Tag Archive for: Cheltenham Festival

Comfort Zone forced to miss Triumph Hurdle bid

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Comfort Zone will miss Friday’s JCB Triumph Hurdle following a setback, Joseph O’Brien has revealed.

The JP McManus-owned four-year-old was among the favourites for the opening race on Cheltenham Gold Cup day.

Having taken the Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow over Christmas, he narrowly downed the previously unbeaten Scriptwriter in the Finesse Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham four weeks later.

Comfort Zone was as short as 7-1 to land the Triumph Hurdle, following his previous win in the trial over the same course and distance.

Though among a strong Irish challenge, spearheaded by the Willie Mullins-trained trip of Lossiemouth, Blood Destiny and Gala Marceau, O’Brien has been forced to draw stumps after the gelding suffered a minor problem.

He said: “Comfort Zone has just had a little hold-up unfortunately. He will potentially make it back for Aintree or Punchestown.

“We are obviously disappointed, but we’re hopeful we will have him back for the later festivals.”

Setback rules Gentleman De Mee out of Champion Chase

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Gentleman De Mee has been ruled out of the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase by trainer Willie Mullins.

The JP McManus-owned seven-year-old was a general 8-1 shot for the Cheltenham Festival’s day two feature having bounced back to his best with an impressive victory from the front in Leopardstown’s Dublin Chase last month.

That Dublin Racing Festival success was his second strike at Grade One level having accounted for Champion Chase favourite Edwardstone at Aintree in April last year, and he was was one of three possible runners in the race for the master of Closutton alongside defending champion Energumene and Blue Lord.

However, an infection means he will not take part in the action at Prestbury Park on Wednesday with connections now focussed on returning Gentleman De Mee to full health ahead of future targets in the spring.

“Gentleman De Mee has picked up an infection which means we’re not going to take him to Cheltenham.” Mullins told www.sportinglife.com.

“Hopefully he’ll be back for other spring targets.”

Hewick in ‘great old form’ – but Hanlon on Gold Cup weather watch

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John ‘Shark’ Hanlon says Hewick is “better than he ever was” – but will make a last-minute decision on whether or not the American Grand National winner will run in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.

The eight-year-old shot to prominence when landing the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown in April last year and followed up winning the valuable Galway Plate.

He then looked poised to add the Kerry National at Listowel to his CV, only to unseat Jordan Gainford at the last. But he earned compensation when taking the American Grand National at Far Hills, Maryland.

He has not run run since that success in October and after his final piece of work on the sands at Woodstown Beach in Waterford on Sunday morning, Hanlon was more than satisfied with his preparation.

However, while he is not cowering at the prospect of taking on the likes of Irish Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs, last year’s victor A Plus Tard and King George hero Bravemansgame in the blue riband, he is concerned about the potential for soft ground this week.

“We’re just coming off the beach and he is in great old form,” said Hanlon. “We just have to keep him fresh now.

“The ground is the only thing. That’s the only thing I’m afraid of. I’m hoping you won’t get a lot more rain over there.

“He is a much better horse on good ground and he’d handle good ground where other horses wouldn’t.”

Hewick is also entered for the Randox Grand National at Aintree on April 15, where he is due to shoulder joint-top weight of 11st 12lb along with last year’s runner-up Any Second Now and dual Grade One winner Conflated.

Hewick is a general 20-1 for the Gold Cup and 25-1 for the Grand National, and the Bagenalstown handler says he would not mind which race Hewick won, though his chance would improve with a sounder surface than is forecast at this week’s Festival meeting.

“You don’t want to leave his race at Cheltenham with the National only four weeks away,” added Halon.

“We have to think of everything. But we are bringing him over on Wednesday morning and we’ll make a decision on the morning (of the Gold Cup).

Shark Hanlon says Hewick is in ripe form ahead of Friday's Gold Cup
Shark Hanlon says Hewick is in ripe form ahead of Friday’s Gold Cup (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

“He’s in great form and I think he is better than he ever was. Everything went well with his preparation.

“Any of the two races will do us now. The National is something you dream of all your life, but a Gold Cup would be very special, so if we could be placed in it, we’d be very happy.

“The Gold Cup is the purists’ race, while the National is the people’s race – and he’s the people’s horse.

“He has a lot of weight for the National, but he’s carried a heavy weight everywhere he went before and he managed it, so I’m not over-worried by it.”

