Ten talking-points that defined the 2018 Cheltenham Festival

But when Barry Geraghty powered home LE PREZIEN in the green-and-gold silks of JP McManus to land the Grand Annual, the realisation dawned that the curtain had to come down on the Cheltenham Festival 2018.

As ever, it was a Festival of ups and downs, of delight and disaster, of drama and controversy. It would take four more days to reflect in detail on all that happened, but here are ten talking-points that the annual extravaganza threw up:

1. EPIC DUELS LIT UP THE BIG TWO RACES

I feel it was a far-from-vintage from Festival, mainly because of ground as deep as Prestbury Park has known in the spring since the 1990s. But few could complain about the epic duels that developed in the two big showcase events, the Timico Gold Cup and the Unibet Champion Hurdle.

Personally, I prefer much more variety to my races than that delivered by the Gold Cup, which was a two-horse affair from the moment the tapes rose. But the manner in which NATIVE RIVER and MIGHT BITE locked horns for three-and-a-quarter miles was a stirring, spectacular sight. Turning for home, I felt sure Nicky Henderson’s favourite would pounce for glory. But Richard Johnson and Native River are tailor-made for each other and they drew from the same deep well of tenacity and resolution to go two places better than the previous year.

The testing ground was right up the winner’s street, and most observers felt that Might Bite would reverse the placings on a better surface. I’m not so sure. The favourite was comprehensively outstayed and jelly-legged up the hill.

That trainer Colin Tizzard should take the race with a grinder such as Native River was hugely ironic given the presence in his Somerset yard of potential Gold Cup superstars such as THISTLECRACK and CUE CARD. But his decision to give the 8yo a much lighter campaign than last year paid off handsomely.