The Irish Post Cheltenham Festival 2016

The Irish Post, March 12, 2016

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CHELTENHAM

FESTIVAL 2016 INSIDE… CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL A-Z DOUGIE COSTELLO ON WILLIE MULLINS TIPS WITH KARL HEDLEY CHELTENHAM’S GOLDEN MOMENTS DEREK ‘TOMMO’ THOMPSON: ‘CHELTENHAM IS SO DIFFERENT IT GETS MY HEART RACING’

A

is for Amphitheatre, the natural surroundings of the racecourse with Cleeve Hill overlooking the famous Prestbury Park turf.

S

B

T

C

U

D

V

E

W

is for St Patrick’s Day, March 17, which this year falls on the Thursday and will be well celebrated with The Dublin Legends playing in the Guinness Village.

is for Best Mate. Three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2002, 2003 and 2004 for Henrietta Knight.

is for Tattersalls enclosure, the busiest and most popular enclosure at the festival that includes the tented village, the paddock and extensive course views.

is for the Crowd — a record 248,521 spectators came through the turnstiles at the 2015 festival. The quarter-million barrier should be broken this year.

is for Uxizandre, the final Cheltenham Festival winner of legendary jockey Sir AP McCoy in the 2015 Ryanair Chase.

is for Desert Orchid, the popular grey who landed the 1989 Gold Cup against all the odds with one of the greatest race commentaries of all time from the legendary Sir Peter O’Sullevan. is for Euphoria, for punters and connections alike as they cheer their charges up the famous hill and into the winner’s circle.

F

is for Four days of fantastic action, 28 races spread across Tuesday to Friday and known as ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’! Approximately £20million will be wagered with Betfred during the Festival.

G

is for Guinness. Around 250,000 pints of the black stuff will be consumed over the four days on course.

H

is for Hallowed turf of the paddock where it is every jumps owner’s dream to lead their charge into the sacred ground of the Cheltenham Winners Enclosure.

is for Vautour. Already a dual Festival winner and Ante-post favourite for this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.

FAVOURITE SON: Istabraq being ridden

by Charlie Swan during his third consecutive Champion Hurdle success in 2000 dress up in all their finery on Champion Chase day.

M

is for Michael Dickenson, who trained the first five home in the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

N

is for Nicky Henderson who is the most successful trainer in Festival history, saddling 53 winners to date.

I

O

J

P

is for Istabraq. Arguably Cheltenham’s favourite son of the modern era following a hat-trick of Champion Hurdle successes between 1998 and 2000.

is for JP McManus — the legendary businessman and gambler has 44 Festival winners on his CV and is the most famous of the 10,000 Irishmen who make the annual pilgrimage.

K

is for Kauto Star, the first horse ever to regain a Cheltenham Gold Cup crown when victorious in 2009.

L

is for Ladies Day. The Wednesday of Festival week will see the fairer sex

is for Bookmaker Offers — Betfred will have plenty of offers and price boosts throughout Festival week. is for Prestbury Cup, the competition between Britain and Ireland decided by where the most winners will be trained.

Q

is for Quevega, the super mare who won at six consecutive Cheltenham festivals between 2009 and 2014.

R

is for the Roar of the crowd as the tapes rise for the first race, The Supreme Novices Hurdle at 1.30pm on Tuesday.

is for Ruby Walsh, the most successful jockey at the festival in the modern era with 45 victories, taking the leading jockey award nine times.

X

is for X-Country, the twists and turns of the race over poles, banks and hedges that takes place in the centre of the racecourse.

Y

is for Yankee, as many punters will be aiming for that life-changing Ante Post bet with a Yankee on the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, World Hurdle & Gold Cup. Betfred will offer bonuses on some all correct multiple bets.

Z

is for Zarkandar, 2011 Triumph Hurdle winner and an ever-present for the last five festivals, never finishing out of the front five.

Sadly missing this year through injury.

