Cheltenham festival: week preview
The Cheltenham Festival gets underway on Tuesday and the greatest jumps meeting on earth looks set to deliver. Four days of mouth-watering cards are on offer and this year’s Gold Cup boasts a field of rare depth even by the race’s own lofty standards.
In the week’s showpiece on Friday at 3:30, Willie Mullins holds the best card. Galopin Des Champs, currently trading at around 6/4, is likely to be sent off slightly closer to even-money as long as the ground improves a little and the trainer has a decent week. In 2022 Mullins claimed 10 festival winners and with 20 entries currently priced at 6/1 or less, a repeat or improvement of that figure could be in the offing.
There are, however, question marks surrounding Galopin Des Champs’ jumping. Indeed, he fell when 12 lengths clear of Bob Olinger in the Turners Novices’ Chase last year. Without a great deal of early race pace expected and three impressive wins since that fall, however, he clearly remains the horse to beat.
Bravemansgame is currently priced at 13/2 and, having won the King George impressively on Boxing Day, perhaps deserves to be shorter still. Paul Nicholls is bidding to win this race for a fifth time, having not done so since 2009 when Kauto star secured what was then the trainer’s third in a row. Not since 2011 has a reigning King George champion won a Gold Cup but Nicholls has faith in the eight-year-old who he has long proclaimed his best since Denman. The horse is yet to record a Cheltenham Festival win but currently looks best-placed to challenge the favourite.
Last year’s winner A Plus Tard sits at similar odds having been a 10/1 antepost bet for much of the season. He was pulled up by Rachael Blackmore at Haydock in November and hasn’t been seen under rules since but, according to De Bromhead, the horse is “getting there” condition-wise. Punters may be inclined to wait until a little closer to the off and assess his odds before backing. Those who dare will be buoyed by the horse’s tendency to run well fresh.
The Skeltons bring Protektorat back to Prestbury Park hoping to improve on last year’s third-place. They hope to emulate A Plus Tard’s 2022 achievement of landing the Gold Cup and Haydock’s Betfair Chase in the same season. This remains a feat only A Plus Tard and Kauto Star have managed – although Kauto Star also won the King George that year too and thus remains the only horse to have claimed the Stayers Chase Triple Crown. Trainer Dan believed the horse will come on for the run when a disappointing fourth behind Ahoy Senor, Sounds Russian and Noble Yeats among other on trials day in January. Sir Alex Ferguson’s charge will likely have to pass all three rivals on Friday too.
Elsewhere it promises to be a Mare’s Hurdle for the ages. Epatante and old foe Honeysuckle have their work cut out by Marie’s Rock. The latter impressed at trials day in January and won this race last year at 18/1. She struggled to make much of an impression as a handicapper in her earlier career but has matured wonderfully and is a worthy favourite.
Connections of punter-favourite Honeysuckle surprised many with their decision to keep her in training at Henry De Bromhead’s yard after claiming a second consecutive Champion Hurdle last year. That was her 16th win from 16 races to that point – one of which came in this race in 2020. However, she has already lost twice this season, albeit behind impressive winners by relatively moderate margins. Race tactics will surely play a key part which means that, as stablemates, Marie’s Rock and Epatante hold the upper hand. Brandy Love and Love Envoi cannot be ruled out.
The Ryanair Chase sees a resurgent Shishkin enter the week as one of few odds-on favourites. After falling foul of a rare bone condition last year he has steadily improved. He finished third behind Edwardstone and Greaneteen over two miles at Sandown in December before destroying the field by at least 16 lengths over two miles and five furlongs at Ascot in February. Shishkin looks a dead cert to land a third Cheltenham Festival win on Thursday.
The debate roars on as to whether Facile Vega will perform in the week’s curtain raiser on Tuesday. Having won well under new front-running tactics in Fairyhouse and Leopardstown in 2022, he went spectacularly flat in 2023, finishing last in his only race this year. Few horses currently split opinion as much as last year’s Champion Bumper winner who seems worse-equipped than others in this race to cope with heavy ground.
The best hurdler in training, Constitution Hill, will go off as another Henderson-trained odds-on favourite on Tuesday before Impaire Et Passe and Gerri Colombe are expected to get the ball rolling for the Irish in earnest on Wednesday. Edwardstone and Energumene will do battle again over 2 miles and Irish trainers dominate the market for the Glenfarclas. Thursday’s card looks a little more open with the exception of Shishkin’s Ryanair bid and currently it looks like all is to play for on Friday too.
It is set to be a Cheltenham Festival to remember and a Gold Cup for the ages.
