Chasing Festival glory now a true family affair for O’Neills

The legend of Jonjo O’Neill has been built on success at the Cheltenham Festival, but any future triumphs during the busiest week in March will also now bear the hallmarks of his son AJ, as father and son set about writing the next chapter of family history in the Prestbury Park record books.

The man who steered Alverton and the great mare Dawn Run to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory saddled 27 winners in his own right at the Festival and added his name to the blue riband’s roll of honour for a third time when Synchronised stormed home under an inspired AP McCoy in 2012.

Watching on in awe of his father’s achievement that day was a young AJ O’Neill, who 13 years on, and now 25, finds himself ready to saddle his first runners at the Cheltenham Festival.

Added to the training licence in a move that signalled a new era at Jackdaws Castle, he has already acquired many great memories of National Hunt racing’s most important four days during his younger years.

However, he is now ready to play his role as a vital cog in one of the sport’s great dynasties as O’Neill Racing – an organisation that is a true family affair, with brother Jonjo Jr the stable jockey and mother Jacqui guiding the ship from the shadows – searches for further glory on racing’s most hallowed turf.

AJ O’Neill said: “I’m really looking forward to it and I’m itching to get on the way really. Hopefully we’ve got a few with chances and they seem happy and healthy at home, so I’m looking forward to it.

“I’ve got some great memories of the Festival, with Sky Pirate the most recent one. I was left at home that day as it was during lockdown, but there were some great celebrations.

“I have lots of memories growing up around Cheltenham – and kind of growing up locally, the whole calendar revolves around the Festival from a social perspective as well, and it’s always a really exciting week.

“Synchronised was a magical day and I was just about getting old enough to understand what it meant and then there was the likes of Holywell, who won twice there, and More Of That, another good winner of dad’s, there are a few that are really memorable and hopefully we can now go and make some more memories.

“It’s a huge team effort and we have a great team at Jackdaws who keep the horses happy and healthy throughout the year – and Jonjo will be riding a lot of ours, and then you have mum, who is massive and keeps the whole thing on the road really – we’re lucky to have her holding us all together.”

Leading the quest for the first Festival success as a training partnership is Springwell Bay, the high-class novice chaser who gave a glimpse of his potential at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

High up in the betting for both the Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase and the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase over the same course and distance later on the day three card, the O’Neill team are set to make a late call over which is the more winnable option.

A repeat of his New Year’s Day heroics would make the eight-year-old a tough nut to crack at a venue where he has enjoyed plenty of match practice this season.

“We’ll see a bit closer to the time but both races are two-and-a-half-mile handicap chases and we’ve just got to hope we pick the right one,” continued O’Neill.

“He’s been reasonably busy in the early part of the season, so we said we’d give him plenty of time to freshen up after New Year’s Day.

“We were very pleased with the way he won that day but maybe the distance slightly flattered him. The handicapper certainly took a good swing at him but we couldn’t be happier with him and look forward to him running at the Festival.”

Crebilly went close to giving O’Neill Snr one last Festival winner in his own name when second to Shakem Up’arry in the Plate 12 months ago and it will be the Ultima where he will be tasked with going one better this time around.

Meanwhile, heading the betting for the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase is Johnnywho, who will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Sunnyhillboy by winning the Thursday finale for the Jackdaws operation and leading owner JP McManus.

O’Neill added: “Hopefully, they can both run well and Crebilly obviously ran well there last year. He hasn’t been as consistent as we would have liked this year but hopefully he remembers how to gallop around Cheltenham and we’re looking forward to Johnnywho as well.”