FAREWELL: AP McCoy on Uxizandre, his final Cheltenham Festival winner in the 2015 Ryanair Chase

Willie Mullins needs a rival SPORT needs great rivalries, and horse racing is no different.

In England, you’ve had it between jockeys Richard Johnson and AP McCoy and trainers Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls, but in Ireland it’s less evident.

If things get one-sided, in my opinion it gets lop-sided, and that’s how things currently stand for the Irish with Willie Mullins continuing to dominate.

There’s no doubt he’s the best trainer I’ve ever heard of or seen; what he does with the animal is unbelievable and everyone wants a piece of him.

He thinks outside the box in a way that no one else does. Last year at Cheltenham he brought the first three home in the Champion Hurdle, and during the post-race interview instead of celebrating he was already looking ahead to the Melbourne Cup. But whilst his talent is great for the sport, there’s no real contender to knock him off the top spot.

Hopefully Gordon Elliot can challenge him for the Championship as an underdog, but in reality I wouldn’t be surprised to see Mullins reign for the next five years.

As always, there’s already a huge build-up for Cheltenham. I’ve seen clips online of Mullins getting all his team prepped and Elliot has had the last major work-out in Ireland.

Mullins has had a few little blows to his Champion Hurdle hopes but I’m sure he’s got plenty in the pipeline to win and to be the top trainer — he’s too much of a good trainer to be beaten.

Looking at his hand this year for Cheltenham, I honestly think there’s no reason Mullins couldn’t win all the Championship races there: The Gold Cup, The Champion Hurdle and all the Novice events. I think it’ll be very hard to beat him. I know he’s there to be shot at and over the years he’s been made a target, but I just think that if I was a punter I’d be looking at Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh.

I think there’s definitely going to be good ground at Cheltenham, so that’ll leave it level on the playing field. If it turns out soft, then you’d probably find it’d favour the Irish a lot more as the horses would have coped with that ground.

An interesting jockey to keep tabs on is Barry Geraghty. In the last couple of years, AP McCoy never hit the target at Cheltenham until the last day before getting a few winners on Gold Cup day.

It’ll be interesting to see how Barry fares in McCoy’s absence this year; whether or

CHELTENHAM 2016 3 X THE ODDS ON A LUCKY 15 FOR 1 WINNER 4 X THE ODDS ON A LUCKY 31 FOR 1 WINNER 5 X THE ODDS ON A LUCKY 63 FOR 1 WINNER

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not they’re going to have early winners. I think a lot of fans will be watching to see whether he can get off the mark at the start of the week.

Barry himself will be wanting to get off to a good start as it’s his first year as stable jockey for the green and gold of JP McManus.

He’s been the second or third leading rider around there, it’s not like he has no form around there, so he should be fine.

It’s very hard to ride winners at Cheltenham. You have to look at the top two or three, and perhaps an outsider will slip in. But you’re definitely looking at Walsh, Geraghty and Bryan Cooper. Regarding jockeys, they’re the top three for Cheltenham I think. But I just can’t see Ruby being beaten this year.

Meanwhile, one jockey who’s hoping to make an impact is former British Olympic track cyclist Victoria Pendleton, who switched saddles last year with the aim of participating at Cheltenham after just a year of riding.

She’s hoping to ride in the amateur race and, from a fitness perspective, there seems to be a lot of talk about whether she can handle the pressure.

Personally, I think she’ll be fine; she’s won three Olympic medals, so she’ll be used to the big occasions.

I have to admit that Cheltenham is different to most venues, you can definitely hear the noise, but the atmosphere allows you to get into the zone a lot faster.

As a kid, I was lucky enough to try boxing and soccer, and boxing is probably the closest to horse racing in terms of fitness training.

I remember during an amateur boxing fight I found it peculiar to hear the sounds echoing in this one room.

Cheltenham brings with it added pressure as well as the noise. To succeed here you have to give punches as well as take punches, so your core has to be fit and your mind focused.

