HENRY de Bromhead has confirmed his unbeaten stable star mare Honeysuckle will run in the Champion Hurdle as he went through his plans on a Jockey Club press release ahead of the Festival which begins on Tuesday week.

De Bromhead has a stronger string than ever and will be have three runners in the Champion Hurdle on the first day. On day two, the trainer confirmed Aidan Coleman will ride Put The Kettle On in the Champion Chase, while Rachael Blackmore will be on Notebook.

With two high-class chasers set for the Gold Cup, de Bromhead also revealed that Jack Kennedy is set to ride Minella Indo while Rachael Blackmore will partner Leopardstown Christmas winner A Plus Tard.

Honeysuckle won one of the races of the meeting last year in the Grade 1 Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the Festival last year and was hugely impressive when winning the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown last month.

Henry de Bromhead is to run both A Plus Tard and Minella Indo in the WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup later this month and admits he has unfinished business with rival Champ who caught Minella Indo in the final strides last year in what is now the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

Rachael Blackmore will partner the majority of the stable’s runners and asked how important a role the jockey plays in the yard’s success and whether she could become champion jockey in Ireland, de Bromhead replied: “I hope so, but whether we have enough firepower to get her there I’m not sure. With Paul (Townend) having the backing of Willie’s yard they’d have a lot more chances than we would. But Rachael’s brilliant. She’s a brilliant rider and we feel very lucky to have her.”

Henry de Bromhead also spoke of unexpected new additions to his team from the Cheveley Park Stud Festival candidates including Envoi Allen, Ballyadam and Quilixos who arrived at the yard on Tuesday from the Gordon Elliott’s care and the trainer revealed he has already had “a really helpful” telephone conversation with Elliott.

He said: “It’s obviously not the circumstances of how you’d like to get horses, but these are the horses everyone’s trying to get and I feel fortunate that Cheveley Park have decided to send them to us.

“They came down and they looked great when they arrived here, so it’s just a case of trying to tick them over and not let the change of regime upset them too much. If we can do as good a job as Gordon has done with them, we’ll be delighted. They’re cantering away.”

“It is a big change for them and you try and keep it as simple as possible but it is a big change. But they seem good and they’ve settled in really well, so we’ll just tick them over and try and get them there in good shape. Jack (Kennedy) has ridden him all year and he will ride the three of them if he is available.”

Asked if his team for Cheltenham is his strongest ever, he replied: “I’d say it would have to be up there, but we’ll see how we go. I’ve had odds-on shots beaten and 50/1 winners here, so we feel very lucky with the horses we have and are bringing and we’ll see how it all unfolds.”

Tuesday

Unibet Champion Hurdle

Honeysuckle

She’s going for the Champion Hurdle. That’s the plan, she seems in good form and all is good. We were delighted with her at Leopardstown winning the Irish Champion Hurdle.

She looks very effective over anything really. All the judges say her last day was her best performance so far. She looks very good over any trip of two to two and a half (miles), thankfully. She’s an amazing mare and we feel very lucky to have her.”

We’ve also got Aspire Tower in it and possibly Jason The Militant. They both have good chances. Aspire ran really well at Christmas and we decided to go straight to the Champion Hurdle from there. I’m very happy with him. He’s in great form and we’ve put him away for the Champion Hurdle.

And Jason The Militant ran really well when he won the Red Mills Hurdle very impressively the other day, so we’ll see with him. He’s probably a bit more dependent on ground, as long as there’s good ease, he’ll probably want soft ground. He’s brilliant. He’s done really well and we’re delighted with him.

Soft ground is important to him so we’ll monitor the ground. He’ll definitely want it soft if he’s to go.

Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

Ballyadam, Irracible

and Champagne Gold

I would imagine we’re leaning towards the Supreme with Ballyadam, but we’ll keep our options open. We also have Irracible and Champagne Gold but I’m not sure yet – we haven’t firmed up on anything yet. I’d say Irracible would go for the Supreme, he’s in the County Hurdle but he’ll probably go for the Supreme.

Sporting Life Arkle Trophy

Captain Guinness

He’s brilliant and is in great form. It was a bit of silly fall in the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown at the second last but he’s been in great from since and he schooled really well the other day, so I’m happy with him and I’m looking forward to running him – I think it will really suit.

Ultima Handicap Chase

Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup

Plan Of Attack

We’re not sure about him yet and he might stay here. We want to go wherever we might get a bit of good ground, so he might stay here for the Leinster National.

Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle

Minella Melody

The Mares’ Hurdle is the plan at the moment. She’s in great form and worked well yesterday. She’s a lovely mare and has just been unfortunate to have met Concertista twice this year, but we’re hoping for a good run.

Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle

Bob Olinger

I’d be leaning towards the Ballymore with Bob Olinger, but we haven’t discussed it with his owners yet. He seems great and we’re delighted with him, and hopefully Cheltenham will suit. He’s had three runs and he won his Grade 1 at Naas – the Lawlor’s is a really good race – so I didn’t feel any need to go to the Dublin Festival with him. He’s a good moving horse and works well on good-ish ground, so hopefully he should be fine.

Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase

Eklat De Rire

He’s two from two so far and is lovely. He’s done nothing wrong this year, and he won his Grade 3 the other day very impressively, so he goes for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

He jumps his fences really well, touch wood, and we’ll find out how good he is there and see if we can give Monkfish a race. He has obviously been super impressive but our lad has been very good as well, so we’ll see on the day. My one concern would be if it’s very good ground, so some rain would be welcome.

Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase

Put The Kettle On

She loves it over there. She’s just come alive since she started going there and just keeps improving all the time.

Obviously she had the option of the Mares’ Chase but we’ve decided to go with the Champion Chase. I suppose the records of Arkle winners are so strong and we’ve got our mare’s allowance so we’ve said we’ll give it a go.”

It seemed to work well last year and although she’d been on the go for the whole of the summer in her novice season she hadn’t this year, so we had to get a couple of runs into her.

She was brilliant in the Shloer (Shloer Chase at Cheltenham’s November Meeting) obviously and then she ran very well at Leopardstown. We were planning to go to Kempton but obviously with Covid we weren’t allowed to travel, so we were never convinced Leopardstown was going to be ideal for her. But she still ran really well.

Notebook

We’ve tried various ways to have a go at him [Chacun Pour Soi] with Notebook but he’s just been so impressive. He’s going to be very hard to beat but we’ll give it our best shot.

Last year he was disappointing having set off favourite. He’s coming here off the back of one less run than last year so hopefully that will stand to him. He’s a bit fresher and I would say the better the ground the better his chance.

Coral Cup and Parnell Properties Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle

Telmesomethinggirl

I’d say we’re learning towards the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. She had a lovely run at Leopardstown on her first run back after a break, and she’s freshened up really well.

Glenfarcas Chase/Ryanair Chase

Balko Des Flos

I’d say we’re leaning towards the Cross Country with him but he’s in the Ryanair so we’ll see – we haven’t really firmed up on that as yet. I think he’d love the cross country fences, we’ve done a fair bit with him to just try and freshen him up and he’s really enjoying it. Obviously it would be his first time doing it and he’d be dropped in at the deep end, so we’ll see.

Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup

Cappuccimix

I think we’ll go in the Grand Annual, and he’s in good form. He had a very good run at Leopardstown and just got a bit tired from the last home, but this is over two miles and is on the Old Course now, so I think it should suit him.

Marsh Novices’ Chase

Envoi Allen

He’s a gorgeous horse and we feel very fortunate that Cheveley Park have sent him to us.

Envoi Allen and Jack Kennedy, the unbeaten gelding moved the the yard this week \ carolinenorris.ie

Pertemps Final

Milliner

Milliner will need a bit of luck to sneak in, but he’s in great form and we’ll see after the confirmation stage. If he does, I think he’d have a right chance hopefully.

Ryanair Chase

Chris’s Dream

He was a bit unfortunate to be just chinned at Down Royal in the Champion Chase by The Storyteller, but he’s great and I think we’ll have a go in the Ryanair. He’s done really well and has been brilliant for us, and I think he could run well.

Parnell Properties Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle

Magic Daze

She’s a lovely mare and you’re obviously taking a little chance with her as she’s fairly unexposed, but she’s a gorgeous mare and has got a great appetite for it. She loves the game, she goes a real good gallop and although it’s a tough old race to call, she’s in good form and we’re happy with her.

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle

Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

Commandingpresence

Ideally I’d like him to go for the Martin Pipe if he can get in, so we’ll see how it all unfolds.

We decided to put him away for a good break, so he’s in great form and worked well the other day and we’re looking forward to running him.

Triumph Hurdle

Quixilios

He is in both the Fred Winter and the Triumph. I haven’t really firmed up on that as yet, so we’ll discuss that with Cheveley Park at the time as see what we’d like to do. He’s in both, so we’ll see nearer the time. Quixilios seems good. We’re only hacking away but he seems to have taken it in his stride.

WellChild Cheltenham Gold

A Plus Tard

He is in mighty form now and loves Cheltenham – he comes alive over there and his record is brilliant.

A Plus Tard was really good in the Savills Chase at Christmas. I am delighted with him. He had a hard enough race there so we decided to put him away for this.

There aren’t many horses that can win a Grade 1 over two miles and be in the Gold Cup picture: Kauto Star would be one. He stayed very well at Leopardstown and looked like he needed every inch of it and so hopefully it will all go well for him.

It’s going to be a cracking race and very competitive, as you would expect.

Minella Indo

He is in mighty form now and loves Cheltenham – he comes alive over there and his record is brilliant. He has a real live chance.

It was tough to get nabbed like he was last year by Champ but that’s Cheltenham – these things happen and there is always drama.”

Our plan with Minella Indo was to be busy with him up to Christmas because we thought he lacked experience. He had two great runs at the start, winning a Grade 3 and a Grade 2 at Wexford and Navan, when he was very impressive.

Then we went to the Savills with him and it was disappointing he fell. It wasn’t the plan to run him again before the Gold Cup but obviously we couldn’t go off the back of a fall so looking at all our options we plumped for the Irish Gold Cup and I thought he ran respectably.

We were adamant he needed a clear round and we got that. Kemboy got away from us after the mistake at the second last but he still ran well.

Minella Indo will be the mount of Jack Kennedy in the Gold Cup \Healy Racing.

Henry de Bromhead’s Festival winners

2011 Sizing Europe: Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase

2011 Sizing Australia: Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase

2017 Special Tiara: Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase

2018 Balko Des Flos: Ryanair Chase

2019 A Plus Tard: Northern Trust Company Novices’ Handicap Chase

2019 Minella Indo: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

2020 Put The Kettle On: Sporting Life Arkle

2020 Honeysuckle: Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle