Marine Nationale and Jazzy Matty won back-to-back races on a day of surprises in an emotional tribute to jockey Michael O’Sullivan.
O’Sullivan, a 24-year-old jockey who passed away last month after a fall at Thurles racecourse, only won twice at the Cheltenham Festival with both victories coming on day one of the 2023 edition.
His horses that day were Marine Nationale and Jazzy Matty who both triumphed inside 40 minutes on Style Wednesday providing the perfect farewell to their previous rider.
Cheltenham had already paid tribute to O’Sullivan by renaming yesterday’s opening race in his honour yet the successes for his former horses provided more special moments for his family.
Marine Nationale’s pedigree is well known but he wasn’t expected to triumph this afternoon in a Queen Mother Champion Chase field which included heavy favourite Jonbon, Willie Mullins’ Energumene and last year’s winner Captain Guinness.
Quilixios and Solness also ran, having both beaten Marine Nationale in his previous three races and it was those two who proved more stubborn. They traded places at the front of the pack to lead the field for most of the race with Energumene also taking his turn at the top.
Marine Nationale sat deeper, allowing the leaders to jostle; a tactic that paid off when Jonbon made his move. The odds-on favourite drifted to the outside and was stepping towards the front with five fences left to jump before clattering into the obstacle and dropping into last – jockey Nico de Boinville did exceptionally well to remain in the saddle.
But it opened the door for Marine Nationale and his jockey Sean Flanagan. The rider spurred his charge onwards and closed the gap on the leaders. By the second to last fence, he’d leapt into the lead with Quilixios the only stayer. The lead looked to be slipping away as Quilixios found an extra gear, but the last fence proved decisive as his legs clipped the top and he went down.
Marine Nationale cleared it to raucous cheers and Flanagan, wearing the same colours O'Sullivan did when he won here, soaked in the adulation as he crossed the line.
After the race, an emotional Flanagan said: “Hugely emotional for a lot of reasons. His [O’Sullivan’s] family find it very hard, jockeys in Ireland, England and around the world have been under a cloud in the last couple of weeks.
“I’m just the man on him [Marine Nationale] today, Michael made him what he is ... I’m just lucky I can come here. I’m only drafted in late on, the work was already done.”
O’Sullivan’s girlfriend Charlotte was among those in the circle to welcome the victors.
In the very next race, Jazzy Matty left it late to surge through the field in the Grand Annual Handicap Chase. Rounding the final turn at full gallop he caught the leader, Unexpected Party, and jumped the last fence with a share of the lead.
The two battled up the hill on the final straight with neither giving way, but Jazzy Matty had more.
Whether it was will, spirit, an encouraging nudge from jockey Danny Gilligan or a twinge of destiny, Jazzy Matty slowly fought his way into the lead and crossed the line first.
Gilligan paid tribute to O’Sullivan after the race saying: “I think we all know there is someone very special looking down on this, especially with Marine Nationale earlier and now this. Someone very special is looking down at us today.”
Earlier, the first race of the day, the Turners’ Novices Hurdle, was won by The New Lion – a candidate for the best horse Dan Skelton has trained. After the race, Skelton said: “I just trusted him the whole way around, I knew he’d win. It's unchartered territory. We’ve had superstars, but we've not had one like this.”
Winning jockey and Skelton’s brother, Harry, added: “He’s got it all. You hope one day in your life, in your career, you can come across a good one, and he’s a good one. He’s good.”
Hot favourite Ballyburn was woefully ineffective in the Brown Advisory Chase and never competed as Lecky Watson, a 20/1 shout, drove to victory thanks to a successful charge in front of the grandstand. Rachael Blackmore’s Ballyadam almost pulled off a shock victory in the Coral Cup only to be beaten up the final straight by Jimmy Du Seuil who was another wild winner at 16/1.
Stumptown’s triumph in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase was far from an upset with Gavin Cromwell’s charge the 5/2 favourite but the manner of his victory was eye-opening while Paul Townend’s sister, Josephine, claimed victory in the Champion Bumper with Bambino Fever.
Yet, the day belonged to two horses and one special jockey.
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