Tag Archive for: Springwell Bay

Chasing Festival glory now a true family affair for O’Neills

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The legend of Jonjo O’Neill has been built on success at the Cheltenham Festival, but any future triumphs during the busiest week in March will also now bear the hallmarks of his son AJ, as father and son set about writing the next chapter of family history in the Prestbury Park record books.

The man who steered Alverton and the great mare Dawn Run to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory saddled 27 winners in his own right at the Festival and added his name to the blue riband’s roll of honour for a third time when Synchronised stormed home under an inspired AP McCoy in 2012.

Watching on in awe of his father’s achievement that day was a young AJ O’Neill, who 13 years on, and now 25, finds himself ready to saddle his first runners at the Cheltenham Festival.

Jonjo O'Neill (right) with Gold Cup winner Synchronised
Jonjo O’Neill (right) with Gold Cup winner Synchronised (PA Wire)

Added to the training licence in a move that signalled a new era at Jackdaws Castle, he has already acquired many great memories of National Hunt racing’s most important four days during his younger years.

However, he is now ready to play his role as a vital cog in one of the sport’s great dynasties as O’Neill Racing – an organisation that is a true family affair, with brother Jonjo Jr the stable jockey and mother Jacqui guiding the ship from the shadows – searches for further glory on racing’s most hallowed turf.

AJ O’Neill said: “I’m really looking forward to it and I’m itching to get on the way really. Hopefully we’ve got a few with chances and they seem happy and healthy at home, so I’m looking forward to it.

“I’ve got some great memories of the Festival, with Sky Pirate the most recent one. I was left at home that day as it was during lockdown, but there were some great celebrations.

“I have lots of memories growing up around Cheltenham – and kind of growing up locally, the whole calendar revolves around the Festival from a social perspective as well, and it’s always a really exciting week.

AJ O’Neill at Jackdaws Castle
AJ O’Neill at Jackdaws Castle (Joe Giddens/PA)

“Synchronised was a magical day and I was just about getting old enough to understand what it meant and then there was the likes of Holywell, who won twice there, and More Of That, another good winner of dad’s, there are a few that are really memorable and hopefully we can now go and make some more memories.

“It’s a huge team effort and we have a great team at Jackdaws who keep the horses happy and healthy throughout the year – and Jonjo will be riding a lot of ours, and then you have mum, who is massive and keeps the whole thing on the road really – we’re lucky to have her holding us all together.”

Leading the quest for the first Festival success as a training partnership is Springwell Bay, the high-class novice chaser who gave a glimpse of his potential at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

High up in the betting for both the Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase and the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase over the same course and distance later on the day three card, the O’Neill team are set to make a late call over which is the more winnable option.

Springwell Bay in action at Cheltenham
Springwell Bay in action at Cheltenham (David Davies for the Jockey Club/PA)

A repeat of his New Year’s Day heroics would make the eight-year-old a tough nut to crack at a venue where he has enjoyed plenty of match practice this season.

“We’ll see a bit closer to the time but both races are two-and-a-half-mile handicap chases and we’ve just got to hope we pick the right one,” continued O’Neill.

“He’s been reasonably busy in the early part of the season, so we said we’d give him plenty of time to freshen up after New Year’s Day.

“We were very pleased with the way he won that day but maybe the distance slightly flattered him. The handicapper certainly took a good swing at him but we couldn’t be happier with him and look forward to him running at the Festival.”

Festival hope Crebilly during a visit to Jackdaws Castle
Festival hope Crebilly during a visit to Jackdaws Castle (Joe Giddens/PA)

Crebilly went close to giving O’Neill Snr one last Festival winner in his own name when second to Shakem Up’arry in the Plate 12 months ago and it will be the Ultima where he will be tasked with going one better this time around.

Meanwhile, heading the betting for the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase is Johnnywho, who will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Sunnyhillboy by winning the Thursday finale for the Jackdaws operation and leading owner JP McManus.

O’Neill added: “Hopefully, they can both run well and Crebilly obviously ran well there last year. He hasn’t been as consistent as we would have liked this year but hopefully he remembers how to gallop around Cheltenham and we’re looking forward to Johnnywho as well.”

Springwell Bay stars for the O’Neill team at Cheltenham

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Springwell Bay stayed on strongly to run out an impressive winner of the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

Trained by Jonjo and AJ O’Neill, he was sent off the 11-4 joint-favourite for the extended two-and-a-half-mile contest after winning a Listed race first time out at Chepstow, before placing at the Cheltenham meetings in November and December.

