Cheltenham Festival 2023 – Gold Tweet could resume French Influence on St. Patrick’s Thursday – Eventmasters Hospitality

Cheltenham Festival 2023 – Gold Tweet could resume French Influence on St. Patrick’s Thursday

On Saturday, Gold Tweet became the first French trained horse to win a race on a Cheltenham Festival Trials Day for 18 years, by winning the Chapel Stud Cleeve Hurdle. The horse is bred by Prix de l’Arc Triomphe winning trainer Elie Lellouche.

With odds of 8-1, Gold Tweet is now one of the favourites to win the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival on St. Patrick’s Thursday on 16^th March.

French Trainer Gabriel Leenders was delighted with Gold Tweets win.

He said: “We won at Cheltenham, “It’s a dream, my dream, and I’m very happy.”

“We thought he had a good chance. He’s a very fast horse, but distance is not a problem for him and his jumping suits the English hurdles.” (Via Racing Post)

Gold Tweet’s jockey Johnny Charron was equally delighted about the win in the Cleeve Hurdle.

He said: “It wasn’t easy for me to ride as we were always in behind and pulling quite a lot, but hearing the crowd really made me want to win and push on.” (Via Racing Post).

There is plenty to look forward to at this year’s Cheltenham Festival where there are bound to be stunning moments and numerous shock winners.

How Francois Doumen trained horses dominated in the 1980s and 90s

French horses and trainers have seen a lot of success at the Cheltenham Festival. Francois Doumen was a horse trainer for 40 years, and over these decades his horses have enjoyed success in a plethora of races across numerous countries. He was of course highly successful at the Cheltenham Festival.

Doumen enjoyed a lot of success in the 1980s and 90s, winning 6 racing events in Great Britain alone. He won the King George VI Chase 4 times in this period with Nupsala (1987), Algan (1994) and The Fellow (1991 & 1992).

This is not the only success that The Fellow had under the stewardship of Doumen. The Fellow also participated in the 1994 Cheltenham Gold Cup, beating bookies’ favourite Jodami by one and a half lengths.

Success did not stop for Francois Doumen going into the 21^st Century. Snow Drop was victorious in the Triumph Hurdle in 2000, with further success in the Sun Chariot Stakes in 2012 with Siyouma.

Doumen’s Baracouda is one of the most successful French trained horses in the sport’s history, winning the Long Walk Hurdle 4 times (2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004) and the Ascot Hurdle twice (2001 & 2002). The illustrious list of honours does not end there.

There were also wins in the famous Stayers’ Hurdle in 2002 and 2003. In the 2002 Stayers’ Hurdle, Baracouda won with a time of 6 minutes and 1.7 seconds, finishing ahead of Ireland’s Bannow Bay and It Takes Time I in second and third respectively.

The 2003 renewal of the Stayers’ Hurdle was one of the best and Baracouda managed to beat fierce competition from Iris’s Gift and Limestone Lad to be declared the winner.

All eyes will be on latest edition of the Stayers’ Hurdle on St Patrick’s Thursday, with Gold Tweet looking to become the first French bred horse to win the Hurdle since Solwhit in 2013.

As official hospitality suppliers for Cheltenham Festival appointed directly by Cheltenham Racecourse, Eventmasters are delighted to provide Cheltenham Festival hospitality packages in 2023.