Constitution Hill faces State Man as seven line up in Champion Hurdle

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Hot favourite Constitution Hill will take on six rivals in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

The Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old has been sensational since making his debut at Sandown in December 2021, winning all five of his starts under rules, including the last four at the top level.

He has not raced since sauntering to a 17-length defeat of stablemate Epatante in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, but is long odds-on to give Henderson a ninth victory in the extended two-mile showpiece.

Willie Mullins saddles State Man, who has a little more experience and is unbeaten in six completed outings for his Closutton trainer after falling on his Irish debut.

State Man is one of two Willie Mullins' representatives in the Champion Hurdle
State Man is one of two Willie Mullins’ representatives in the Champion Hurdle (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

State Man has similarly won his last four Grade One contests and heads to Prestbury Park as the Irish Champion Hurdle winner.

Mullins is double-handed with last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner Vauban lining up, while Gordon Elliott is responsible for Zanahiyr, who finished third in the race last year but has subsequently been disqualified.

Phil Kirby has declared Jason The Militant, while Nigel Twiston-Davies relies on I Like To Move It, who won the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham in November and also the Grade Two Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton on his last run.

The field is completed by Not So Sleepy, who represents Hughie Morrison.

Marie’s Rock taking on Epatante and Honeysuckle in Mares’ Hurdle to savour

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Marie’s Rock will defend her crown in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle with the eight-year-old one of three to line up in the race for Nicky Henderson.

Owned by Middleham Park Racing, she got the better of Gordon Elliott’s Queens Brook to triumph 12 months ago and will arrive at Cheltenham on Tuesday unbeaten in four having followed up last year’s success at both the Punchestown Festival and on reappearance in the Relkeel on New Year’s Day.

Much of the speculation in the build-up to the Festival has centred around the possibility of Marie’s Rock stepping up to three miles for a crack at the Stayers’ Hurdle, but with conditions forecast to be on the slow side throughout the week, connections have plumped for the shorter option which could steal the show on the opening day.

Middleham Park’s Tom Palin said: “There’s a bit of an unsettled forecast at the back end of the week and that kind of made our decision for us.

“We’d love to see her over three miles and I’m pretty sure we’ll go to Aintree and see her there in the three-mile Grade One hurdle on Grand National day.

“That’s probably her next target and I’d love to see her over that, but I think the New course is stamina-sapping at the best of times and if you chuck in there soft, or maybe worse than that, you might just be asking a few too many questions in one big hit.”

Marie’s Rock is joined in the line-up by stablemates Epatante and Theatre Glory, who were both late supplementary entries at the six-day stage, while last year’s Mares Novices’ Hurdle winner Love Envoi also takes her chance.

Nicky Henderson saddles three in the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival
Nicky Henderson saddles three in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival (Zac Goodwin/PA)

The race is also the place for Honeysuckle’s farewell to the racecourse as the dual Champion Hurdle heroine looks to record her fourth straight Festival victory and recapture the prize she won in 2020.

“She’s gone over and it’s exciting having her going over there again,” said trainer Henry de Bromhead.

“We’ll see what Tuesday brings, she seems in great form and everyone seems happy.”

On it being a hot renewal, De Bromhead added: “Absolutely, but no more than you’d expect. We’re delighted to have her going and we’ll see how it unfolds.”

Willie Mullins saddles four as 14 go to post for the opening Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Facile Vega heads the bookmakers lists looking to give the master of Closutton a sixth victory in the race in the past 10 years, while his Dublin Racing Festival conqueror and stablemate Il Etait Temps is also in the mix.

Facile Vega looks to bounce back at the Cheltenham Festival
Facile Vega looks to bounce back at the Cheltenham Festival (Donall Farmer/PA)

Royal Bond scorer Marine Nationale, Tolworth champion Tahmuras and one-time Derby favourite High Definition are all other notable entries.

Two powerhouses are set to clash in the Sporting Life Arkle with El Fabiolo and Jonbon the main players among the nine declared, while Gaillard Du Mesnil is the choice of Patrick Mullins in the concluding Wellchild National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Novices’ Chase.

There are 23 declared for the Ultima Handicap Chase where Corach Rambler looks to defend his crown, while a full field heads to post for a typically ultra-competitive edition of the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.

