'He looks a proper staying chaser' - Stay Away Fay caps excellent Cheltenham Festival for Tom Malone and Shantou

Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle winner Stay Away Fay capped an excellent Cheltenham Festival week for not only trainer Paul Nicholls but also Tom Malone, who purchased the son of Shantou at Prestbury Park in 2021. 

Stay Away Fay was an expensive recruit at £305,000 for Malone and Nicholls at the Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale, when consigned by Ballycrystal Stables, a sum attributable to him having won a Lingstown maiden point-to-point by six lengths just five days previously. 

Malone was also the buyer of Gold Cup runner-up Bravemansgame, Ryanair Chase hero Envoi Allen, Turners Novices' Chase winner Stage Star and Cross Country victor Delta Work.

He said of Stay Away Fay: "He was very impressive in his point and came very highly recommended by Matthew Flynn O'Connor. I loved the horse himself; he took a bit of time as he was weak and raw, and we gave him that time.

"He went to Newbury, where he won impressively, and was then unlucky to be beaten at Doncaster. Paul said he improved hand over fist for that run and he fancied him strongly today. He looks a proper staying chaser - whether that's as a Grade 1 performer, only time will tell."

Stay Away Fay, also a graduate of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt and Goffs UK Summer Sales as a foal and store, was bred by Southeast Bloodstock Ltd and Owen Hickey. He beat Affordale Fury, notably a first placed Cheltenham and Graded performer for Affinisea, who has been Britain and Ireland's busiest sire for the past two years.

Of Bravemansgame, who chased home Galopin Des Champs, Malone said: "He stays all right and ran a screamer. On the day he was beaten by a better horse, but he definitely stayed and definitely handled the track."

The agent added: "It's been a great week, from a personal perspective, to have those three Grade 1 winners plus Bravemansgame and Delta Work. I can't complain! There were some brilliant stories, Honeysuckle winning brought the house down and Constitution Hill looks unbeatable."

Shantou, Burgage Stud's late phenomenon, was the only sire to register two winners as the spoils across the festival's four days were shared among 27 stallions.

Shantou's Colm Murphy-trained daughter Impervious made it four from four over fences in the Mares' Chase, digging deep to hold off Allegorie De Vassy.

The seven-year-old was bred by Tom O'Doherty out of Kalanisi's point-to-point winner Blodge and had sold from Creedons Lodge to Peel Bloodstock for just €4,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale in 2016. Murphy picked her up for €26,000 from the Derby Sale nearly three years later.

O'Doherty told Racing TV: “I have the mare at home, she's the only mare I own. My sister bought Blodge at Tattersalls in 2017. A lot of people won’t know, but Impervious’s granddam Bilboa was placed in the Champion Hurdle, so it came out somewhere! 

"I’m absolutely over the moon, and I’m delighted for my sister, for Colm Murphy. She is one tough cookie."

Impervious: Mares' Chase winner was part of a double on the day for ShantouCredit: Patrick McCann

Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs, a son of Timos, who is thought to be deceased, is a brother to Flute Des Champs, whose career-best victory came in a 2m6f Listed chase at Auteuil. The pair are out of the winning Marchand De Sable mare Manon Des Champs. 

Elsewhere on the final day of the festival, the gift that is Great Pretender keeps on giving as his daughter Lossiemouth bounced back in the Triumph Hurdle. Out of a Gentlewave half-sister to Queen Anne Stakes winner Lord Glitters, the filly is the seventh individual Grade 1 winner for Haras de la Hetraie's son of King's Theatre. 

Faivoir gave Coastal Path his first winner of the week in the County Hurdle. Another French-bred, and a graduate from both the Arqana Summer and Goffs Punchestown Sales, the eight-year-old is out of the Subotica mare Qape Noir.

He scored at 33-1 but wasn't the biggest-priced winner on Friday as Court Cave's son Premier Magic - a prolific pointer bred by Caroline O'Hanlon - struck at 66-1 in the Hunters' Chase.

The 27th sire to have a 2023 Cheltenham Festival winner was Haras de Cercy's Cokoriko, whose well-fancied son Iroko did the business in the Martin Pipe. 

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