When the animal underneath you gets tired you have to have the strength as a jockey and be tactically aware to give the horse a breather, so from that perspective there’s a chance the lack of experience of the track will get to Pendleton, but I don’t think her ability to handle pressure can be questioned.

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CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL A-Z

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‘CHELTENHAM IS SO DIFFERENT IT GETS MY HEART RACING’ C

HELTENHAM Festival really is like no other race meeting. The Olympics of Jumps racing takes place every March and sees a healthy English vs Irish rivalry. As a pundit I’ve spent many days on the hallowed turf at Prestbury Park and can recall some fine memories from years gone by.

One of my most memorable highlights was Best Mate winning it for the third year in 2004. I was first to speak to jockey Jim Culloty on the track when he held his three fingers aloft to symbolise the hat-trick. It’s incredible; you’re there, you can see him, smell him, feel him, see the look on his face. It was just a ‘wow’ moment I will never forget it. Best Mate is now buried by the winning post and I always look across at him every time I go.

Something that will never be repeated at any Cheltenham Festival is the ‘famous five’ in the 1983 Gold Cup. I grew up with Michael Dickenson and it was one heck of a feat to see him produce five horses fit and raring to go on the day, let alone having them complete the first five places.

The first time I went there I was a stable lad, 16 years old and I stayed in the lads’ hostel. All the top horses were there, we were out in Cheltenham and went to bed about 10.30pm. I was woken at 3am by another stable lad who worked for Tom Dreaper. He looked after Flyingbolt and I spent the night asleep next to him. The horse flew in the very next day and that is my earliest memory of the Festival.

I try to go down to the start for a

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number of races and always stand by the last as you can see everything. Last year when Ruby came down on Annie Power, he was flying, he was going so fast and he came down right in front of me. I’ll never forget Ted Walsh running past me to see how his son was. That shows you the closeness of the Walsh family.

I’ll also never forget doing the morning line out on the track and watching the Willie Mullins string. He has about 30 horses and this string came down every morning with ‘WM’ on their rugs and I just stood there and watched.

I thought ‘wow, this guy is incredible’.

He always has time to speak to you. He always lifts his trilby like an old fashioned gentleman. Cheltenham is so different, so special, every time you get close it just gives you that ‘wow’ factor, the heart starts going.

Another strong memory of mine involves a guy called Brod Munro-Wilson winning the Foxhunters in 1982. I backed the Drunken Duck at 33/1 and went to the tote to collect my money, it was a great feeling having to wait until the next day to be paid. He wasn’t the most stylish, Brod, but he got The Drunken Duck home and I think we lived up to the name that night.

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THREE AND EASY: Jim Culloty holds three fingers in the air after riding Best Mate to a third successive Cheltenham Gold Cup victory in 2004

By Derek ‘Tommo’ Thompson

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Resident tipster Karl Hedley tells us who he’ll be backing during each day of the Festival

The Irish Post

TUESDAY: Min, trained by Willie Mullins, is undefeated so far this season

TUESDAY 13.30 SUPREME NOVICES’ HURDLE 2M

Douvan is very much viewed as a festival banker by many. He has looked an absolute beast of a horse in his preparations for this, winning three novice chases with the absolute minimum of fuss. He did of course win the Supreme around here last season so has proven festival form which ought to also stand him in good stead. L’ami Serge will be bang on the premises to pick up the pieces should the worst happen with the Gary Moore trained Ar

Vicente looks decent odds to stop the Mullins juggernaut on the first day as he is undefeated around here when there is any mention of good in the going Mad progressing through the ranks nicely to also warrant each way consideration if you can’t bring yourself to back an odds on shot.

1. DOUVAN 2. L’AMI SERGE 3. AR MAD 15.30 CHAMPION HURDLE 2M Old Guard looks alternative each way value in a race which is turning into something of a farce. Willie Mullins was meant to saddle both Arctic Fire and Faugheen however both have now been sidelined with injuries. Old Guard is a

description. Paul Nicholls will be the first to admit that his yard has been underachieving this year but this seven-year-old could well atone for that.

