Cheltenham preview 2023

One of the great Racing and indeed Sporting Highlights of 2023 commences next Tuesday

Afternoon March 14th as the Cheltenham Festival gets underway.

As is traditional, e Supreme Novices Hurdle gets e Festival underway and it was 28 years ago to the very day - Tuesday March 14th 1995 - that Tourist Attraction with Mark Dwyer onboard got the ball rolling for e Willie Mullins stable.

A shock 25/1 winner, Tourist Attraction began a sequence of success for e Champion Trainer that continues almost 30 years on.

Heading into this years e 16-Times Champion

Festival, Willie is the leading Trainer in Cheltenham Festival History with 88 winners and with his continuing whirlwind run he should reach e Century Mark (100 winners) before long.

Having Trained a record 10 winners at last years Festival, Willie has cemented his dominance since with 5 Grade 1 Triumphs at e Leopardstown Christmas Festival along with a further 6 Grade 1 victories at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Trainer will once again be expected to be leading Trainer at this years Festival, with the powerful strength in depth at his disposal throughout the 4 days.

Starting on Day 1 next e Brilliant Honeysuckle who won e Champion Hurdle the past two years is almost certain to line-up in e Mares Hurdle, a race that she won in 2020.

Tuesday, Willie’s main hope in the featured Champion Hurdle lies with State Man who has been the outstanding Two-Mile Hurler in Ireland this season with a Hat-Trick of Grade 1 victories.

State Man won e County Hurdle at last years Festival and stepping up in class this season, he was very impressive in winning e Morgiana Hurdle in Punchestown Festival in November before adding e Festival Hurdle and Irish Champion Hurdle in Leopardstown.

He is the only realistic challenger to the long odds on favorite Constitution Hill in a race where Willie has previously won on four occassions.

On Day 2, e featured is e Two-Mile Champion Chase in which e Closutton native won for the rst-time last year with e highlight of the week is e Cheltenham Gold Cup next Friday 17th March(St. Patricks Day) and Willie has the short price favorite (Currently 11/8) in Galopin Des Champs.

Energumene.

Energumene’s previous visit to the Cotswolds in late January ended in defeat as he nished ird behind Editeur Du Gite and Edwardstone, and he will be reacquainted with both horses next Wednesday.

Galopin Des Champs was a most unfortunate loser last year when falling at e Final Fence while a long way clear in e Turners Novices Chase, but he has bounced back since that setback with emphatic performances.

On Easter Sunday last year at e Fairyhouse Easter Festival, he was awesome when winning e Boylesports Gold Cup by 18 lengths and he maintained that form into this season.

He was highly impressive when running out a 13 length winner of e Durkan Chase at Punchestown in December, before pulling clear inside e Final Furlong to land e Irish Gold Cup at e Dublin Racing Festival.

Galopin Des Champs is a most worthy favorite & has the standout form based in this seasons performances, but he will encounter sti er opposition and proven performers in what will be an open race.

Among the contenders will be last years winner A Plus Tard and a repeat Triumph of last years success will certainly be most poignant for Trainer Henry De Bromhead, while the dark horse may very well be e Emmet Mullins Trained Noble Yeats.

Noble Yeats won last years Aintree Grand National providing Sam Waley Coen with a fairytale triumph on his Final ride as a Jockey before retiring.

Owned by Robert Waley Coen - Sam’s Dad - Noble Yeats will take in e Gold Cup en route to an attempt of defending e Aintree Grand National in MidApril.

However, he will have to shoulder a hefty weight of 11 stone 11 Ibs, so e Gold Cup next Friday may represent a greater possibility of winning.

Emmet Mullins charge has had two very good outings in Grade 2 company this season.

In early December, he won e Many Clouds Chase in Aintree before nishing a close ird in e Cotswolds Chase in Cheltenham in late January over a similar trip to Gold Cup.

His debut run this season was victory in the MW Hickey Memorial Steeplechase in Wexford, a race that Minella Indo won in October 2020 en route to winning e Gold Cup. e Fairytale Story of e

Race would emerge if e Shark Hanlon Trained Hewick somehow managed to pull o a famous Triumph.

Bought for €850, Hewick’s progression last year was remarkable as he won both e Bet 365 Gold Cup in Sandown before recording a most memorable win in e Galway Plate.

He was most unfortunate when falling at e Final Fence in e Kerry National while disputing the lead, but he made amends on a most memorable weekend Stateside in October when landing e American Grand National.

Hewick has been rested since following his exertions last year and he will go into the race freshest of all, but it’s his debut at Grade 1 level and an unknown quantity at the highest level.

Overall, e Irish would be expected to continue their dominance of recent years and Willie Mullins favorite to become leading Trainer at e e Champion Trainer’s strength at his disposal was very evident at e Dublin Racing Festival when three of his odds on favorites were defeated by stable companions all ridden by Danny Mullins, and their is no questioning his superiority especially at e Major Festivals. e Gowran Native will surely have a leading role throughout the 4 days & one of his winners at e Dublin Festival was Gala Marceau who will be a lead contender in e Triumph Hurdle.

Festival once again.

Danny will also have high hopes of winning e Stayers Hurdle for e ird Consecutive year aboard Flooring Porter.

If Flooring Porter pulls it o next ursday Afternoon, it will be the rst time since Big Bucks (2009-2011) to have won ree Stayers Hurdles or World Hurdles in succession.

Big Bucks went on to win 4-ina-row in 2012.

Danny and his Dad Tony are likely to Team up later that day with Princess Zoe in e Mares Novice Hurdle.

One of the great Racing & Sporting highlights of the year is eagerly anticipated as always, and it all commences next Tuesday Afternoon Lunchtime at 1.30pm with e Traditional Roar that precedes the start of the Festival.