Tag Archive for: Cheltenham Festival

Russell team talking Cheltenham for Douglas

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Douglas Talking will be aimed at next week’s Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in the hope he gets the chance to back up “a special performance” at Sandown on Tuesday.

The seven-year-old took his tally to five wins from eight attempts over fences when sauntering to a 13-length success under Patrick Wadge.

Victory continued the blistering recent form of the Lucinda Russell yard, which has scored with its last five runners.

It was his second win in as many visits to the Esher track and Russell’s partner and assistant, eight-times champion jockey Peter Scudamore, feels the manner in which he won warrants a step up into better company.

“My dad always thought Sandown was the best place to ride a steeplechaser,” said Scudamore.

“I remember riding Celtic Shot in a handicap hurdle one day and Kevin Mooney, a man whose judgement I hugely respected, came up and said, ‘Only very, very good horses can finish up the hill like that’.

“I thought it was a special performance on Tuesday, as I didn’t think we’d beat Venetia’s horse (Gamaret).

“We were very happy and very pleasantly surprised – you rarely see horses winning like that at Sandown.”

Scudamore admitted that if he fails to make the cut for Wednesday’s Grand Annual, Douglas Talking looks set for a step up in class at Aintree.

The Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase, over two miles on the first of the three-day Grand National meeting, is a possible landing spot.

Scudamore added: “I remember taking him to Aintree first time over hurdles, thinking he would win and he ran badly. It wasn’t until he jumped fences that he showed the form on the racetrack that he did at home.

“He won well at Ayr previously and I’ll declare him for the Grand Annual, but he will come into the Aintree scenario, as he might not get in the Grand Annual.

“The Aintree race seems a sensible stepping stone. I always thought he wanted fast ground, maybe because of his wind, but twice he’s gone to Sandown now and he’s won on softer ground than I thought he wanted.”

Apple Away could step up in class at Aintree
Apple Away could step up in class at Aintree (Richard Sellers/PA)

Russell is primed to send a strong team to Aintree, spearheaded by Grand National hope Corach Rambler and Ahoy Senor, provided they take their respective Cheltenham tests in the Ultima and Cheltenham Gold Cup well.

Apple Away, who followed up her Ayr handicap hurdle win in a Listed mares’ novices’ hurdle at Doncaster on Saturday, will be among the yard’s top hopes at the Liverpool track.

Scudamore sees something of the yard’s 2012 Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle winner in the six-year-old.

He explained: “We’ve always thought a lot of her. I think she is a relentless galloper. She doesn’t get tired. She reminds me of Brindisi Breeze.

“We will probably have a better team for Aintree than we will for Cheltenham and we will be thinking of the three-mile (Sefton) Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree for her, depending on ground. I’m very hopeful for her.”

Peter Scudamore and Lucinda Russell will send strong team to Aintree
Peter Scudamore and Lucinda Russell will send strong team to Aintree (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Esprit Du Potier has won the last two of his three bumpers and drew readily clear of his rivals at Ayr last month. He could also be in the mix.

Scudamore added: “He is a nice horse who we are really, really pleased with. He was impressive at Ayr and he might make the team for Aintree.

“Corach, Ahoy Senor, Douglas Talking, Apple Away and Esprit Du Potier could all go to Aintree, and it would be nice for a stable of our stature to go there and compete against the best.”

Mulholland sweet on Milkwood’s County chance

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Neil Mulholland is confident Milkwood can outrun his odds in the McCoy Contractors County Hurdle at Cheltenham on Friday week.

The nine-year-old was beaten just over two lengths into third place in the 2021 running of the fiercely-competitive handicap before going on to win the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr and finish second in the Galway Hurdle later that summer.

It is fair to say results have been mixed since, with a fourth place at Wetherby last month his latest effort.

But his rating has dropped from a high of a 151 to a perch of 141 ahead of his return to the Cotswolds, meaning he is now only 1lb higher than when he lined up for the same race two years ago – and Mulholland believes the general 25-1 shot is back to his best.

