It was and could only ever be a Cheltenham Festival like no other. The absence of crowds from the Cotswolds’ extravaganza ensured it was something few in racing were quite sure of leading into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a turbulent couple of weeks for racing pre-Cheltenham, the action on the course and the stories it produced well and truly helped to recreate a feel-good factor for the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are our six special memories to take away from Cheltenham 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachael Blackmore had ridden Festival winners before but from the moment she steered Honeysuckle home in the Champion Hurdle<\/a> on Tuesday, this Festival took on a whole new dimension for the Irish jockey. The outstanding mare Honeysuckle stamped her class on the two-mile Championship event and Blackmore did likewise across four days at Cheltenham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She rode six winners – joining Ruby Walsh as the only rider in history to achieve such a haul in one sitting – and her skills were evidenced throughout. Tactical awareness won her the Champion Bumper on Sir Gerhard, while she picked perfect pathways on the likes of Bob Olinger and Telmesomethinggirl; alongside a front-running masterclass on Allaho in the Ryanair Chase<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Plus Tard could not deny stablemate Minella Indo in the Gold Cup<\/a>, the only wrong call of an outstanding week for Blackmore, but that won’t diminish what was a landmark Festival for the jockey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n