Ridden with plenty of patience by Jonjo O’Neill jnr, Springwell Bay was travelling exceptionally well on the turn for home as the stride of the pacesetting Seddon just started to shorten a little in front.

The eight-year-old easily closed down the leader when asked, staying upsides until asserting his authority at the last, in a race worth £56,950 to the winner.

He coasted home a nine-length scorer, with Marble Sands swooping late to deny the game Seddon of second place by two and three-quarter lengths.

The winning rider told Racing TV: “I would say the race probably fell apart a little bit, they went a good gallop in the ground and obviously Seddon got tired then at the second-last.

“I wasn’t as fluent as I would have liked to have been all the way round, he was a little bit careful over a few jumps, I think the ground was probably just getting to him, so I had to just change tack and hunt him into it.

“We always thought he was a classy horse and it’s nice he’s got his day in the sun.

“He’s one of those horses you could go two or three (miles), he definitely gets three miles as he got it at Musselburgh last year, but just that race in November, he absolutely hacked and was just far too keen in a better race where they go a proper gallop.

“I’d have no problems with him over three or on slower ground over two, he’s just one of those horses that is probably quite versatile, but I think two and a half is his trip.”

Relkeel challenge on the cards for Springwell Bay

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Springwell Bay could take a shot at the Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day following his taking victory at the track last month.

Jonjo O’Neill’s six-year-old was a progressive performer over timber last term, winning on three occasions before finishing his campaign in Grade One company at Aintree.

He made his first outing in the handicap ranks on his return to action at the November Meeting, but having obliged favourite backers with a good deal up his sleeve, could be set for an immediate return to a higher calibre of contest.

“He might go to the Relkeel,” said O’Neill.

“He’s in good form at home and ran a nice race there at Cheltenham last time, so hopefully he can improve on that.

“He has had plenty of problems, so you are always just biting your lip a little bit with him. But he has the ability if everything goes according to plan for him, so fingers crossed.”

The Springwell Bay team after winning at Cheltenham
The Springwell Bay team after winning at Cheltenham (Nigel French/PA)

The Jackdaws Castle handler has always held the Gay Smith-owned gelding in high regard and believes the Prestbury Park Grade Two would give a good indication as to Springwell Bay’s credentials in deeper waters.

When asked about him developing into a Graded-level operator, O’Neill added: “That’s what you would hope for and the Relkeel would probably tell you a lot, so that would be one of his options, anyway.”

Bay back on form with Ascot verdict

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Springwell Bay ran out an easy winner of the Ascot Racecourse Supports Schools Poetry Competition Novices’ Hurdle to get his career back on the right track.

Second in the prestigious Goffs Land Rover Bumper at the Punchestown Festival in 2021, he was subsequently bought for €155,000.

A winner on his first two outings for Jonjo O’Neill, he was beaten into third at Cheltenham in November by John McConnell’s Fennor Cross but looked a different proposition stepped up in trip.

He travelled noticeably strongly in the hands of O’Neill jnr and loomed upsides the favourite Attacca before bursting clear to win by nine lengths.

The trainer said of the 3-1 winner: “He’s been a a little bit difficult, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. When you’ve got patient owners you can take your time.

“He won’t be going to Cheltenham this year. We’ll make sure what he’s like when he gets back, he needs another run. We don’t know what we’ve got yet but we’re hoping he’s nice. He has had little issues, though.

“We’ve always thought he was a nice horse but he hasn’t matured. We fancied him at Cheltenham, but he checked out going to the second last and we were disappointed.

“That’s a big step in the right direction and the extra distance really helped.”

Irish Hill pings the last under Harry Cobden
Irish Hill pings the last under Harry Cobden (Steven Paston/PA)

The Cheltenham Festival could come into the equation for Irish Hill, though, after he justified 100-30 favouritism in the Ascot Racecourse Supports Box4Kids Handicap Hurdle.

Partneredy by Harry Cobden, already on the scoresheet with Oscar Elite in the Reynoldstown, Irish Hill sneaked through on the inside to hit the front two from home and was always doing enough to win by a length and three-quarters from Zoffany Bay, having his first run for 700 days.

Winning trainer Paul Nicholls said: “He could go in either the Coral Cup or the Martin Pipe.

“I thought he won tidily and I’m not sure he was doing a whole lot in front. The third horse (Samarrive) ran a super race too.”