“He’ll run in the County Hurdle and he’s back to where he was, hopefully,” said the trainer.

“He’s on a dangerous mark now and I’d say he’s as good as he’s been for a long time.

“I’d say Sam (Twiston-Davies) will probably ride him.”

Mulholland’s other likely Festival runner is Lord Accord, who is primed to line up for Tuesday’s Ultima Handicap Chase – a race the Somerset handler won with The Druids Nephew in 2015.

Lord Accord won over fences at Cheltenham earlier in the season and has been saved for the Festival since finishing down the field in the Cleeve Hurdle in late January.

Lord Accord in action at Uttoxeter
Lord Accord in action at Uttoxeter (Mike Egerton/PA)

A decision on who will replace his sidelined rider Richie McLernon has yet to be made.

Mulholland added: “The horse is in good order. He had an away-day yesterday (Tuesday) and I’m very happy with him.

“We’ll decide later in the week who rides him, once we’ve had a good look at the confirmations.

“We’ve won the Ultima before and had a good few horses placed at the Festival. I wouldn’t be surprised if both horses run big races this year as they’re going there in good order.”

Henderson duo added to Mares’ Hurdle field

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Nicky Henderson has supplemented Epatante and Theatre Glory to take on Honeysuckle in a fascinating renewal of the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Henry de Bromhead’s Honeysuckle beat Benie Des Dieux in an epic running of the Grade One contest in 2020 before going on to claim back-to-back victories against the boys in the Champion Hurdle.

But having suffered defeat for the first time in her bid for a fourth Hatton’s Grace in December, and proved no match for State Man in last month’s Irish Champion Hurdle, the nine-year-old is set to go back against her own sex in an attempt to end her career with a fourth Festival success.

Like Honeysuckle, the 2020 Champion Hurdle heroine Epatante retains a entry in this year’s Champion following Wednesday’s confirmation stage.

However, she has proved no match for stablemate and red-hot Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill in either the Fighting Fifth or the Christmas Hurdle this season and, as expected, she has been added to the Mares’ Hurdle field at a cost of £4,599 following an impressive recent victory at Doncaster.

Connections of Theatre Glory have also stumped up the same figure following her runaway success in a Listed event at Warwick on her latest outing.

Henderson has a potential third string to his bow in the form of last year’s winner Marie’s Rock, but she also has the option of stepping up in trip for the Stayers’ Hurdle two days later.

Love Envoi is a leading contender for Harry Fry, while Willie Mullins has whittled his Mares’ Hurdle team down to Brandy Love, Echoes In Rain and Shewearsitwell.

Midnight Ginger (Andrew Martin) and Queens Brook (Gordon Elliott) are the other hopefuls.

Facile Vega heads the betting for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle
Facile Vega heads the betting for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Donall Farmer/PA)

Twenty horses have stood their ground for the traditional Festival curtain-raiser – the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Ante-post favourite Facile Vega heads a seven-strong Mullins squad that also includes Il Etait Temps, Impaire Et Passe and Gaelic Warrior, although several have alternative engagements during the week.

Backers of Barry Connell’s Marine Nationale and the Joseph O’Brien-trained High Definition will pleased to see that pair also remain in the mix.

El Fabiolo and Jonbon are the top two in the betting for the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy, for which a total of 12 horses are still entered.

Mullins-trained Irish Arkle winner El Fabiolo could be joined by a trio of stablemates in Dysart Dynamo, Ha d’Or and Saint Roi, while Henderson’s Jonbon is very much the pick of the home team.

Fanion D’Estruval heads 37 in the mix for the Ultima Handicap Chase, with Lucinda Russell excited to saddle the defending champion Corach Rambler.

The nine-year-old is only 6lb higher in the weights than when striking Festival gold 12 months ago and has been kept fresh since finishing fourth in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in November.

“Corach has Scu (Peter Scudamore, trainer’s partner) around his little finger,” said the trainer.

