Tramore and Plumpton basking in reflected glory of festival heroes

There are almost as many ways to prepare a Cheltenham hero as there are prizes on offer during jump racing's biggest week, with 18 different tracks in Britain and Ireland having staged what turned out to be the pre-festival run of a winner this year.

While it may not be a surprise that Cheltenham and Leopardstown played prominent roles, with four stepping-stone wins each, smaller tracks noticeably shared the limelight this season.

Al Boum Photo's Gold Cup victory could see him immortalised in the naming of Tramore's new members' bar, while Pentland Hills revived memories of another Nicky Henderson-trained Triumph winner who had made his hurdles debut at Plumpton.

Owen Byrne, in his first year as manager of Tramore racecourse, said on Sunday: "We were absolutely delighted to see Al Boum Photo give Willie [Mullins] his first Gold Cup win. Al Boum Photo won the Listed Savills Chase at Tramore on New Year's Day and his Cheltenham win was a great advertisement for our race.

"It was fantastic for Willie and his team, and the fact he's a director of Tramore made it even more special.

"We've had other Cheltenham Festival runners compete at Tramore, and Laurina, who won the mares' novice hurdle at Cheltenham last year, won her maiden hurdle here."

He added: "We've been thinking about a name for the members' bar at Tramore and I'd imagine the Al Boum Photo Bar is favourite now."

Plumpton's clerk of the course Mark Cornford has been on its groundstaff since 1980 and remembers the exploits of 1985 Triumph Hurdle winner First Bout.

"Nicky Henderson has done it before with First Bout, who came here for his first run over hurdles before going on to win the Triumph," he said.

"He was a much more fancied runner by the time of the Triumph than Pentland Hills, but it is very nice to see a Plumpton winner go on to win such a prestigious race.

"It gives us a boost, which little tracks don't always get, do they?"

Plumpton clerk of the course Mark Cornford: 'Fair play and good luck to them and it gives us a little boost too, which the little tracks don’t always get, do they?'Credit: Edward Whitaker

In recent years Plumpton has offered a £60,000 bonus to any winner of one of a series of novice chases that goes on to festival success.

"Kalashnikov and Ok Corral were good chances [for those chasing the bonus] and Kalashnikov getting brought down was obviously a shame," continued Cornford.

"We've been knocked for the bonus races because we don't always get a lot of runners, but it just shows there are people willing to take it on and have a run here.

"While obviously it isn't the same as Cheltenham, we do have our downhill fences, which can be quite useful for horses on a learning curve."

Among other winners at Cheltenham on a decidedly democratic Friday, Albert Bartlett star Minella Indo had his festival prep at Clonmel, while Grand Annual victor Croco Bay was coming off a 227-day break stretching back to Worcester last July.

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