At half-past one next Tuesday afternoon a huge roar will erupt from the packed stands at Pretsbury Park to greet the news that ‘they’re-off’ in the opening race of the 2013 Cheltenham Festival.

The most eagerly awaited four days of the entire jumps season will see punters flock from all over the world to the Gloucestershire course to go hammer and tongs against the bookmakers in what can only be best described as a war of attrition.

It has been stated in the past that racing would tame lions and, true to that wise old nugget, by the time fans stream out of the famed Cotswolds track after racing on the final day, reputations will be have been made and shattered in equal measure.

To say there is something special about Cheltenham would be a massive understatement. The fact that the best horses, ridden by the best jockeys, expertly prepared by the top trainers will compete against each other with no quarter asked or given yields itself to a fantastic week where the atmosphere is constantly at concert pitch.

A winner at the Cheltenham Festival is the most sought-after prize in the jumping game and, no matter how good or how poorly a stable is going, a visit to the winner’s enclosure during the most important week of the year can define one’s season.

All the championship races are dominated by horses from the more powerful yards, namely Nicky Henderson, Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls. Animals such as Sprinter Sacre (Queen Mother Chase) and Arkle Chase favourite Simonsig are touted as bankers for Henderson and both are hard to oppose. The master of Seven Barrows has a powerful team heading into next week, with Hennessy winner Bob’s Worth currently 3/1 favourite for the Gold Cup, Long Run, Grandouet and former winner Binocular (who are both in the top five in the betting for the Champion Hurdle) leading the charge. Add in a few like Your Tent Or Mine in one of the novice hurdles and a host of fancied ones in the handicaps, then it’s easy to see why the in-form Lambourn handler holds such a strong hand.

On the other hand, Nicholls is in an unusual position this year in that he has to go to war without two of his most trusted generals in the now-retired Kauto Star and his sidelined star hurdler Big Bucks. He has, however, a battalion of top-class jumpers under his wing and it will come as a huge surprise if the fails to make his mark during the four days.

The large Irish contingent making the annual pilgrimage across the Irish Sea will be hoping that Willie Mullins can transfer his ‘home’ form to Prestbury Park. The County Carlow trainer has been sweeping all before him here for the past six months and with the likes of the perennial Quevega (bidding for her fifth victory in a row in the Mares’ Hurdle), Champion Hurdle favourite Hurricane Fly and leading Gold Cup contender Sir Des Champs spearheading his team, the County Carlow handler will prove more than a match for his UK counterparts.

Top jockey Ruby Walsh is in the enviable position of having the pick of the Mullins and Nicholls runners. While the Kildare jockey has firmed up some of his big-race mount like Hurricane Fly in the Champion, Silviniaco Conti in the Gold Cup, obviously Quevega in the mares’ and Pont Alexandre in the Neptune, he still has to finalise quite a good few mounts and close attention should be paid to his choices during the four days. Barry Geraghty also has a tremendous book of rides, as has Tony McCoy, who will have first call on all of JP McManus’ runners during the week.

One big factor next week will be the ground. The Cheltenham area is reported to have endured the wettest winter for 100 years yet the course has dried out rapidly during the recent dry spell, so much so that clerk of the course, Simon Claisse, has hinted he may water the track if needed between here and the first race on Tuesday.

All Irish horses have been competing on terrible ground here at home all winter, some will show improved form on the better going, while it may inconvenience others. That is a huge factor that has to be taken into account when studying the form. 

Costello hoping for further festival glory

Clare man, Gearóid Costello and his partner, Welsh trainer, Rebecca Curtis, will be hoping that lightening can strike twice as they bid to follow up last year’s historic first Cheltenham Festival win at next week’s high-profile meeting.

Twelve months ago, the John Thomas McNamara-ridden Teaforthree gave the pair their initial festival success when landing the National Hunt Chase and Costello still has fond memories of that memorable victory.

“Winning any race at Cheltenham is a huge honour and it certainly was a day to remember,” said the Darragh, Ennis native. “There is no festival in the world like Cheltenham and even to have runners there, not to mention having a winner, makes you really feel part of it. Rebecca and I have 35 horses in training at the yard, which is at Newport, quite close to the Welsh coast and, thankfully, things have been going great for us.”

Looking ahead to next week’s big meeting, Costello is hopeful that the pair can again hit the jackpot.

“Teaforthree will not be running this year, as we are aiming him at the Grand National at Aintree in a few weeks’ time. We will have three or four runners in total, with At Fisher’s Cross our best chance of a winner in Friday’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

“He’s owned by JP McManus and is unbeaten in his four starts this season, including twice at Cheltenham. He is a classy horse and when he won well on Trials Day at Cheltenham in January, we set him aside for next week’s race. That’s a Grade 1 race and will be hard to win but we give him a good chance. We also have O’Faolain’s Boy in that and he could also take his chance,” concluded Gearóid, a nephew of the late Tom Costello, whose name is synonymous with Cheltenham success, having put six Gold Cup winners through his hands. 

