Taaffe hoping Riders Onthe Storm can end ten-year wait for festival success

Tom Taaffe is hoping live Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase contender Riders Onthe Storm is worth the wait after ten years without a winner at the Cheltenham Festival.

You cannot talk about Cheltenham with the trainer without remembering the great days of Kicking King.

A legend of Irish racing, Kicking King went some way to putting Taaffe on the map with his 2005 Gold Cup win sandwiched between a pair of King George victories at Kempton and Sandown.

Kicking King: the brilliant 2005 Gold Cup winnerCredit: Whitaker Edward

Who could forget Finger Onthe Pulse winning the old Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase in 2008 or even Ninetieth Minute snaring the Coral Cup in 2009?

Fine memories, indeed, but it is hard to believe ten years of water have passed under the festival bridge, according to the trainer, who is determined to end his Cheltenham drought with Riders Onthe Storm.

Taaffe said: “I didn't even know that [it’s ten years since Ninetieth Minute won the Coral Cup]. Wow.”

He added: “It's very simple. You'd go to Cheltenham every year if you had the right horse. We’ve tended to not go there unless we thought they'd be in the first three and we've a pretty good record in doing that throughout the past 20 years or so.

“Riders Onthe Storm has been half mapped out for it and everything seems to be falling into place so we'll see what way he's progressing next week. He suits the race.”

Taaffe is well aware of the interest surrounding his horse in the build-up to next week’s date with destiny. It seems as though not a Cheltenham preview night goes by, certainly in Ireland at least, where his chances aren’t talked up considerably.

However, the trainer is looking for his improving chaser to do the talking on the track, and is more concentrated on what is written after the race than the week before it.

Riders Onthe Storm: has big claims of ending Taaffe's ten-year wait for festival success in the Close Brothers Handicap ChaseCredit: Caroline Norris

Taaffe said of Riders Onthe Storm, a general 8-1 chance for the Close Brothers: “He came out of his Punchestown win very well and he's doing his last few bits of work this week, but we're very happy with him.

“I've been down this road before and talk is cheap, what matters is what's written after the race as opposed to what's said before.

“He's had to grow up mentally and physically, and we've given him the time to do so. He's progressed nicely over fences and I thought Punchestown was an ideal step towards Cheltenham. He goes there with his chance.”

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