He is a half-brother to Scottish Grand National winner Al Co so stamina is unlikely to be an issue. Black Hercules looks to have been specifically aimed at this race by Willie Mullins and will prove a massive threat, whilst if the ground were to come up soft or worse, Seeyouatmidnight would also be high on the shortlist.

1. VICENTE (E/W) 2. BLACK HERCULES 3. SEEYOUATMIDNIGHT

three time course and distance winner who has proven himself with victories in the Greatwood and International Hurdle races around here. Paul Nicholls seems to have turned a corner with his runners and this five-year-old is rated only a few pounds inferior to Nichols Canyon. At current odds of around 25/1 he looks overinflated and could well surprise a few of the more fancied rivals.

1. OLD GUARD (E/W) 2. NICHOLS CANYON 3. IDENTITY THIEF

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WEDNESDAY: Sprinter Sacre has looked impressive in his two recent starts

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14.10 ARKLE CHALLENGE TROPHY 2M

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Min should prove difficult to beat and can get Willie Mullins’ followers off to a flying start at Prestbury Park. His form was handed a significant boost when Ball D’Arc romped home in a Grade 2 at Naas last month. He is undefeated so far this season and Ruby Walsh looks set to keep their partnership intact. Altior has been significantly backed in recent weeks and is respected as he is a previous course and distance winner but it is worth remembering that Nicky Henderson has not trained the winner of this since 1992 and Willie Mullins has taken five since then. Min is far from being the finished article but he is open to even more improvement on better ground.

1. MIN 2. SUPASUNDAE 3. ALTIOR

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WEDNESDAY 15.30 QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE 2M Sprinter Sacre bids to enhance the stranglehold that the English have had on this race in recent seasons. He has looked impressive on his two recent starts and it is worth remembering that he has made the frame in all 20 of his completed starts. Nicky Henderson looks to have him back to somewhere near his best and he can become the first horse since Moscow Flyer to regain his crown. Un De Sceaux won the Arkle here last season but his talent is often overshadowed by his necessity to commit the odd blunder. Falls at Thurles and Leopardstown in his recent past give rise to uncertainty and these fences can be pretty unforgiving. Sire De Grugy has looked a ghost of his former self in recent months and will do well to make the frame.

1. SPRINTER SACRE 2. UN DE SCEAUX 16.10 CROSS COUNTRY CHASE 3M 6F Josies Orders ought to arrive here as a justifiable favourite. He has rekindled his enthusiasm for the sport having switched codes and trainers in the last year. Having joined Enda Bolger he has already proven himself twice over this course and distance.

Nina Carberry is a master at this game and she knows this seven-year-old inside and out. The fences

and cheese wedges take some getting used to but with age still on his side, Josies Orders can follow in the footsteps of Bolger’s previous winners in this race, Garde Champetre and Spotthedifference.

Bless The Wings has shown a liking for this game and has been there or thereabouts in his two most recent visits whilst Ballybroker Bridge is another potential Irish threat.

1. JOSIES ORDERS 2. BALLYBROKER BRIDGE

THURSDAY 13.30 JLT NOVICES’ CHASE 2M 3F Garde La Victoire remains undefeated in three outings so far this year and he comes here as a multiple course and distance winner. He has made the frame in 10 out of 16 career starts and he appears to act on any ground. Likely to be partnered by Richard Johnson, the seven-year-old has won over further than this in the past. Philip Hobbs tends to get a few winners at each festival and this looks to be one of his best chances this year. Bristol De Mai is unproven on the track so looks too short at current odds in my opinion. If Otago Trail goes in this race he could return at a huge price. He has made the frame in all 11 starts to date and may well appreciate the better ground.

1. GARDE LA VICTORE 2. BRISTOL DE MAI 3. OTAGO TRAIL

THURSDAY: Thistlecrack romped to victory at Aintree last season

14.50 RYANAIR CHASE 2M 4F 166Y Josses Hill did not get off to the best of starts this year when falling in the Tingle Creek at Sandown.