“He’s great. He’s had plenty of work. Although he hasn’t run since Newbury, we’ve given him a racecourse gallop and I’m quite excited about taking him back to the Ultima.

“I know he’s 6lb higher, but he seems in great form. He’s light enough, he’s strong enough and I’m looking forward to the day with him.

“I loved his run in the Coral Gold Cup. All we wanted was to get a good run and that was going to give us an idea about what we were going to do for the rest of the year, but he ran above my expectations.”

The well-fancied pair of Tekao and Byker are among 37 juveniles going forward for the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, but recent Adonis Hurdle winner Nusret is a notable absentee.

The last of seven races on day one is the Wellchild National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Novices’ Chase. Gaillard Du Mesnil is a hot favourite for the Mullins team and will face a maximum of 12 rivals, including two fellow Closutton inmates in Ramillies and Tenzing.

Constitution Hill tops 12 in Champion Hurdle contention

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Constitution Hill heads 12 confirmations for the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

Nicky Henderson’s charge is widely regarded as the pre-eminent star of National Hunt racing and will be a red-hot favourite to extend his unbeaten record under rules to six in the Festival’s day one feature.

The six-year-old won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle by 22 lengths on the corresponding card last season and has since proved that was no fluke with similarly devastating displays in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton this season.

There are two previous winners of the race in the mix in the form of Epatante and Honeysuckle, but neither are expected to line up, with the familiar foes instead set to clash in the Mares’ Hurdle later in the afternoon.

In their anticipated absence, the biggest threat to Constitution Hill appears to be Irish Champion Hurdle hero State Man.

The Willie Mullins-trained chestnut has established himself as comfortably Ireland’s leading hope this season by winning the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown and both the Matheson and Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown – dethroning Honeysuckle on the latter occasion.

State Man and Paul Townend winning the Irish Champion Hurdle
State Man and Paul Townend winning the Irish Champion Hurdle (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

Mullins is also set to be represented by Vauban, who won the Triumph Hurdle at last year’s Festival but has finished behind State Man in his last two races, while the veteran Sharjah also stood his ground.

Henderson could saddle First Street, although like Sharjah he has the option of running in the County Hurdle later in the week.

Gordon Elliott has left in both Zanahiyr and Pied Piper, while Greatwood and Kingwell Hurdle winner I Like To Move It has each-way claims for Nigel Twiston-Davies.

The potential field is completed by Hughie Morrison’s Not So Sleepy and Jason The Militant from Phil Kirby’s yard.

Thunder Rock ready to step up for Festival test

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Thunder Rock will be tested over three miles for the first time when he lines up in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The Olly Murphy-trained seven-year-old made a fine start to the season, winning his first two chasing appearances by a combined 13 lengths. But his progress was halted by the pre-Christmas cold snap, meaning he missed an intended engagement at Ascot and was rerouted to the Dipper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

On that occasion he was a staying-on third behind The Real Whacker having jumped without his usual zest and it was a similar tale at Sandown in the Scilly Isles, when he filled the same bronze medal position behind Gerri Colombe.

Owned by the McNeill Family and Ian Dale, Thunder Rock has just over five lengths to find with Gordon Elliott’s general 7-4 favourite for the Festival’s three-mile novice chase, but Murphy is hoping the slower pace of the extended trip can allow him to jump with more fluency and therefore close the gap on some of his old rivals.

“He will run in the three-miler,” said Murphy. “He’s in good form and we’re looking forward to stepping up in trip. He’ll be ridden cold and hopefully will be able to come home strong.

“He would have an each-way chance, but would have a bit to find with Gordon’s horse (Gerri Colombe).

Thunder Rock ridden by jockey Adrian Heskin winning over hurdles at Ayr last year
Thunder Rock ridden by jockey Adrian Heskin winning over hurdles at Ayr last year (Steve Welsh/PA)

“He doesn’t work like he wants three miles, but probably jumps like he does, so hopefully this will just slow the emphasis on speed in the race and hopefully it won’t put as much pressure on his jumping.

