet worth the while of punters watching from home due to the lack of crowd.
The performance spoke to De Bromhead’s masterful ability to peak his horses for the biggest occasions, with both runners executing their races with metronomic efficiency.
“It’s all come together here and it’s fantastic,” he said. “To win a Cheltenham Gold Cup is something you dream about. I think I’m still in my hotel, it’s Monday evening and I’m about wake up and nothing’s even started yet. That’s where I’m at at the moment, it’s brilliant.”
Even with A Plus Tard foiled, the partnership between De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore proved pivotal throughout that historic week.
Their collaboration reached new heights as Honeysuckle stormed to Champion Hurdle glory, while Put The Kettle On made history as the first mare to claim the Champion Chase. The synergy between trainer and jockey created an almost unstoppable force, with their tactical acumen and shared understanding resulting in a string of masterful performances.
That this came during the silence of the pandemic adds an intriguing layer to the achievement. Without the usual pressure cooker atmosphere of Cheltenham’s packed enclosures, De Bromhead’s runners performed with remarkable composure. The question lingered: did the absence of crowds play a role in this perfect storm of success?
The story wasn’t finished at Cheltenham, though. Three weeks later at Aintree, Blackmore and De Bromhead combined again to claim the Grand National with Minella Times, putting an exclamation point on a spring campaign that rewrote the record books.
Looking ahead to this year’s Festival, with the Irishman priced at 33/1 for top trainer honours, there’s a sense that capturing lightning in a bottle twice might prove challenging. Yet his yard continues to evolve, with exciting prospects like Workahead in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the versatile July Flower targeting either the Mares’ or Stayers’ Hurdle.
The journey from those early days with Sizing Europe to the historic achievements of 2021 reflects the trainer’s patient building of a powerhouse stable. While the circumstances of the pandemic may never be replicated, the foundations of excellence laid during that remarkable season continue to influence his approach today.
As Prestbury Park beckons once again, De Bromhead’s systematic preparation of veterans like Envoi Allen and Jungle Boogie for the Ryanair Chase demonstrates that his pursuit of Festival glory remains as calculated as ever.
The roar may have returned to Cheltenham, but the quiet precision that defined his greatest triumph continues to shape his quest for further success.
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