Search
Cheltenham 2024
- Main Site
- Cheltenham Home
- Cheltenham Cards
- Cheltenham Results
- Cheltenham Offers
- Cheltenham Odds
- Cheltenham Tips
- Cheltenham News
- Prestbury Cup
- Cheltenham Videos
-
Cheltenham Statistics
- Leading Trainer
- Leading Jockeys
- Leading Owners
- Previous Years
- Previous Appearances
- Breeding Profile of Winners
- Lady Jockeys at The Festival
- Leading Jockey Award Winners
- Most Successful Jockeys of All Time
- Current Jockeys Competing at Cheltenham
- Most Successful Jockey In..
- Leading Trainer Award Winners
- Most Successfull Trainer All Time
- Current Trainers Competing at Cheltenham
- Most Successful Trainer In..
- Cheltenham Trainer/Runner Index
- Desktop Site
Cheltenham 2024
- irishracing.com
- Cheltenham
- News
- Basil brushes off rivals to score for Cusack
Mark Nunan
Basil brushes off rivals to score for Cusack
Basil's Boy and Eoin Walsh jump the last to win the VSDirect Handicap Hurdle
© Photo Healy Racing
Basil’s Boy (14/1) was the winner of the VSDirect Your Idea Our Solution Handicap Hurdle in the hands of Eoin Walsh.
The 7lbs claimer brought the Frozen Fire gelding through to lead before the last and Basil’s Boy kept on well to defeat last-time-out winners Elegant Dan and Insane Bolt by a length and a half and half a length.
A winner at Downpatrick last year, the victorious 6-y-o had also finished second at the August Festival at this track, and was the better for a recent comeback run at Tipperary.
Winning trainer Liam Cusack said: “He ran well here before and we had a good seven-pound claimer aboard so it's not much of a surprise.
"He ran a bit fresh at Tipperary on his first run back and he needed that run. He has been more relaxed at home since and has been in a better frame of mind.
"I was hopeful that we might get a bit of place money as it read a good race on paper.
"Eoin (Walsh) got him nice and relaxed and got him into a lovely rhythm. He obviously came on for the Tipperary run and he won nicely.
"The plan was to see how today went and sure there might be another one of these in him. Hopefully we can get that man on board again.
"I'm delighted for his owner Basil Whelan. He is an elderly man and I'd say it's his first winner in his own colours."
Additional reporting by Donal Murphy