The Cheltenham Festival has been hot on the heels of Royal Ascot on the fashion and glamour stakes in recent years. This year will be no exception as Olympic Gold Medal cyclist and FHM model Victoria Pendleton gets the green light to ride the Paul Nicholls trained Pacha Du Polda in the Foxhunters Chase on Gold Cup Day. It’s a startling achievement to transform a career in such a short space of time and despite endorsements from such racing luminaries as Sir AP McCoy, Clare Balding and Paul Nicholls, there are some who believe she should perhaps think again.
Never even ridden before..
The dream was born almost exactly a year ago. Aided by the help of Yogi Breisner, the coach for the Great Britain dressage team and some handy sponsorship from Betfair rumoured to be valued at over £200,000 , Victoria Pendleton immersed herself into a rigorous daily routine to achieve her goal. Basing herself at Lawney Hill’s Woodway Farm training centre, she has ridden out almost every day (including Christmas Day), learning every aspect of the sport and receiving training and encouragement from various dignitaries of national hunt racing. Tony McCoy visited on one occasion, giving her a range of tips and advice whilst wittingly informing her “Whatever happens, you’ll never have as many falls as me...”
Achievements to date
After a soft unseating at Fakenham on board Pacha Du Polda, Pendleton hit the jackpot on the same horse on March 2nd at Wincanton, securing a dominating 28 length first win under national hunt rules. However, she demonstrated that she perhaps still has a bit to learn with another mishap in a point-to-point last Saturday, losing her irons and unseating on the flat. Undeterred, Betfair and Victoria Pendleton announced on Monday that she would indeed take her place in the Foxhunters Chase on Gold Cup Day.
Growing Support and Detractors
Nonetheless, despite some hiccups and doubts regarding her preparedness for such a challenge, support has grown strong for Pendleton’s venture. Mick Fitzgerald speaking on last Saturday’s Channel 4 Morning Line believes she is ready and “wouldn’t look out of place in the Foxhunters race.” There has been widespread support for her in the press, praising her tenacity and determination. Inevitably, she has received criticism, not least from former National Hunt champion jockey and Channel 4 racing presenter, John Francome, who accused her of being “an accident waiting to happen” and “needed saving from herself”. Some within the game have highlighted that stable staff work year in, year out to achieve the opportunity to participate in the big races and ride for the high profile trainers. However, Pendleton has always maintained that her hard work and dedication to cycling gives her as much right to compete in horse racing as anybody else.
Bigger than the Gold Cup?
With Pendleton’s date with destiny falling on the same day as The Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, there are fears that the specialness and prestige of the blue riband of jump racing will be overshadowed by the inevitable publicity circus that Pendleton’s ride will generate. The timing of the Foxhunters chase, immediately after the Gold Cup, is clearly also an issue. I personally have reservations that this kind of race is too early for her. Winning in an 8 runner handicap at Wincanton is one thing but the Foxhunters is a highly competitive, highly charged and very fast run race over much tougher obstacles. It’s a big ask for her to complete the course without incident. The publicity generated from a bad fall would be extremely damaging to the sport, although if she gets round unscathed, it will be an entirely different matter.
A Betting Opportunity?
In all honesty, I have often viewed the Foxhunters as a welcome rest after the mayhem and excitement generated by the Gold Cup run beforehand. I’ve never taken the race seriously as a spectacle or as a betting opportunity. However, Pendleton’s participation does give it an extra edge and it will be interesting to see how the media covers the story immediately before and after the race. Is she worth a punt? Quite frankly, the answer is a resounding no! This is the novelty bet of the season and the outrageous 18/1 best odds available with Stan James is clearly a risk insurance policy against the inevitable deluge of daft money that will be placed on Pendleton’s mount. 33/1 is a more accurate price for a horse whose jockey has never ridden at Cheltenham and had never sat on a horse until only a year ago. With all hope, one or two of the firms will take advantage on the day and promote Victoria Pendleton’s brave attempt with a big price bonanza. I think we can safely assume that Betfair will have some sort of promotional betting ace up their sleeve for their tenacious cycling multi-tasker! Watch this space..
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