'I hope he is very proud': Codd pays tribute to late brother

Jamie Codd paid an emotional tribute to his late brother William after he won his second race at this year’s Cheltenham Festival when partnering Envoi Allen to land the Grade 1 Champion Bumper.

The Wexford native brought the former Ballinaboola point-to-point winner wide throughout, and having begun to inch closer with over half-a-mile to race, the pair hit the front just before the three furlong marker, after which they were never headed.

The five-year-old found plenty for pressure to deny the late surge of his main market rival, the wide-margin Gowran Park winner Blue Sair, to go on and win by three-quarters of a length at the line.

That success for the two-time Champion point-to-point rider, followed his opening day victory aboard the Ben Pauling-trained Le Breuil in the National Hunt Challenge Cup, when getting the better of his great rival Barry O’Neill by half-a-length in a thrilling finish.

Following the success of Envoi Allen, a horse he has partnered to four consecutive successes, Codd, who was joined in the winner’s enclosure by his parent Billy and Mary Francis, spoke of his much-missed brother William.

“It’s an emotional day.

“I lost my brother last year and it’s been a tough year. He is up there looking down on us today and I hope he is very proud. It’s brilliant to have Mam and Dad here today,” said Codd when speaking to Racing TV’s Lydia Hislop.

“William was a big supporter of mine. He was here two years ago and God I wish he was here, but look it, we have got on and as I say, it has been a tough year, but these are the days that make up for it with things like that.

“I know he is up there and is very proud.”

The late William will be represented by one of the leading contenders on day three of the Cheltenham Festival, when Lostintranslation runs in the Grade 1 JLT Novices Chase.

The Flemensfirth gelding finished fourth on his debut in a four-year-old maiden at Tattersalls Farm for Codd in 2016, and has since gone on to win the Grade 2 Dipper Novices Chase for his new trainer Colin Tizzard.