“On his run with The Real Whacker (in the Dipper), he looks a big price at double figures when The Real Whacker is 5-1. I felt we should have finished in front of him the last time we met, so we’re looking forward to having another go and he’s an each-way chance.”

Murphy is in the process of putting the finishing touches to his Cheltenham squad’s preparations and has a couple of aces up his sleeve for the Festival opener, where his duo Chasing Fire and Strong Leader are swimming under the radar.

Exciting prospect Chasing Fire is one of two on course to appear in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle for Olly Murphy at the Cheltenham Festival
Exciting prospect Chasing Fire is one of two on course to appear in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle for Olly Murphy at the Cheltenham Festival (Steven Paston/PA)

Both are said to be in good form ahead of their Prestbury Park assignment in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – a race in which the Warren Chase handler saw Thomas Darby and Itchy Feet finish second and third respectively at big prices in 2019.

“I’m looking forward to running the pair of them, Chasing Fire and Strong Leader,” continued Murphy.

“They are both unbeaten but both now have to step up in grade and hopefully they go there with each-way chances and, with a bit of luck on their side, can run well. They are both in good form, but you would be hopeful more than confident.”

The aforementioned Itchy Feet has been with Murphy since the beginning and, now nine, has bounced back to his best returned to hurdles of late.

A winner at Huntingdon on his penultimate outing, before finishing a close second in the Rendlesham at Haydock, he is a best-priced 25-1 for the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Final on day three of the Festival.

“I’m a little bit worried about how well he will handle a big field, but he’s still handicapped to run well on the best of his chase form and has been in good form,” explained Murphy.

“Going back over hurdles has certainly helped him. He’s just been a lot more comfortable and shows he retains plenty of ability and we will look forward to having a go at the Pertemps with him.”

Fowler hoping Mustard can make Festival date

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Lorna Fowler remains “hopeful” stable star Colonel Mustard will be fit for next week’s Cheltenham Festival despite suffering an overreach in the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso on Saturday.

The eight-year-old finished third behind Champion Hurdle aspirant State Man and the high-class First Street in the County Hurdle 12 months ago and connections are keen to have another crack at the fiercely-competitive handicap from only 3lb higher in the weights.

However, his participation at Prestbury Park was thrown into some doubt after he returned to Ireland with what is hoped to be a minor injury following his runner-up finish in the Scottish Borders.

Fowler said: “We’ll see how we go. If we get a full green light we’ll definitely go to the County Hurdle, but we’ll just have to make sure we’re happy with that overreach.

“At the moment I’d say we’re pretty hopeful. It’s 50-50 from the point of view that we’ll only go there if he’s 100 per cent.

“If I run him I won’t be worried about the overreach. We just want to check there’s nothing going on that we don’t know about, but he’s in brilliant form I have to say.”

After chasing home Arkle favourite El Fabiolo over fences at Fairyhouse in December, Colonel Mustard reverted to the smaller obstacles at Kelso, mainly due to the fact Morebattle Hurdle sponsors bet365 were offering a £100,000 bonus to the winner if they can follow up in any race at Cheltenham.

The Sandy Thomson-trained Benson looks set to go in search of the lucrative double, with the Coral Cup his likely target, after reeling in Colonel Mustard on the run-in and going on to score by two lengths.

Fowler admitted to being “heartbroken” to be beaten, but is trying to take positives out of the defeat.

“I was heartbroken. All credit to the winner, but I’m not going to pretend I wasn’t gutted because I thought we had it,” she added.

“I went to Kelso with a lot of confidence and tried the big double. Obviously it hasn’t worked, but he ran super and the positive is if we do go to Cheltenham, we don’t have to carry a 5lb penalty.

“The negative is he had a long journey and back and has this overreach to deal with, but having said that, if it’s a conclusive go-ahead with that and I’m happy, I don’t think that will stand in his way.