McCoy excited to see Constitution Hill strut his stuff

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Sir Tony McCoy sees Constitution Hill as the horse that can generate all the right headlines ahead of his bid for Champion Hurdle glory at the Cheltenham on Tuesday.

The former jump jockey, a 20-time champion, mentioned Nicky Henderson’s gelding alongside some of the great names who have graced the sport under both codes in the past.

Though Constitution Hill can not quite yet be hailed as a champion, McCoy feels he has the potential to elevate the sport to the front pages if his performance in the Champion Hurdle is as sparkling as expected.

He said: “We all see horses and sportspeople that have moments of brilliance and Frankel’s 2000 Guineas (in 2011) was one of the wow moments.

“As jump horses you have to achieve a lot to elevate yourself from the back page to the front. There have only been few jumpers that have been capable of doing that – other than Desert Orchid, Red Rum, Kauto Star and Best Mate there have not been many.

Constitution Hill winning the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at last season's Cheltenham Festival
Constitution Hill winning the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at last season’s Cheltenham Festival (Mike Egerton/PA)

“I look back at the hurdlers in recent times, Hurricane Fly is the best of the most recent ones, while Istabraq is the best one I’ve seen in my time. What Constitution Hill has done the last two times has had the wow factor about it in the ease in which he has won.

“He has beaten a good mare in Epatante a couple of times, but after the Champion Hurdle we will get a different reading as if he is able to do the same to those rivals then he might be able to get on the front page.”

The six-year-old is unbeaten under rules and has won five races, including four Grade Ones, by a combined 77 lengths having never looked remotely beatable thus far.

“There is no doubt he is a talented horse and if you picked one of the jump horses you would love to own or train he would be the pretender you would pick that could be the superstar,” McCoy added

“Hopefully, Constitution Hill can live up to his reputation and deliver that success under Nico de Boinville that we all want to see happen.”

Mullins trio head Triumph Hurdle confirmations

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Willie Mullins appears to have a stranglehold on the JCB Triumph Hurdle with the first three in the ante-post betting among 17 confirmations for the day four opener at the Cheltenham Festival.

Blood Destiny, who has recently overtaken stablemate Lossiemouth at the head of the betting, and Gala Marceau, who beat Lossiemouth at the Dublin Racing Festival, give Mullins a very strong hand in the juvenile event.

Comfort Zone, the winner of Grade Two events at Chepstow and Cheltenham already for Joseph O’Brien, and Gary Moore’s Bo Zenith were among those taken out.

Jipcot, a new recruit from France now with Ben Pauling, has been supplemented.

JP McManus’ new purchase Corbetts Cross, a Grade Two winner on his debut for Emmett Mullins, is among 34 left in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

Gordon Elliott’s Three Card Brag, who has been taken out of the Martin Pipe later on the card, is another leading ante-post fancy, while stablemate Favori De Champdou and Willie Mullins’ Embassy Gardens all stand their ground.

Among those taken out were Absolute Notions, Maximilian and Saint Davy.

There are 52 left in the McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle, with previous Champion Hurdle contenders Zanahiyr and Sharjah heading the weights.

Betfair Hurdle one-two Aucunrisque and Filey Bay are in the mix along with Willie Mullins’ well fancied pair of Hunters Yarn and Winter Fog.

Last year’s winner Billaway and David Christie’s pair of Vaucelet and Winged Leader head 30 left in the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase, while in the closing Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle 53 remain.

Only nine have been left in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase and they include market leaders Allegorie de Vassy and Impervious.

Galopin Des Champs among 14 left in Gold Cup

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Hot favourite Galopin Des Champs will face a maximum of 13 rivals in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The seven-year-old has won five of his six starts over fences to date, his only defeat coming at last year’s Festival when falling at the final fence with the Turners Novices’ Chase at his mercy.

He has been thoroughly impressive in winning the John Durkan at Punchestown and the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown this season and is a warm order to provide Willie Mullins with a third success in Friday’s blue riband following the back-to-back victories of Al Boum Photo in 2019 and 2020.

Mullins has a major second string to his bow in the form of Stattler, who is a proven stayer having won the National Hunt Chase 12 months ago and finished best of the rest behind Galopin Des Champs in last month’s Irish Gold Cup.

Henry de Bromhead has saddled the one-two in the last two editions of the Gold Cup, with Minella Indo beating A Plus Tard in 2021 before the latter turned the tables with an imperious display under Rachael Blackmore last year.