He was allowed time to recover from that and then got back to winning ways when thumping God’s Own at Kempton just a few weeks ago. That should have allowed his confidence to grow and given that he has been placed at two previous Festivals, there has to be every chance of him running another huge race here. The better the ground the better are his chances and Nico De Boinville likely to keep the ride, the duo will command the utmost respect. Al Ferof is a previous course and distance winner and this grey is likely to have been specifically targeted at this race. Despite being an 11-year-old he showed he retained plenty of ability to land the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon back in December. At a monster price Fine Rightly has some excellent form in the book. A recent third to Carlingford Lough in the Irish Gold Cup cannot be underestimated and he too could have a decent each way shout.

1. JOSSES HILL 2. AL FEROF 3. FINE RIGHTLY 15.30 WORLD HURDLE 2M 7F 213Y Thistlecrack has done nothing wrong all year and showed he was a leading contender for this race when adding The Long Distance, The Long Walk and Cleeve Hurdles to his CV throughout the

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winter. His emergence on to the staying scene occurred when he romped to victory at Aintree last season. Colin Tizzard has his team in excellent form this year and this eight-year-old hasn’t looked back since. Annie Power showed her well-being with a facile success at Punchestown a few weeks ago but is unproven over a trip this far and was beaten in this race two seasons ago. Punters will be wary following her fall here last year and she may lack full match fitness. Cole Harden ought to make a bold bid to defend his crown. He can confirm form with the likes of Saphir Du Rheu and At Fisher’s Cross.

1. THISTLECRACK 2. ANNIE POWER 3. COLE HARDEN

FRIDAY 15.30 TIMICO CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP CHASE 3M 2F 70Y Vautour looks increasingly likely to head here for a crack at the most prestigious prize in racing, due to the fall sustained by stablemate Djakadam at Cheltenham in January. Ruby Walsh will be the first to admit that the ride he gave the six-year-old in the King George was far from perfect and he can improve on what he did there on what is likely to be much better ground. He definitely has the ability to see out this three-and-a-quarter mile trip and with age very much on his side, he ought to take the world of beating.

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FRIDAY: Vautour could exploit stablemate Djakadam’s recent fall and secure Gold Cup victory

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GOLDEN MOMENTS CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL SPECIAL

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The Irish Post

Robert Mulhern lists his highlights from the festival

Five moments that have framed my Cheltenham Festival experience as a reporter…

The rule of Lawton On the Wednesday of the 2013 Festival, I was chuffed to bump into the London Independent sportswriter James Lawton. The previous day had opened with an extraordinary Supreme Novices Hurdle victory for the front-running Champagne Fever ridden by Ruby Walsh. And the energy that rolled from the Grandstand at the finish splashed again and again when Hurricane Fly won the Champion Hurdle and Quevega, the Mare’s equivalent. Reviewing those dramatics over a cigarette, Lawton framed it as one of the great sporting triumphs he’d witnessed. I nodded an Amen, and then offered a Hail Mary for the weather.

It was so cold I needed two coats.

Costello cracks it In 2011, Dougie Costello was having his best season since coming to Britain from Ireland via America. Then, on the eve of the Festival, he took a heavy fall in Stratford and broke his ankle. It was the cruellest CELEBRATION: Nigel twist for a Twiston-Davies and jockey armed Paddy Brennan after with a strong Imperial Commander’s book of rides 2010 Gold Cup victory going into

Paddy Brennan upstages Kauto Star and Denman In 2010, the hype surrounding Kauto Star and Denman’s Gold Cup duel overshadowed almost every other horse and almost every other race.

Kauto had won in 2007 and 2009. Sandwiched in between was Denman’s victory. The money gambled must have been enough to fill an Exchequer deficit. Then, Kauto fell at the fourth last and the racing world gasped in unison. In conversation with Paddy Brennan post-race, the jockey recalled how he checked with the other riders — in running — to see if ‘Kauto was gone!’

