Fan favourite Cheltenham Festival hero finally wins again after 1,045 days… and gets odds slashed for Stayers’ Hurdle

SUPERSTAR Cheltenham Festival hero Monkfish proved class is permanent after returning to winning ways a whopping 1,045 days after he last tasted victory.

The Willie Mullins-trained stayer was slashed to as short as 10-1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle after seeing off former Supreme winner Summerville Boy at Gowran Park.

The 10-year-old lurked at the back of the four-runner field and didn’t jump amazingly but found loads turning in to win by five-and-a-half lengths.

Monkfish had not seen the track since 2021 after being struck with a tendon injury – which can often sometimes prove career-ending.

Mullins has been patient nursing the horse – who was bought by Rich Ricci for £235,000 in 2018 – back to full health.

And fans went wild seeing the old favourite finally win again in the famous green and pink silks nearly three years after his last success – the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham.

Punters watching on TV were falling over themselves after the horse Nicky Henderson famously called Fishcake bounced back.

One punter exclaimed: “Oh my days I love him”. 

Hendo’s blunder has not been forgotten, with one person saying: “Up the fishcake.”

And another boldly claiming: “HIS NAME IS FISHCAKE.”

While another said: “Great to see him back winning.”

After yesterday’s win all thoughts now turn to Cheltenham, where Monkfish has already won the Albert Bartlett and Brown Advisory.

But he’ll have some formidable opponents in the fiercely contested Stayers, which is run on Thursday, the third day of the four-day Festival.

Gordon Elliott has been rocked by top owners Caldwell Construction quitting the sport and selling all 29 of their horses. 

But the top trainer still has market leaders Teahupoo and Irish Point who are both 7-2 to claim the big hurdle prize.

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