Both horses are in contention once more, but A Plus Tard returns to the Cotswolds with something to prove after being pulled up in Haydock’s Betfair Chase on his only previous outing this term.

A formidable Irish challenge is further strengthened by Grand National winner Noble Yeats, Savills Chase hero Conflated and American Grand National victor Hewick, trained by Emmet Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Shark Hanlon respectively.

Bravemansgame and Harry Cobden winning the King George VI Chase
Bravemansgame and Harry Cobden winning the King George VI Chase (John Walton/PA)

The pick of the home team on form is Bravemansgame, who was brilliant when giving Paul Nicholls a 13th King George VI Chase win at Kempton on Boxing Day and now bids to provide him with a fifth Gold Cup.

Ahoy Senor won the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January for Lucinda Russell and will renew rivalry with the runner-up Sounds Russian (Ruth Jefferson), the third placed Noble Yeats and the fourth home Protektorat (Dan Skelton), who was best of the British when third in last year’s Gold Cup.

Eldorado Allen (Joe Tizzard), Royale Pagaille (Venetia Williams) and the novice The Real Whacker (Patrick Neville) complete the acceptors.

Churchstonewarrior primed for Cheltenham test

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Churchstonewarrior will head into the unknown when he runs in the Wellchild National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

The lightly-raced eight-year-old, who has had just four starts over fences, was runner-up to Gaillard Du Mesnil in a three-mile Grade One at Leopardstown over Christmas before going one better in the Grade Two Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan last month.

Jonathan Sweeney’s stable star is poised to take on the Willie Mullins-trained Gaillard Du Mesnil once more at the Festival, with connections hoping to find improvement over three miles and six furlongs after being beaten seven and a half lengths in their last meeting.

“I was very happy with his last run, couldn’t be happier. I’m looking forward to going now,” said Sweeney.

“The form of his race at Navan looks good. Three-mile-six is an unknown, but you’d imagine he’s the type of a horse who will handle that sort of distance.

“He jumped a little right on occasion last time, but I don’t think that will be an issue.”

Though his last run was his sole success over fences to date, Churchstonewarrior has not yet finished outside the first two and is a general 6-1 chance to claim Festival glory, with amateur rider James Hannon taking over in the saddle from Aidan Coleman.

“You would just be hoping the ground was safe. I’d have thought there would be a better chance (of softer ground) on the first day,” Sweeney added.

“You would not be confident – not at Cheltenham – you’d be just hoping for things to go right and that he’ll run his race.”

Churchstonewarrior also holds an entry in the Boylesports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on April 10.

Sweeney said: “He is entered in the Irish National but we will take it one day at a time. If we get to Cheltenham, we’ll have to see how things go and how we come out of it.”

Blackmore booked for Bad in Boodles

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Ben Pauling has booked Rachael Blackmore to ride his new recruit Bad in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

A winner last time out in France, Pauling took over his training in December but decided to keep his powder dry having been allotted an opening mark of 126.

With Kielan Woods currently sidelined and Luca Morgan pencilled in partner stablemate Samuel Spade, Pauling wasted no time in snapping up the services of Blackmore, who is of course no stranger to success at the meeting in the past couple of seasons.

“I’ve had Bad since December and he is a horse who I thought was going to get a higher mark than he possibly did coming over from France, so I decided that we would keep him under wraps until this point,” said Pauling.

Ben Pauling has moved to book Rachael Blackmore
Ben Pauling has moved to book Rachael Blackmore (Mike Egerton/PA)

“There’s no two ways about it, a 22-runner handicap on likely soft ground is no easy first assignment – but he seems a very straightforward horse with a good attitude and he jumps well, I’m looking forward to it.

“We’ve booked Rachael as I think Nico (De Boinville) will end up riding the (Nicky) Henderson horse (Arclight) so I thought we’d better try and get somebody to replace him because Kielan Woods is injured and Luca Morgan is going to ride Samuel Spade.

“Samuel Spade has done absolutely nothing wrong. The only time he got beat he was trying to give Perseus Way 8lb and he’s now rated 132 and we’re off 126 so he’s got to give us 6lb this time. We only got beat three lengths so it’s quite a big swing.

“I think he’ll be well suited by the track and he handles soft ground so he goes there with just as good a chance as anything I think.”