DerekO’Connor Straight to thePoint Vaucelet outtoavengeChristie’s Cheltenham hunter chasedefeat

IT’Sbeengreat to see as many as 11 Irish-trainedhorses, severalwitha seriouschance, in themix forFriday’sSt James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase.

TheWillieMullins-trained Billawaydefends his title at the ageof 11 after touching off David Christie’s Winged Leader lastyear.Thistime Winged Leader’s stablemateVaucelet looks likelytostartfavourite

Ashas happened in the past, Billawaydidn’tget thenew season off to agreat start, provingnomatch for the Christie-trainedFerns Lock at Thurles in January, buthewon his usual prep race at Naas for the fourth time in arow.I’m sure he’ll be at the top of his game,but he’s possibly vulnerable at this stageofhis career Ferns Lock, who underlinedhis huge potential with ahandsomewin at shortodds in the Tetratemaat Gowran lastSaturday, is stayingat home.He’sonlyasix-year-old and Christie hasbeensayingall along that this year is toosoonfor him With twoolder contendersinthe stable,itmakes sensenot to rush him

Cheltenham hasbeentop of the agenda for Vaucelet since the startof the season. It’s notyet clear whether Winged Leader will takehis chance as well, or wait for Aintreeinstead.

Winged Leader wasonlyjust pegged backbyBillawaylastyear after jumpingthe last in aclear lead. He didn’t return to action until the end of Januarybut wasforward enough to winatCragmoreand should be backinpeak formafter an easywin at Farmacaffleylastmonth

Alovelyproblem

He hasshown he canhandlethe Cheltenham trackand thebig-day atmosphere, so it would make sense to let him have another crackatit, butI alsosee meritinkeeping the twohorses apart.

It’s alovely problem for anytrainer to have,but that doesn’tmakeitany lessofadilemma.

Vaucelet sidesteppedCheltenham lastyear.Hewas beaten by Billaway at Punchestown butreally came good when capturing the Champion Hunters’Chase at Stratford in May. He returnedwitha winatPortrush in Octoberand backedthat up by landingthe hunter chaseatDown RoyalatChristmas.

Theground wasprobablysofter than he wanted then and he didn’t have much to spareoverthe Stuart Crawford-trainedDorkingCockso theremight be some concern if the goingdeteriorateslater in the week.

IfeelChris’s Dream hasabig chance for HenrydeBromhead. Threeseasons agohewon the Troytown andthe RedMills Chase and raninthe Gold Cup. He’s foundhis formagain in calmer waters in points and haswon his twostarts in goodstyle for Maxine O’Sullivan, who knows what it takes here havingwon on It Came To Pass for her father Eugene in 2020.

Gordon Elliott’s TheStoryteller,who once beat Chris’s Dream in aGrade 1atDown Royal, wonall threestarts duringthe autumn points campaign Therehavebeenacouple of bumps on the road since then. He hadan off-dayatDownRoyal and was beaten at odds-on at the Kildare point-to-pointatPunchestown last month

Anything is possible

DeclanQueally’sRocky’s Howyahas wonfivepoints in arow.He’sa seven-year-old and is transformed since his time as amaiden over hurdles

Iride the six-year-oldIts On The Line for EmmetMullins.Hewas beaten by TheStoryteller at Ballycrystaland Quakerstown and by FernsLockinahunter chaseat Fairyhouse, butI liked him when I rode him for the first time,winning at Turtulla in January. He won again for Maxine at Kildorrery last month

Thelastwinner of his agewas Kingscliff in 2003. Beforethat, it was Attitude Adjuster,ridden by Ted Walsh for MouseMorrisin1986. However, agedidn’t matter when Emmet wonthe Grand National with

Noble Yeats, the firstseven-year-old winner since 1940. Anythingis possible,and there’snodoubt that ItsOnThe Line is apromising youngster

I’mdue to ride MusicalSlave for JP McManus, Johnson White and Philip Hobbs in tomorrow’sKim Muir.It’s funnyhow thesethings work out. I rode him in his very firstrace when he wassixth in aPunchestown festival bumper wonbyGordon Elliott’sRoaringBull in 2017.

Twoyearslater he came backto Punchestown andwon the final of the AdareManor Opportunity Series with Jonjo O’Neill jr riding. He’s had agood career,winningsix racesin Britain. He wassecond to Shark Hanlon’sGold CuprunnerHewickin lastseason’sbet365 Gold Cupand proved he’s in good shapewhen winninga veterans’ chaseatExeter last month

Strong Irish challenge

There’sastrongIrish challenge led by Stumptown, aGavin Cromwelltrainedsix-year-old who startedoff with Sean Doyle, andthe Willie Mullins-trainedMrIncredible, who wasproducedbyColin Bowe.Sean Doyle’snursery is strongly representedinthe race.Gordon Elliott’sThyestessecond Dunboyne is another of his graduates SamCurling’s mare AngelsDawn hasaserious chance.She wasin contention when unseatingatthe second-lastinthe Grand National Trial at Punchestown andshouldbe suited by the trip and ground. Samis one of ourtop handlers,but he startedthis Yeatsmareoff in bumpers rather than points Pa King and Iboth rode her in thoseearlydaysand Pa partners her this week. If Idon’t manage to winit myself,I’d be thrilledtosee her come outontop

Finally, awordabout today’s Champion Bumper.AsI mentioned last weekthereare numerouspointto-pointanglestothe race.However, I’msurealot of people in our community will be cheering for A Dream To Share, the mountofJohn Gleeson for John Kiely, who gave me so many opportunities in bumpers early in my career John is alegend of Irish racing, a complete gentleman and a wonderful trainer.Ihopethe dream comes true for him.