ONE MOMENT from the Channel 4 coverage of the 2010 Cheltenham Festival will always stand out. After a dominant performance by Weapon’s Amnesty in the RSA Chase, winning jockey Davy Russell, is interviewed at the top of the hill before he returns victorious to the winners’ enclosure.
The first thought he has is to defend young jockey Brian O’Connell who had come in for unwarranted criticism from that channel’s John McCririck, the day before. In his moment of glory, he didn’t think of himself. It’s a measure of the man.
Cheltenham was always a huge part of Davy Russell’s life growing up. His earliest impressions of the course were formed from the television. “My dad used go there every year when I was a young fella and it always kind of grew around it. Dad was going to Cheltenham and we used to watch it on tv. It stemmed from there for me. My Dad used to go over just to enjoy the racing and he was probably a punter so for me that’s where it started as a child.”
As he grew up and became a jockey, his career was always going to draw him to Prestbury Park. It’s the satellite around which everyone in racing orbits. Just getting to ride there was fulfilling an ambition for this down to earth jockey. “From a riding point of view as an amateur I got a few rides over there but had no huge success. I finished second in the four mile chase and it was a wonderful place to let alone get a ride, not to mind ride a winner,” he says.
Winning at the Festival is the ultimate dream and Russell managed to achieve it in 2006. After turning professional in 2002 he had to wait four years for his first Cheltenham winner, Native Jack in the Cross Country Chase. Despite saying that riding at the festival, getting that first festival winner brought relief along with the joy.
“My first winner was a wonderful day. It was a weight lifted off my shoulders. I know it was only the banks race and it was a handicap but I don’t care what any one says what type of race you win at Cheltenham it’s a huge relief and it it will always be on your CV. Winners at Cheltenham are top of the list.
Since that initial triumph, Russell has enjoyed a steady stream of winners at Cheltenham. He has left each subsequent Festival with at least one winner. Last year First Lieutenant got the better of Rock on Ruby in a pulsating battle to the line. This week he runs in tomorrow’s (Wednesday) RSA Chase. He is one of Russell’s leading hopes for a winner at this year’s Festival, even though his chasing career has failed to live up to expectations so far.
“He was wonderful last year and Mouse (Morris, trainer) done a great job with him. He stays the trip well and his jumping is fine and he will improve for better ground but saying all that he will have to improve and he will have to step up. He will have to bring his A game and if he does there is no reason why he won’t give a big account of himself,” he says.
Davy may have a riding dilemma on his hands if Sir Des Champs runs in the RSA Chase. Willie Mullins’ charge is entered in that race and the shorter Jewson Novices’ Chase on Thursday. Does he stay loyal to First Lieutenant, as he has so often this season, or does he switch allegiance to Willie Mullins’ Sir Des Champs?
He’s not worried about it and hasn’t come to any decision yet. He is waiting on Willie Mullins to decided I’m waiting on Willie to make up his mind about what race he is going to run in and then I can make a decision. I’ve no decision made yet and I’m not really panicking as there are still a couple of days to go. The ground can change and things like that all have to be taken into consideration so it will all depend on what race Willie will go for.
Everyone connected with Sir Des Champs thinks very highly of this lightly of this lightly raced horse and he is spoken of as a future star. Russell, too, thinks that there could be a wealth of potential, waiting to be unlocked but he’s not getting carried away.
“Sir Des Champs looks to be a quality horse and he’s taken to chasing very well and he’s gathered a lot of experience in his three runs over here and he’s unbeaten so far. We are not quite sure how far he’ll go yet,” he adds.
Riding for Gigginstown House Stud he gets to ride some of the best horses in the country but the job is not without it downsides. Having to choose between two talented horses, both with chances of winning a festival Grade One, is one of the pitfalls and having to make that decision can be difficult. Although it creates dilemmas, for Russell it’s a good problem to have and he appreciates the position he is in.
“Every trainer thinks that his horse is better than the next and that’s understandable. From my point of view it can be good in one way and difficult in another. I’ve made some wrong decisions this year and First Lieutenant has been involved in them all really. It does make things difficult in one way but isn’t it great to be in the position to have to choose against two very, very good horses and I just feel that I’m very lucky to be riding some wonderful horses,” he smiles.
Another Gigginstown contender for Festival honours later in the week is Ipsos du Berlais. Noel Meade’s grey was third to Boston Bob at Navan and was an impressive winner on his last start at Punchestown, despite running lazily throughout the race. He pleased his jockey in work ahead of a tilt at Friday’s Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle.
”Ipsos du Berlais is in good old order. He worked during the week in Fairyhouse and he worked quite well. The extra distance will bring out more improvement in him. There’s no reason why he couldn’t give a good account of himself,” he adds.
One horse that he is really excited about is the Willie Mullins trained Make Your Mark. This horse looks special every time he sets foot on the racetrack and still has huge potential, despite being beaten by Boston Bob in horrendous conditions at Leopardstown last month. Make Your Mark has entries in three Grade One novice hurdles. Russell admits: “We don’t know how good he is. He was very impressive on every start bar the last one but that was on very testing conditions and it was quite a good race. We don’t know how far he is going to improve but he seems to be quite an exciting horse.”
“I’m very lucky with the quality of horses that I have going over there,” he adds.
With that quality of ammunition going to Cheltenham, there is every chance that we will see Davy Russell speaking his mind live on Channel 4 after winning at least one race, but hopefully two or three more. His realism will be welcome and just what is needed.
*This article first appeared in The Nationalist 13 March 2012
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