Then he squeezed for home on the Nigel TwistonDavies trained Imperial Commander, outpacing Tony McCoy and Denman. Brennan’s victory salute when crossing the line remains one of the great Gold Cup snapshots.

The 1983 Festival played host to one of the racing world’s most storied and achievements when Michael Dickinson trained the first five horses home in the Gold Cup. The Irish owned Bregawn crossed the line first, followed by Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck and Ashley House. At the presentation, the Kennelly owners from Ireland, joked that they’d better horses ‘at home pulling turf ’. So the legend goes. But the race will forever be billed as Dickinson’s Famous Five.

Ireland’s 13 winners at the 2011 Festival Hurricane Fly, Sizing Australia, Quevega, Chicago Grey, First Lieutenant, Boston’s Angel, Sizing Europe, Carlito Brigante, What a Charm, Noble Prince, Final Approach, Zemsky, Sir Des Champ. Some of the names you may have forgotten, but 2011 was a remarkable festival for Irish trainers and punters. Long Run won the Gold Cup under Sam Waley Cohen but for Irish racing fans, the year will be remembered for the lucky 13 winners that returned across the Irish Sea.

Dawn Run wins the 1986 Gold Cup Every time I watch the race I think Dawn Run and Jonjo O’Neill are not going to do it. In the last gaps of the final furlong, Wayward Lad had the legs on his challenge and a clear run to the line. Dawn Run appeared spent as O’Neill came off the rail and veered across the track. Precious inches looked to be lost; every energy ounce seemed to have been spent. Then, O’Neill found a gust of momentum from the belly of Prestbury Park that narrowed and narrowed the gap until somehow, Dawn Run crossed the line, first. It remains one of Ireland’s iconic sporting moments.

Istabraq’s trio of Champion Hurdles Still regarded as one of the greatest hurdlers of the modern era, the Aidan O’Brien trained Istabraq won the 1997 Royal and Sun Alliance Hurdle before nailing a remarkable three Champion Hurdles in a row. The first victory in 1998 was by a stunning 12 lengths. Significantly, the horse and jockey Charlie Swan had the temperament and class to return and win again in 1999 and 2000 under the weight of huge expectation. The 2001

Quevega breaks Golden Miller’s record In 2012 I met one of the owners of the great Quevega — from the Hammer and Trowel Syndicate — at the New Year’s Eve meeting in Punchestown. There was no doubt the mare would match Golden Miller’s record of five Cheltenham Festival victories on the bounce, he said. Fast forward three months and with the record equalled, Ruby Walsh is stood in the Winners Enclosure declaring quite rightly that “Kilkenny couldn’t do it, and neither could Kerry!”

Remarkably, there was to be one more victory.

Quevega returned again in 2014 to register a sixth win.

DAWN RAID: Jonjo O’Neill and Dawn Run claim the Gold Cup in 1986

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Ruby was scrum-half on our U18s rugby team in Naas in 1996. He was either jumping off a horse to get a ball out of a ruck or jumping out of a ruck to get on a horse. His star was rising inexorably and within two years he was down to ride the Willie Mullins trained Alexander Banquet in the 1998 Champion Bumper. We packed into Bruce Betting shop on Naas Main Street, buoyed by hope not certainty, then cheered with ecstasy when he edged out the hot favourite Joe Mac. It was somewhat surreal to report from the Winners Enclosure 14 years later when, in 2010, Ruby equalled Pat Taaffe’s record of 25 winners with victory on Quevega in the Mare’s Hurdle.

that week. However, that disaster made Costello’s win on Countrywide Flame in the Triumph Hurdle the following year all the sweeter. When the John Quinn trained horse emerged from the pack and pushed for the line, it was an air-thumping moment for a competitor regarded by his peers as among the hardest working jockeys in the weighing room.

