Search
Cheltenham 2024
- Main Site
- Cheltenham Home
- Cheltenham Cards
- Cheltenham Results
- Cheltenham Offers
- Cheltenham Odds
- Cheltenham Tips
- Cheltenham News
- Prestbury Cup
- Cheltenham Videos
-
Cheltenham Statistics
- Leading Trainer
- Leading Jockeys
- Leading Owners
- Previous Years
- Previous Appearances
- Breeding Profile of Winners
- Lady Jockeys at The Festival
- Leading Jockey Award Winners
- Most Successful Jockeys of All Time
- Current Jockeys Competing at Cheltenham
- Most Successful Jockey In..
- Leading Trainer Award Winners
- Most Successfull Trainer All Time
- Current Trainers Competing at Cheltenham
- Most Successful Trainer In..
- Cheltenham Trainer/Runner Index
- Desktop Site
Cheltenham 2024
- irishracing.com
- Cheltenham
- News
- Murtagh tops off season in style
Michael Graham
Murtagh tops off season in style
Tantalising, left, who unseated his jockey,
races with the winner Sir Ector
© Photo Healy Racing
Johnny Murtagh topped off his incredible season on the flat when guiding home Sir Ector in the €100,000 Movember Handicap at Leopardstown.
The 14/1 shot (paid 20/1 on the Tote) weaved through into second in the home straight. Murtagh then got busy on him as he hit the front over a furlong out. He kept him up to his work to win by half a length from Quick Jack (10/1). Bayan under Silvestre de Sousa, stayed on for third at 6/1 while English raider Saptapdai got a cheque for fourth at 10/1. Ben Curtis was unseated from Tantalising after two furlongs.
Trainer James Lambe said: "We always knew he had a big pot like this in him. Johnny said he could be a Yorkshire Cup horse. I might run him over hurdles now, and then give him a break.
“Johnny got off him the last day and he told me to run him in the November Handicap, that he'd ride him and he'd win it! It was great to have Johnny on board, and it was great to win it. He is owned by Laura Carr from the north and she is at a match today."
Sir Ector won the Ulster Derby at Down Royal in June and was second to Royal Diamond in the Listed Challenge Stakes here in July.
Lambe sealed a double on the day when 20 minutes after this race Red Lion Rock won the bumper in Carlisle, England. AP McCoy was on board and this gave the jockey his 3,996th career success.
Additional reporting by Donal Murphy