Cheltenham | Holloway Queen bosses National Hunt Chase

Denis Murphy was celebrating a Cheltenham Festival success for one of his graduates, as Holloway Queen ran out the clear-cut winner of the National Hunt Challenge Cup, the day one finale.

The Jukebox Jury mare was bought by the Wexford handler for €40,000 at the 2023 Derby Sale, an investment that was rewarded when she was sold to Bloodstock Agent Jerry McGrath for £180,000 at the Goffs UK Aintree Sale ten months later.

That sale followed a promising debut at Monksgrange when she finished second in heavy ground, beaten by just a length.

Her conqueror from that Wexford venue, Jackie Hobbs, is also set to feature at the Festival this week, as she is due to contest the Grade 2 Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Holloway Queen, who already had a wide-margin Listed success on her CV, was able to defy a 10lb rise in the weights for a 14-length success at Newbury a month earlier, as she defeated 16 rivals to lead home a clean sweep of placings for pointing graduates

King Of Answers (ex-Peter Flood), finished in second, five and a half lengths adrift, with One Big Bag, a Moig South winner for Paul Tobin back in third.

“That was very good,” Henderson said. “I thought she wanted a bog, so we ummed and aahed and we weren’t going to run unless there was soft all over it, but I suppose you get the same effect when you go three miles and six - a bloody good, honest, staying test. 

“She stays and jumps. Perhaps she’ll be a Grand National horse - if we all live long enough.
 
“She was on the transfer list earlier in the year as it wasn’t working for her over hurdles and she was getting sulky, but James has got a rhythm with her and she just jumps and gallops. 

“She’s only a novice so we’ll just mind her a bit. You probably wouldn’t want to run her on the ground too often.”