Meanwhile, Spancilhill trainer Noel Glynn will be hoping to make it third time lucky as his Becasueicouldntsee goes to post in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Chase (4.40) next Thursday.

Having filled the runner-up berth behind Ferdy Murphy’s Poker De Sivola in the four-mile National Hunt Chase in 2010, Becauseicoulddntsee ran a blinder last year when beaten four-and-a-half lengths by Sunnyhill Boy in the Kim Muir and a repeat of that run would see him bang in the picture this time round.

The now 10-year-old, who is also entered in the Grand National, failed to sparkle on a few occasions around Christmas but there was a lot to like about his latest effort when fourth over hurdles at Fairyhouse and, given his liking for Cheltenham and his preference for the drying ground, Glynn’s charge could be in with a good each-way shout at his current odds of 25/1.

Remarkably, another festival regular representing the Banner County, A New Story, will line-up again Tuesday’s Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase (4pm).

Now 15 years of age, A New Story has been a terrific servant to his Ennis owners, the Storey’s Over Syndicate, having won this event once (2010) and been placed on four other occasions, including 12 months ago when beaten just a head in a nail-biting finish by Philip Hobbs’ Balthazar King.

Despite his advancing years, the Michael Hourigan-trained son of Fourstars Allstar, who warmed up for Tuesday’s assignment with a sweet run when sixth over hurdles at Clonmel two weeks ago, will not be far away and expect a storming finish from the veteran, who seems to come alive over the unique Cheltenham course.

 

 

Lemonfield four-timer for in-form O’Connor

Champion jockey Derek O’Connor warmed up in the best possible fashion for some high-profile mounts at next week’s Cheltenham Festival when riding four winners at last Sunday’s Limerick Harriers’ point-to-point meeting at Lemonfield.

O’Connor, who has been booked by leading UK trainer Donald McCain to ride 5/1 favourite Super Duty in Cheltenham’s Kim Muir Chase, wasted little time in visiting the number-one berth when guiding 4/5 favourite Table Tips to victory in the opening four-year-old mares’ maiden.

Trained down in Kinsale, County Cork by Robert Tyner for the six-strong All The Hens Syndicate, this daughter of Milan, whose dam is a half-sister to Champion Hurdle winner Rooster Booster, galloped all over her rivals here when surging clear from four out to beat runner-up Anastasia Elizabet by four lengths.

Tyner and O’Connor, who are one of the most successful partnerships on the Irish pointing scene, were on the mark in the first division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, where the pair scored with well-backed 4/6 favourite Concordin.

This good-looking son of Gold Well, who had finished runner-up to Cheltenham Bumper favourite Golantilla on his previous start, made light work of the opposition when pulling effortlessly clear in the closing stages to beat Warren Ewing’s Church Hall by seven lengths.

Success number three of the afternoon for the reigning champion came in the Noreen McManus-sponsored winners-of-three contest, where John Gleeson’s Thetalkinsover prevailed.

Back on board having ridden the Beneficial-sired seven-year-old to victory at Nenagh in late January, O’Connor edged his mount past long-time leader Will Fight two out and the result was never in doubt thereafter as the 3/1 shot crossed the finishing line five lengths to the good over Will Fight.

O’Connor, who was denied another winner when beaten by a neck aboard the Sean Moran from Ennis-owned Ballyheigue Bay in the first division of the concluding older horses’ maiden, secured his fourth success of the afternoon when steering the Michael Hourigan-trained 5/4 favourite Our Man Zebo to victory in division two.

Brian Hassett’s Bravehearted Harry set sail for home here two out under Cork jockey Ciarán Fennessy but nine-time champion O’Connor had the move covered as he produced the market leader with a perfectly timed final-furlong challenge to beat Hassett’s charge by two-and-a-half lengths.

Meanwhile, Gort trainer, Norman Lee continued his recent hot streak when sending out 7/2 favourite Easy To See to claim the first division of the six-year-old geldings’ maiden at last Sunday’s South Westmeath meeting at The Pigeons, outside Athlone.

Successful with Rebel Cry for the same connections as Easy To See, Castletroy, County Limerick father and daughter, Michael and Rachel Hogan, at Bandon seven days earlier, Lee had Easy To See in tip-top shape here as Roger Quinlan’s mount dug deep on the run-in to stave off the determined challenge of Brian Hassett’s Mullaghmore Glens by three-parts of a length.