Turf Talk: Cheltenham Festival, Frankie Dettori and Yorkshire’s Shaquille were the stars of 2023

Harrogate Advertiser horse racing correspondent Jeff Garlick's latest weekly column.

Oisin Murphy rides Shaquille, left, to victory over Little Big Bear in the Commonwealth Cup on the fourth day of Royal Ascot.

Picture: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images

The Cheltenham Festival is always the pinnacle of the racing year for National Hunt racing enthusiasts, and 2023 proved to be no exception. Irish stables ruled the roost, winning 17 of the 28 races with Willie Mullins again being the top trainer with six winners, five at Group One level. His Galopin Des Champs was an emphatic victor in the Gold Cup and he could go on to win several more.

But, the outstanding performance of the Festival came from Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle. He won by nine lengths and, if kept to hurdling, can join the likes of Persian War and See You Then as triple winners of the top prize in the hurdling sphere.

Frankie Dettori celebrates after riding yet another winner during his 'farewell' season. Picture: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Corach Rambler took the Ultima for the second year at Cheltenham and went on to win the Grand National at Aintree. The Flat season was dominated by one man and one Yorkshire-trained horse. Frankie Dettori[1] had indicated his intention to retire from the saddle and spent the whole year being feted at each course he rode at for a final time.

He won two Classic races on Chaldean and Soul Sister. He bagged a ninth Ascot Gold Cup on Courage Mon Ami and, on his final ride at Ascot, claimed the Champion Stakes on King of Steel. His last two rides at York were both winners, with Kinross in the City of York Stakes and Absurde in the Ebor.

He has now revised his intention to retire and will ply his trade in California. I am sure we will see him riding the American-trained horses at Royal Ascot in 2024. Shaquille was the horse of the year, taking the Commonwealth Stakes at Royal Ascot and the July Cup at Newmarket, each time giving his rivals several lengths' start.

The fact that he was trained in a small Malton stable by Julie Camacho purely enhanced the romance of his journey through the sprinting ranks. He has been retired to stud now but not before doing wonders for the Yorkshire training community. This is my last column of the year.

May I wish all readers of the Turf Talk column a Happy New Year.

Let's hope we get plenty of winners in 2024.

References

1. ^ Frankie Dettori (www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk)