Jezki the Cheltenham Festival star in day of history and tragedy

Jezki arrived under the radar into yesterday's Stan James Champion Hurdle but on a Cheltenham day of history, tragedy, disappointment and upset, it was the Jessica Harrington-trained star that ultimately emerged triumphant under Barry Geraghty.

It was a record-breaking fifth Champion Hurdle success for owner JP McManus whose jockey Tony McCoy picked My Tent Or Yours over Jezki and endured the frustration of failing to the Irish star by just a neck.

Ireland’s 11/4 favourite Hurricane Fly could finish only fourth in an incident-packed race that had a terrible shadow cast over it when Our Conor, last year’s outstanding Triumph Hurdle winner, had to be put down with a back injury after falling at the third flight.

“The vets were very good and they gave him every chance but there was nothing that could be done,” said owner Barry Connell who paid a reported €1 million for Our Conor last year.

“It’s unfortunate but it goes with the territory. In this game one minute you can have a winner and the next one of your horses can die.”

The incident reverberated through the race as The New One was hampered by the stricken Our Conor and lost the sort of ground which appeared a lot more than the neck and two and a half lengths he was eventually beaten into third.

“It happened very quickly and I think of what might have been,” said The New One’s tearful jockey, Sam Twiston-Davies. “It cost me six lengths and I got beat two.”

The New One will get another chance, something Our Conor's connections are painfully aware that their horse won't. He was treated at length after the fall but eventually had to be put down.

Secured the spoils
At the line, however, it was the 'old firm' of Harrington and Geraghty that secured the spoils, and in course record time too. The partnership will forever be associated with the double-Champion Chase winner Moscow Flyer and after McCoy picked wrong, Harrington was delighted to have her old ally on her side, especially one who remains unbeaten in five starts on Jezki.

“Barry started out with me a long time ago, he’s ridden all my festival winners bar one and it was great to have him,” said Harrington whose husband Johnny had to remain at home with health problems. “AP has been beaten twice on Jezki so it was no surprise when he picked My Tent Or Yours. You need everything to go right in these championship races and the gods were smiling on us.”

If Harrington was breaking her Champion Hurdle duck, it was a second for Geraghty who pointed to the first-time use of a hood on Jezki as critical to getting him to settle.

“I’m sure it helped him. My Tent Or Yours was on my boot at one stage and that would have been enough to get him keen in the past. But he settled,” the rider said.

My Tent Or Yours might have got to Geraghty’s boot but at the line he hadn’t got past Jezki’s nose although the winning rider admitted: “He was getting to me – I needed the line!”

There were some Irish punters in need of oxygen after Hurricane Fly finished out of the frame and Willie Mullins admitted to disappointment. "We were in the same position as the winner so it wasn't the pace," he said before confirming the former dual-winner will go to Punchestown next. "I'm delighted for Jessie and I'm sure everyone's very sorry for Our Conor's connections."

The Mullins team, already successful with Vautour in the Supreme Novices Hurdle, didn’t have long to wait for consolation as the remarkable Quevega secured a slice of festival history with a sixth win in a row in the OLBG Mares Hurdle. There were some heart-stopping moments for her legion of followers before she overhauled stable companion Glens Melody but Quevega returned to a rousing reception to celebrate surpassing the five-in-a-row she’d previously shared with the legendary Gold Cup hero Golden Miller. “To come back here six times and do it is amazing,” praised Ruby Walsh. “It’s nice to be part of history.”

Mullins and Walsh were earlier denied an Arkle triumph when Champagne Fever was edged out by the 33/1 outsider Western Warhorse but the trainer summed up the significance of Quevega by saying: “She has her own place in history and now she’s won, I’m happy for the week.”

Asked about 2015, he grinned: “We might be too greedy coming back again!”