Best ride of the festival?

Carberry on Bellvano pour moi.

That was a good ride but I would nominate Geraghty on Riverside Theatre - it is my opinion that the horse actually bounced and hated the undulations, just like everyone said it might. Yet the horse's class and the ride from Geraghty still got it home.

carberry on belvano, best i've seen.

BG on Riverside for me by a good way.

May be my pocket talking because it was my biggest bet of the week but the horse never looked like it would win, even after the last.

From the horse's point of view to out battle a former RSA winner that can stay all day over 2m5f at Chelts having run like that all the way round was amazing. I'm not sure if it was the track, though it's clear he travelled a lot better the race before. I feel it may be more to do with the not going the pace too easily. I guess I'd be wary of backing it again at Chelts but over a further I think the jury is out. KG has to be the target and see how he stays three miles now, he's only tried it once and the horses that beat him in it last time are now npt potentially what they were to say the least.

As I nominated him for worst ride, seems only fair that I nominate McCoy for best ride too for Synchronised.  Was pretty much perfect.

Geraghty on finians, I backed the 2 nd but geraghty showed great horsemanship

I agree re McCoy on Synchronised.

Perfect tactics, read everyone elses moves like a storybook, got  his horse into a beautiful rhythm for one that has jumping issues and then his trademark strength at the finish in the biggest race of the Festival.

Geraghty on Riverside for me

The amateur on Salsify. Rode a brilliant waiting race. I cursed the idiot all the way round, as he let them get miles ahead of him. Even rounding the home turn he was motionless as the others were rattling along a dozen lengths clear, but he knew what he had under him and held off Chapoturgeon brilliantly.
McCoy was first class on Synchronised too, anyone else would've given up.

AP on Synchronised.

Rierside was a super ride in best race of meeting

Agree with DO, that ride on salsify oozed confidence, fantastic piece of sportsmanship

BG on RT in a hugely competitive Ryanair for me. The only place the horse was winning the race was in the last 50 yards. Never really travelled and the jock took a huge personal risk in hurling the horse at the last 4 fences to keep him in it.

Salsify for me as well ultra cool!

Andrew Lynch on Voler La Vedette - didnt win but could not have ridden a better race

O'Regan on Cape Tribulation...

I thought Davy Russell was fantastic on both First Lieutenant and Sir Des Champs.Kept everything oh so simple on the second and got the first jumping and contending even though the horse was trying to pull for a circuit and a half

Son of Flicka.....J.Maguire....beaten with a circuit to go,amazing when the money is down!!

I am a bit biassed but I would nominate Jason on Cinders and Ashes. Jumped off first on the inner, never left the rail, met every flight on a stride despite being in heavy traffic at times and kept him running and balanced on the run in.

paul carbury on bellvano ,watch it on replay. sublime!

and also mcoy on synchronised kept pushing the horse even tho its not a great jumper of fences, kept it in touch and boom.

To those who think Geraghty's ride on RT was the nuts - you do realise he spent the first part of the race positioning himself on Captain Chris' outside don't you?  I would have thought, of all the horses that ran at Cheltenham last week, the one animal you wouldn't want to be starboard of would have been that one.  Dickie must have been happy with Bazza's choice anyway.

The rides on FR and Bob were much better executed, weren't they?

The headmaster, I made exactly the same comments about geraghty being on the outside of captain chris on the day and got slaughtered for it. The rest of the world seemed to think he was a genius when for the first half of the race he rode very poorly. Imo the most overrated ride I've seen for a long time.

Paul Carberry (Bellvano) was the most beautiful thing to watch. Horse and rider in unison and a certain inevitability about the victory. Nicky Henderson was quick to praise the Geraghty ride on Riverside Theatre afterwards, probably out of embarrassment at having watched him working hard on the wrong horse.

I've just watched the race again, asparagus, and am pretty confident we're in the right camp - even if it's a pretty small tent!  Imo the horse got him out of trouble and has done very well to win actually.  CC intimated him at a number of fences, pushed him right at a few others, barged into him at least twice and jumped violently across him once.  After a full circuit, Geraghty is STILL sitting on his outside and seems unable to find a position away from his foe. A pretty miserable effort tactically and not one of his finest moments, I'm afraid.  Full marks to Riverside Theatre though, who had every right to chuck in the towel on more than one occassion - tremendous effort from him.

The Headmaster, to be quite honest I know we are correct too. To be on the outside of captain chris for as long as he was, when more than any other horse at the festival it was likely to jump right was extremely careless at best. I'd sat tactically it was undoubtedly the worst winning ride at the festival. Riverside Theatre is a very very talented horse and undoubtedly got geraghty out of a hole. Obviously he never gave up and thru it at a few fences later in the race which helped it to win but the first half of the race was abysmal from geraghty.
If the rest of the world who appear to suggest it was a miracle ride are correct then presumably it will start a massive price on it's next start! Somehow i don't think so.

Red and White, I agree that the carberry ride on Bellvano was exquisite. I'm not particularly a fan of carberry's but that was undoubtedly one of the rides of the festival.

I can be contrary myself but having rewatched the Ryanair mindful of comments above Geraghty's ride looks even better - dont see the issue with Captain Chris. My initial thought was that it was like the ride he gave Quantatitive Easing in December but he had to work even harder here to keep the horse in the race. Outstanding ride.

Geraghty's ride looks even better and you don't see the issue with Captain Chris?  Are you saying the Captain did nothing to impede Riverside Theatre or, having conceded that he did, it was either no fault of Geraghty's or it made no difference to RT's round?

Either way, I can only conclude we're watching two very differnt races

Btw, he did have to work hard to keep the horse in the race....I wonder why (ref: Captain Chris).

Either way, I can only conclude we're watching two very differnt races Sad

I dont see that Captain Chris thing was an issue. FWIW imo the two things jockey and horse overcame were that the horse doesnt particularly likes the track (Arkle)/might be better RH and was also a likely bounce candidate - a year between Ascot wins. We dont have to agree though...suspect we both have made our minds up

Either way, I can only conclude we're watching two very differnt races Sad

I dont see that Captain Chris thing was an issue. FWIW imo the two things jockey and horse overcame were that the horse doesnt particularly likes the track (Arkle)/might be better RH and was also a likely bounce candidate - a year between Ascot wins. We dont have to agree though...suspect we both have made our minds up

I was going to post my thoughts but fft beat me too it.

NF rode the horse to perfection, all these mugs that think ruby rode HF badly need to watch it again.

HF closed up 3 out like he did before, he was 3l down and going well at one stage 2 out (clearly not going as well as odds on backers would had liked).

NF rode his horse to give him the best chance of winning.

ps you may had noticed me watching the champion hurdle in parade ring. 

I'm puzzled by the one or two suggestions that a jockey can outride the bounce.  if a horse properly bounces no jockey with a licence can overcome that. 

Fair play though, grade 1, we'll agree to disagree

I'm puzzled by the one or two suggestions that a jockey can outride the bounce.  if a horse properly bounces no jockey with a licence can overcome that. 

Fair play though, grade 1, we'll agree to disagree

Maguire on Cinders. perfect placement

Carberry- Bellvano....i dont think there's another jockey riding who would have given it that ride, not even O'Regan...i thought even by his standards, it was super-ballsy

Given all the stick Tom Scudamore has received on the worst ride thread I think it's only fair to mention he did learn from what happened and gave Salut Flo a cracking front running
ride in the Byrne plate.