Tuesday, March 14th, 2023 will forever be remembered as the greatest day in horse racing history.
As a horse racing fan, you can only dream of days like this.
The stage was set for one of horse racing’s legendary mares to end her career and make it four from four at the Cheltenham Festival, and all that stood in her was 8 mares, 12 hurdles, and the famous Cheltenham hill.
Nevers were at an all-time high for anyone connected to Honeysuckle & the de Bromhead family after such a tragic year for all connected. But could this once in a lifetime mare ease some of the hurt?
The white flag was raised and off the went.
From the drop of the flat everything was going to plan. Honeysuckle was traveling and jumping with all her old zest, but what would happen if the push came to shove?
Turning in for home Rachael Blackmore set her sights on Love Envoi and proceed to make her challenge on the home bend, and within a matter of strides Honeysuckle and Love Envoi began to pull clear of the field.
Head to head going to the last Love Envoi produced the better jump to pull a half a length clear up the run in, but like every time Honeysuckle hit that Cheltenham she ate up the ground to pull 1 ½ lengths clear off Love Envoi to produce the fairytale ending that her career so deserved.
At that moment you could feel the atmosphere building that the likes of Cheltenham have never felt before. Honeysuck and Rachael Blackmore made their way back into the winner’s enclosure and the foundations of every inch of Prestbury Park were about to be put to the ultimate test.
As Rachael and Honeysuckle made their way in front of the Cheltenham crowd you could feel emotions about to boil over.
Que the wave of emotion that hit every man woman and child that stood there in awe of the strength shown by Henry, Heather, Mia & Georgia de Bromhead.
From Honeysuckle winning on her final career start to everything the de Bromhead family has gone through over the past year with the terrible loss of their son Jack, and as like Tramore, a rainbow appeared to show that Jack was looking down on his family and friends.
The release of emotion that left Henry de Bromhead’s body from a cumulation of things from over the past year was there for all of us to see, and you could hear that in his voice as Racing TV’s Lydia Hislop put on display why she is one of the best in the business for capturing the emotion with a perfect post-race interview.
Just like Minella Indo at Tramore on New Year’s Day, Honeysuckle read the script.
This will always and forever be dubbed the greatest day in horse racing history.
