Is Ben Curtis stable jockey to Mark Johnston?

Although only in seventh place in the 2021 Flat Jockeys’ Championship, which is decided on winners between May 1 and October 16, Ben Curtis has made quite an impression since moving to Britain from his native Ireland in 2013. Born in Kinsale, County Cork on August 5, 1989, Curtis shared the Irish apprentices’ title with Joseph O’Brien and Gary Carroll in 2010 and, in Britain, has ridden over 50 winners in each of the last eight seasons. Indeed, he has ridden over 100 winners in the last four seasons and, in 2020, rode 170 winners in the calendar year, which was more than any other jockey in the country.

Interviewed in January, 2021, Middleham trainer Mark Johnston stated that Curtis would ride ‘more and more’ for his Kingsley Park yard during the year, although he was keen to point out that he does not have a formal arrangement with any jockey. He said, ‘…’the last formal retainer I had with any jockey was Kevin Darley [who retired, at the age of 47, in 2007], and that ended in about 2006.’ Johnston habitually uses the best jockeys available but, in recent years, has relied principally on Joe Fanning and Franny Norton, both of whom turned 51 during 2021. Consequently, he is keen to forge a relationship with a younger jockey who can take the place of one, or both, when they do eventually retire. In 2021, so far, Johnston has supplied Curtis with 48 winners from 284 rides at a strike rate of 17%.

Which were the top three novice hurdlers in 2020/21?

Granted that Irish-trained horses won 23 of the 28 races at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, it should come as no surprise that two such horses, both Festival winners, topped the ratings in the novice hurdle division, according to Timeform. Those horses were Appreciate It (160p), trained by Willie Mullins, and Bob Olinger (159p), trained by Henry de Bromhead, although My Drogo (156p), trained in Warwickshire by Dan Skelton, was adjudged just 3lb inferior to the Irish pair by the venerable ratings organisation.

Beaten favourite in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, Appreciate It opened his account over hurdles, at odds of 1/12, in a modest maiden hurdle at Cork in November. Thereafter, he raced exclusively at Grade 1 level, winning the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas and the Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle, over the same course and distance, in February en route to the Cheltenham Festival. In the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Appreciate It was sent off 8/11 favourite and, having travelled and jumped well, held an unassailable 6-length lead at the final flight. At that point, his nearest pursuer, stable companion Blue Lord, fell, leaving him to come home in splendid isolation, 24 lengths ahead of Ballyadam.

Interestingly, Bob Olinger was beaten by Ferny Hollow, erstwhile conqueror of Appreciate It in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, on his hurdling debut at Gowran Park in November. However, he was impressive when making all to win, by 14 lengths, at Navan the following month and, like Appreciate It, spent the remainder of the season in Grade 1 company. He made short work of the aforementioned Blue Lord in the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle at Naas in January, winning easily by 6½ lengths and, in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, cruised home by 7½ lengths and 4½ lengths from Gaillard du Mesnil and Bravemansgame.

According to trainer Dan Skelton, the 2021 Cheltenham Festival never was the ‘be-all and end-all’ for My Drogo, whom he considers ‘every inch a chaser’. A steeplechaser in the making he may well be, but that didn’t stop him from winning all four starts over the small obstacles in 2021, culminating with the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in April. On that occasion, he beat Minella Drama by 9 lengths, eased down, with a below-par Ballyadam only a distant fourth, beaten 43 lengths.

Since 2000, which was the lowest rated horse to win the King George VI Chase?

The King George VI Chase is one of seven Grade 1 staying steeplechases run in Britain – three of which are restricted to novices – but, in terms of prestige, is second only to the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Unsurprisingly, the roll of honour reads like a Who’s Who of steeplechasing talent since World War II and features legendary names such as Arkle, Desert Orchid and Kauto Star.

Equally unsurprisingly, according to Timeform, all of the winners since the turn of the twenty-first century, so far, have been awarded a rating of 160 or more, placing them in the ‘high class’ category. In fact, all bar two of those winners were awarded a rating of 165 or more, placing them in the foremost ‘top class’ category. The two exceptions were, in fact, Thistlecrack and Might Bite, who won consecutive renewals of the King George VI Chase in 2016 and 2017 and were both rated 163 by Timeform analysts.

The 2016 renewal was run on going described as good, good to soft in places, but featured just five runners. Thistlecrack, trained by Colin Tizzard, arrived at the top of his game, having effortlessly won his first three starts over fences and, although still a novice, was sent off 11/10 favourite. He jumped well and easily drew away from the fourth-last fence to win, impressively, by 3¾ lengths, eased down. His winning time was 5 minutes and 53.50 seconds, or 0.50 seconds faster than the standard time.

The 2017 renewal was a slightly more competitive affair, featuring nine runners, although the RSA Novices’ Chase winner, Might Bite, trained by Nicky Henderson, was a strong favourite at 6/4. Might Bite had come a cropper at the final fence, when 18 lengths clear, in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, run over the same course and distance as the King George VI Chase, the previous Boxing Day, but made amends in workmanlike style. Understandably, given the prevailing soft going, his winning time was 6 minutes and 6.60 seconds, or 12.60 seconds slower than the standard time.

 

How many horses have won the King George VI Chase more than once?

Aside from the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the King George VI Chase is the most prestigious conditions chase in the British National Hunt calendar. The King George VI Chase was inaugurated in 1937, 13 years after the Cheltenham Gold Cup (as a steeplechase) but, remarkably, 15 horses have won traditional Boxing Day highlight more than once.

Halloween (1952, 1954) had the distinction of being the first dual winner of the King George VI Chase and also the dubious distinction of being placed in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1953, 1954, 1955 and 1956, but never won the ‘Blue Riband’. Mandarin (1957, 1959), the inaugural winner of the Hennessy Gold Cup, was next up, but the spate of multiple winners, which has continued until the present day, really began in the Seventies.

Pendil (1972, 1973) and Captain Christy (1974, 1975) recorded back-to-back victories, as did Silver Buck (1979, 1980). Next came the first three-time winner, Wayward Lad (1982, 1983 and 1985), who was temporarily deposed, in 1984, by the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Burrough Hill Lad. Desert Orchid (1986, 1988, 1989 and 1990) – who was widely considered a doubtful stayer before his first, 15-length victory – subsequently usurped Wayward Lad as the most successful horse in the history of the King George VI Chase.

‘Dessie’ was followed by a another quartet of dual winners, in the form of The Fellow (1991, 1992), One Man (1995, 1996), See More Business (1997, 1999) and Kicking King (2004, 2005). Then, of course, came the days of five-time winner Kauto Star (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011), whose dominance was interrupted only by another dual winner, Long Run (2010, 2012). Silviniaco Conti (2013, 2014) and Clan Des Obeaux (2018, 2019) continued the tradition of multiple winners in the King George VI Chase and, with 2020 winner Frodon lining up again in 2021, a sixteenth such winner is a distinct possibility.

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