“He’s a very lightly-raced and fresh horse this season and travels well, so given his form you’d like to think he has a bit of a chance.”

Fowler confirmed 3lb claimer Kieran Buckley will keep the ride should Colonel Mustard line up in the Cotswolds on Friday week.

She said: “Kieran will take 3lb off his back. He knows the horse and that would look the sensible thing to do, definitely.

“He knows Cheltenham and has ridden a winner there before, so that all helps too.”

Alan Hill dreaming big with I K Brunel

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Alan Hill’s I K Brunel could be in line for a Cheltenham-Aintree Hunter Chase double after winning both starts on the circuit so far.

The nine-year-old was bred by Zara Tindall and formerly trained by Olly Murphy, winning three times before changing hands last spring.

His first start for Hill came at Larkhill in late November, a race he won by two and three-quarter lengths when ridden by Izzie Marshall.

Hill was intending on finding another race for the classy gelding shortly afterwards, but extreme weather caused the abandonment of several meetings and I K Brunel had to wait until late February to run again.

Eventually running at Taunton, he beat the useful Not That Fuisse with the minimum of fuss.

That success leaves him qualified for both the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase at Cheltenham and the Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase at Aintree.

Both races are under consideration, with the ground likely to be a factor and a run in both not ruled out as the calendar falls in such a way this season that there is a nearly a month between the two meetings.

Hill said: “He came out of his race very well, he’s a horse we feel might need a bit of freshening up.

“Since he’s had his run he’s come back, been in nice steady work and he’s going to do a couple of bit of work this week. If we do go to Cheltenham, that will hopefully put us right for that.

“We were very pleased, we took him to the point-to-point before Christmas and it went very well. We then decided that we wouldn’t rush to run him quickly but then through the unfortunate weather we missed a couple of opportunities.

“We were hoping to run a little bit quicker than we did, we were hoping to aim to get a run in at the end of January or the beginning of February, but with Ludlow off and Fakenham off we lost our opportunities.

“Taunton came along and it looked, I felt, probably a little bit of a stronger contest than ideally we wanted compared to the other two, but it worked out well. He was fresh, we took a lot of positives out of it, his jumping was good.

“Our main criteria at that point was that we were desperately trying to get him qualified for Aintree, so that also helped and around a nice, fast course we could have a look at his speed and his stamina. We were very pleasantly surprised with how well he ran and won.”

He went on: “The bottom line at the moment is that our main avoidance would be if it came up really heavy ground, I don’t think we would rush to run him on that.

“That’s something that we’re taking into consideration with Cheltenham and it would be to his liking at the minute, I know he’s a Midnight Legend but I just feel he’s too nice a moving horse to see the best of him on heavy. When Olly had him he said he always found he was a better horse for running on nice ground.

“At the moment we’re going to confirm for Cheltenham on both a weather watch and to see what else is in it. We’re very much more thinking that we could go to Cheltenham and we could also go to Aintree because it’s the one year, which comes up about every four or five years, where there’s a month between the races.

“Normally it’s the three weeks so that’s another string to our bow and I’m sure a lot of the other horses going to Cheltenham will be thinking that as well.”

Echoes In Rain firing Festival dream for Craig Kieswetter

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Former cricket star Craig Kieswetter believes Echoes In Rain has a great chance of causing a small upset when she lines up in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Kieswetter played 71 times for England in white-ball internationals before injury led to him retiring at the tender age of 27.

Since then he has gone about building up his family’s Barnane Stud empire alongside brother Ross and stud manager Patrick Wynn-Jones, and Echoes In Rain is one of the on-track stars of their burgeoning jumps string.

The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old heads to Prestbury Park on the back of a commanding victory at Naas in January and is a best-priced 7-1 for what could be a red-hot renewal of the mares’ only Grade One with possible runners including two-time Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle and Seven Barrows pair, Marie’s Rock and Epatante.

However, South African-born Kieswetter is more than happy with how the race is taking shape and is encouraged by the positive noises coming out of Closutton.

