Champion trainer Martin Pipe has told BBC Sport he may never win the blue riband event of horse racing.
MARTIN PIPE AT THE FESTIVAL First win: Baron Blakeney, Triumph Hurdle 1981 Total wins: 28 Champion Hurdle: 1993 (Granville Again) 1997 (Make A Stand) |
Peerless Pipe goes into the Cheltenham Festival, which starts on Tuesday, with a formidable squad.
But despite 28 wins at racing's biggest meeting, he has failed to land the Gold Cup in 22 attempts.
And he told this website: "You love to win any race, but it's very hard to win the Gold Cup. I doubt if I'll ever win it."
For 2003, Pipe has Cyfor Malta in the big race, and possibly It Takes Time, but they are not among the favourites.
It is elsewhere at the Festival, where the trainer is likely to make his mark, and he is relishing the prospect.
"It really is the Olympics of horse racing. It's very exciting, and there's a great atmosphere," he said.
Pipe's record at Cheltenham makes him joint-second with Fred Winter in the all-time list of winning trainers, which is headed by the late Fulke Walwyn who had 40 triumphs.
The first victory for Pipe came with Baron Blakeney in the 1981 Triumph Hurdle, and the race for juveniles remains his favourite at the meeting.
This time he will saddle ante-post favourite Don Fernando, and hinted that the improving Well Chief and Old California will join a team of five or six runners in the race.
Don Fernando has only ever run at Cheltenham in his hurdling career and his record there reads first, first and second.
The JCB Triumph Hurdle is a notoriously difficult race to win, but Pipe clearly boasts a strong hand.
He also appears to have a chance of landing another big race which has eluded him so far, the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Tiutchev is one contender, while Seebald will attempt to land the prize for footballing owners Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler.
 You never recover from that - the thoughts are always there Pipe on the death of Valiramix |
Pipe knows how precious any victory at Prestbury Park is.
"I'm only in 19 races, and it is hard to win one," he said.
"It's always nice to have a winner at Cheltenham - you'd like to have threes and fours, but it is very difficult."
One surefire winner in 2002 appeared to be Valiramix in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle, but tragedy struck.
Just as the horse appeared set to hit the front, he suffered a freak stumble and was put down.
"You never recover from that - the thoughts are always there," reflected Pipe.
"It's always there in the back of your mind, you always remember."
 AP McCoy: Simply brilliant, says Pipe |
The death of Valiramix, and Tote Gold Cup contender Gloria Victis two years earlier, also shook Pipe's stable jockey Tony McCoy.
McCoy, seemingly better known by his initials AP these days, is a fabulous rider for Pipe to have on board.
"It's great to have him riding for you. AP is brilliant," said the trainer.
The pair clearly enjoy a hugely successful professional partnership, but do the record-breaking trainer and jockey get on?
"I think we do. He's got a very competitive edge, as I have, and it gives us great confidence when he is riding for us."
Pipe picked Stormez in the four-mile National Hunt Steeplechase on Wednesday as his best chance of victory, but he knows there is always a possibility of a shock. In 2002, his 25-1 outsider Blowing Wind defeated stablemate Lady Cricket, the 5-2 favourite with McCoy on board.
But Pipe was not fazed, and takes it all in his stride.
"Sometimes they come as a complete surprise. It's never the wrong one. I'm very pleased with any of the wins," he said.
"Some have more chances than the others and you get surprises."
Maybe, just maybe, one of those surprises will come in the Gold Cup on Thursday 13 March.
MMIX
Email this to a friend 
Printable version 
Cheltenham guide
