Slade Steel has won the Supreme Novices Hurdle, the opening race of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
The Henry de Bromhead-trained and Robcour-owned star battled back gamely in the home straight to see off Mystical Power in testing conditions at Prestbury Park.
💪 Slade Steel delivers in the G1 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle@HenrydeBromhead | @rachaelblackmor | @CheltenhamRaces pic.twitter.com/sgOimJrhCb
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 12, 2024
It’s a 22nd Cheltenham Festival for Henry de Bromhead, and Slade Steel was ridden to victory by stable jockey Rachael Blackmore.
Blackmore said: “I didn’t want to be in front jumping the last but he took me there. He battled back so well after the last.
“I love this place and it’s amazing to be coming here and riding these kind of horses. Henry does a brilliant job in getting his horses ready for this meeting."
De Bromhead said: “It was a brilliant performance and Rachael gave him a super ride. Fair play to the Robcour team – they said Ballyburn has beaten us twice and felt we needed to avoid him. That’s what we did and it worked out really well for us.
“I feel he’ll be better on better ground but this softer ground helped him over two miles.”
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