He told the PA news agency: “If the ground is right and the pace of the race is right, we are really expecting her to explode out and give a really good account in the latter stage of the race.

“There will be less pressure on her and I don’t want to say she’s flying under the radar, but there will be a lot more horses in the race who are better fancied – and if I’m honest, I’d prefer the position of being under the radar, under cover somewhat and coming through and causing a bit of a surprise.

“I’m quite happy with the position we are in and it is really encouraging to hear Ruby (Walsh) and others within the yard talk encouragingly about her. It sounds a bit cliched but we just want her to come home safe to the paddock, whatever the result may be.”

Kieswetter first became involved in National Hunt racing in his time playing for Somerset, when losing a game of table tennis with nearby Martin Pipe led to him taking on a horse called Citrus trained at Pond House.

Although Citrus did enter winner’s enclosure when landing a Plumpton novice hurdle, it is the eight-time hurdles scorer Echoes In Rain that has taken him to the upper echelons of jumps racing.

Galway Races Summer Festival 2022 – Day One – Galway Racecourse
Echoes In Rain, jockey Patrick Mullins and trainer Willie Mullins after winning the Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap during day one of the Galway Races Summer Festival 2022 (Niall Carson/PA)

He continued: “We’ve had some amazing days with her already and unfortunately she has had to come up against Honeysuckle quite a few times, but the fact we have been able to pick up plenty of graded races and have a lot of fun with her makes this race even more enjoyable.

“I remember early on in her career, Willie and Ruby and everyone in Willie’s yard found it really hard to settle her and worked extremely hard to get her to settle as she has a really nice turn of foot.

“She’s a really hardy mare and she runs to the fullest every time she steps onto the track – she never leaves anything in the tank.

“I suppose as an owner that is all you can ask – for a horse that gives her all every single time.

Craig Kieswetter in action for England during his cricket career
Craig Kieswetter in action for England during his cricket career (Rui Vieira/PA)

“Potentially, if all goes to plan, we might see her at Royal Ascot later this year and that will definitely throw a conundrum into the ballpark of what we are going to do breeding wise.

“She’s very diverse, very sturdy. She’s pretty much your old-school type of mare who has a lot of attitude about her and is very protective of her own space. Those mares tend to be the ones who produce the best progeny, so all in all we have a nice little crop there, along with our partners and friends, to look forward to in the future.”

Kieswetter’s Barnane Stud will also be represented at the Festival by Il Etait Temps and Gust Of Wind, who are both owned in partnership with the Heffer family’s Hollywood Syndicate.

The former is flying high in the betting for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle having capitalised on the misfiring Facile Vega to land Grade One glory at the Dublin Racing Festival and throw his hat into the ring for the Festival opener.

Il Etait Temps ridden by jockey Danny Mullins on their way to winning the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle during day two of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown
Il Etait Temps ridden by jockey Danny Mullins on their way to winning the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle during day two of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

“There will obviously be huge talk about Facile Vega and rightly so because he looks a terrific horse,” said Kieswetter when analysing the five-year-old’s Festival claims.

“But the manner in which Il Etait Temps ran and won at Leopardstown – when he kept up with the hot pace and was able to accelerate – if the speed of the race is run right for him and the ground is right for him, I don’t see any reason why he can’t run another great race and walk away respectfully.

“There is no doubt he is a lovely horse and as Willie has said, if he jumps well he will be right there and thereabouts.

“It is exciting to go to Cheltenham off the back of a Grade One win and it gives us some confidence, but we’re definitely not taking things for granted.”

Snowden admits Ryanair would be ‘sensible’ shout for Ga Law

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Connections are still considering the best route to take with Ga Law – and whether the “sensible” option would be to run in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham next week and forgo a Grand National bid this year.

The Paddy Power Gold Cup winner is also in the Boodles Gold Cup, a race which offers Ga Law a potential route to the National in that a first-four finish would secure his qualification criteria for Aintree.