Dickinson’s Famous Five

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Ruby’s first Festival winner

Five iconic Irish moments at the

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that is famously popular with Irish punters

Cheltenham Festival…

Champion Hurdle was not to be as Swan was forced to pull up Istabraq to audible gasps from the Grandstand. That disbelief underscored a greatness that still endures.

Five experiences that underscore the uniqueness of the Festival…

The road from Paddington to Cheltenham The concourse on Champion Hurdle day is all pointy shoes, free scarves and miniature editions of the Racing Post. The train is always a crush too but to be Irish is to somehow be a better class of punter.

In the eyes of the English gambler your national identity might offer a valuable insight. It’s nonsense, but it’s nice. The early morning soundtrack is always that of beer cans opening, corks popping and talk of sure-things through Swindon and Stroud. Sometimes on the way home it’s how did those sure things go wrong?

Arkle beats Mill House In 1964 the BBC moved the Gold Cup to Saturday so Grandstand could broadcast the race. The duel between Ireland’s Arkle and Mill House, trained in England, had captured the imagination of the public. Both sets of supporters considered their horse unbeatable. Their meeting was the equine equivalent of Ali versus Frazier. Mill House had won the previous year’s Gold Cup by 12 lengths.

But the masterful Pat Taaffe steered Arkle to victory and the euphoria that win sparked is credited with fuelling Irish interest in the Festival and making it what it is today. Tom Taaffe, the son of winning jockey Pat, and who trained Kicking King to Gold Cup success in 2005, told The Irish Post: “Some say the race broke Mill House’s heart, but the other thing was that Arkle was such a great champion.”

BATTLE: Pat Taaffe and Arkle beat Willie Robinson on Mill House

Business, celebrity and pleasure JP McManus, Michael O’Leary, the late Patsy Byrne and Niall Quinn are just a sample of the Irish personalties you’d typically expect to see at the Festival. I remember the year the Jimmy Nesbitt owned Riverside Threatre won the Michael O’Leary sponsored Ryanair Chase and a joyous mob swept into the Enclosure behind jockey Barry Geraghty.

Winners remain the currency that connect conversations on and off the track. I didn’t know anyone who backed Synchronised to win the 2012 Gold Cup, until I met Patsy Byrne at a rugby match back in London later that night. The good news was toasted in the Harlequins Stoop.

The invasion The same people travel from Ireland every year.

Without phoning I know who’s going to be there from Kildare and I know where they are going to be stood — by the back entrance of the Mandarin Bar between races. The first year former Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy sauntered across to chat and the ease of his manner made me think it was someone who really looked like Charlie McCreevey. I knew the council in Kildare used to give employees free days to go to Punchestown but from the European Parliament?

Mullins’ monopoly Once upon a time it felt like Ireland versus England.

Now, Willie Mullins shoulders the burden of a nation with some comfort too. In 2015, he finished with eight winners and the leading trainer’s title, beating the seven winners Nicky Henderson returned in 2012. Mullins’ presence denotes winners. It’s the surest bet of all going into 2016.

Cheltenham preview nights... in London The preview night is very much a part of the Festival preamble with jockeys holding regular pub pitches around the country. Denis O’Regan makes a popular annual appearance at the Gipsy Hill Tavern in South East London. It being one of my locals I was asked to file a few questions at last year’s offering. With no visual aids, one working microphone and a shared edition of the Racing Post, it was a rickety but charming instalment but one that returned a few winners to see him back again this year.

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FAMILIAR FACES: JP McManus and former politician Charlie McCreevy

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L

A40

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B4833

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B4833

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A46

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5

A46

1. 48 Coronation Square, Edinburgh Place, Cheltenham, GL51 7SA 2. 249 Gloucester Road, Cheltenham, GL51 8NW 3. 85 High Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1DU 4. 228 High Street, Cheltenham, GL50 3HF 5. Unit A, Katherine Court, Salisbury Ave, Warden Hill, Cheltenham, GL51 3GA

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