He is, however, a big price for the blue riband and much shorter for the Ryanair – and the dilemma comes as Ga Law needs a top four finish over three miles for the National after falling in the Sky Bet Chase, a race he was very much in contention for at the time.

Snowden said: “If he is going to be a progressive horse in graded races next season, then this is the year to have a crack at the Grand National.

Ga Law and jockey Jonathan Burke after winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup
Ga Law and jockey Jonathan Burke after winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup (David Davies/Jockey Club)

“But he fell at the last on his most recent start at Doncaster and even though the handicapper suggested he showed improved form over three miles, he is not qualified for the Grand National as he has not finished in the first four over three miles.

“The sensible route is to go to the Ryanair and forget about the Grand National. The Gold Cup is a seriously competitive race and we would have to run our heart out to finish fourth and if we did, it is only four weeks then until the Grand National.

“I think we confirm for the Ryanair and we confirm for the Gold Cup and we sit and wait until declarations and see what it all looks like and make a decision at the time. We have got ourselves into a tricky position, but a lovely position.”

Looking at options beyond the Ryanair, should that be the race he goes for, Snowden said: “If we went for the Ryanair, you could then have a look at one of the Grade One races at Aintree or the Grade Two Oaksey Chase at Sandown Park on the last day of the season.

“We don’t need to decide yet. We have the money in the bank from the Paddy Power and we can pay for the confirmation stage at Cheltenham and see what it looks like. We have come this far, so let’s kick the can down the road a little bit further.”

Mullins taking every precaution in search of Cheltenham whitewash

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Last season’s Cheltenham Festival meeting was a Willie Mullins whitewash – and he is not leaving anything to chance in pursuit of something similar next week.

Having won a remarkable 10 races over the four days at Prestbury Park – taking his tally at the Festival to a record 88 winners – the Closutton handler revealed he has painted all the bars on his schooling fences and hurdles white.

White markings on the frames, guard rails and take-off boards replaced traditional orange colourings on obstacles at every British racecourse last year.

Willie Mullins has left nothing to chance at his Bagenalstown, County Carlow yard
Willie Mullins has left nothing to chance at his Bagenalstown, County Carlow yard (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

The British Horseracing Authority’s decision for the colour change, following guidance from experts at Exeter University into horse vision, came in the interests of horse welfare and safety.

In years past, Mullins has worked and schooled horses at Leopardstown prior to running at Cheltenham.

This year will be a little different, however. Speaking at the Dublin track to Racing TV on Sunday, he explained: “I don’t see much point in schooling here, if they all jump well.

“Unless someone comes round with a bucket of whitewash tomorrow and paints those fences, I don’t see much point in schooling over the orange bars.

“I’ve put in a whole new schooling operation with white hurdles and fences and we’ll do our stuff at home.”

Mullins is a stickler for details and knows that with competition so fierce at the Festival, every mistake is magnified.

He added: “Some horses could go down (and jump) over blue fences, yellow fences, it wouldn’t matter a damn to them – they are just that cool.

“Other horses will look at them from a half-mile out and they will see something different, so you never know which one, especially in the shorter races if you want to be up there and and have your position.

“You don’t want to have them looking at the first hurdle and backing off it or the first fence and backing off it, because you just lose your position and then at Cheltenham you are playing catch-up the whole time.

“Whereas round the country tracks or not at the big meetings, it doesn’t matter so much, as you’ll get your ground back much easier – but at Cheltenham, no one gives you an inch.

“So what you lose at the first hurdle or fence, it’s gone, you are not going to get it back.”

Mullins said his powerful string has taken to the painted obstacles well and is looking forward to the meeting, which starts on Tuesday week.

“They are jumping them every second day at home, so we’re good.”

He added: “Fingers crossed, toes crossed, everything crossed. We are very happy with how most things are.

“You are always going to get little upsets, but we still have another week to go before we travel. Things will come right, but nothing major.”