ALAN FLEMING
HURRICANE DARWIN
(Cross Country Chase)
FORM: 23/5521F/138F/ 40110
Westerner - Poetics Girl
Barry Connell
Tiger Roll is the standout horse in the race and he will be very hard to beat, but horse is in good shape and he’ll take his chance. I was a little bit disappointed that he didn’t win the last day over the banks course at Punchestown and I don’t think stepping up in trip will be an issue for him. He runs his race and is a very reliable horse in these cross-country races, but Tiger Roll was very good when he won this race last year and as I said, he will be hard to beat. My horse has a good bit of experience in these races and if he finished in the first four, we’d be delighted.
SPEAKER CONNOLLY
(Kim Muir)
FORM: (58601P-98613)
Court Cave - Kylebeg Dancer
Barry Connell
He ran very well in the good novice handicap chase (behind Whisperinthebreeze) at the Dublin Racing Festival and if he gets into the Kim Muir, he’ll run in that. He was good when he won at Leopardstown at Christmas time – he beat Poker Party well that day and he has won twice since.
He will appreciate the step up in trip and the bit of nice ground will be help to him. If he improved a little bit for his last run, I think he’ll go there with his chance. He’s a young horse and I’d like to think that there is more to come from him.
Tully East is being lined up for the Coral Cup. Photo HEALY RACING.
TULLY EAST
(Coral Cup)
FORM: 3D22/16164/1621P
Shantou - Ghillie’s Bay
Barry Connell
He won at the festival in the novice handicap chase a couple of years ago and he seems to be enjoying himself back over hurdles again, and the plan is that he’ll go for the Coral Cup. He ran a nice race the last day in the Ladbroke Hurdle at Leopardstown and he has festival form and he seems to be a better horse in the spring, so we are looking forward to running him. He looks great and he seems to be in very good form they will good gallop in that and hopefully that will suit him. He has yet to run a bad race at Cheltenham and he is rated a little bit lower over hurdles than he is over fences, so he’ll go for the Coral Cup. He didn’t run over there last year due to the ground – he loves a bit of nice ground and hopefully he’ll get that this year.
DENIS HOGAN
MOSKOVITE
(Mares’ Novice Hurdle)
FORM: 1D156-552113
Flemensfirth - Moskova
Robert Hennelly
She has the entry and she will probably go. She’d want a bit further and soft ground, so we’ll see what the ground is like – she has the option of a couple of races at Limerick just after Cheltenham. I’ll have a chat with the boys that own her and see what they want to do. The ground tends to be well watered for the first day, and she has won twice this season on soft ground and that is when she is at her best.
She ran a good race the last day when third in the graded novice hurdle at Clonmel, so she has black type and she is improving with every run. The two miles and one trip wouldn’t be ideal for her, but they will go a good gallop and she is not slow, and if the ground is suitable, I’d she’ll take her chance.
Denis Hogan and Robert Hennelly. (Photo Healy Racing)
THE SECOND COMING
(Bumper)
FORM: 71
Yeats - Decent Dime
We only have him a month and it’s a speculative entry. He won his bumper very well at Catterick and we are still feeling our way with him. He will work at the weekend and that will tell whether he’ll travel.
He looks a very nice horse and he won his bumper by six lengths. He’s by Yeats and there is a lot to like about him. We’ve made the entry which gives us options, so we’ll see how the weekend goes but either way, he’s a horse that we like and I’m delighted to have him.
COLIN BOWE
WESTERN VICTORY
(Mares’ Novice Hurdle)
FORM: 3/1442-1622
Westerner ex Zara’s Victory
S O’Neill
We like this mare and we’ll see what way the ground is closer to the time, but once it’s good to yielding, there is a good chance that she’ll run. She is a real winter mare and she loves soft and I can’t see her getting that, but once there is a nice ease it, there is a fair chance that she’ll line up. She seems to be in good form and the mare that beat her in Fairyhouse, looks very good, but we won’t be going there to make up the numbers. The stiff finish will be a help her and if it came up soft, that would be ideal. They tend to put a good bit of water on the track over there and once we’re happy with the ground, the plan at the minute is that she’ll go there.
GAVIN CROMWELL
ESPOIR D’ALLEN
(Champion Hurdle)
FORM: 1/11114-111
Voix Du Nord - Quadanse
John P McManus
The plan is that he’ll go for the Champion Hurdle. He has developed into a very good horse for me and he has won seven of his eight starts and we have been delighted with him this season. He has won three graded races this season and five in all and the only time he was beaten was in a Grade 1 last season at Leopardstown.
It will be a massive ask for him and it’s always tough race for five-year olds, but all is good with him and we are training him for the race. He has a couple of bits of work to do between now and then and he looks great. I think the strong gallop that they will go over there will suit him and we are looking forward to it.
TERENCE O’BRIEN
ARTICULUM
(Arkle Trophy)
FORM: (/0/1P4247-21)
Definite Article - Lugante
Martin McDonagh, Paul G Murphy & M J Nixon
We brought him to the Curragh to work on the sand over a mile and six on Tuesday. David Mullins rode him and he went very well and I as very happy with him. With the ground the way it is, I didn’t want to work him on fast ground somewhere and I just thought it would be safer to work him on the sand.
He has another couple of bits to do between now and then, and we just have to keep him ticking over now. He’s in the JLT and the Arkle, but we are more inclined to let him take his chance in the Arkle.
It’s great for the men that own him and they might never have one good enough to run at the festival and I suppose the fact that there is no real superstar in the race, that has helped us make our minds up and we have little to lose to by running him.
He needs to improve a stone or more to get involved, but I think he will improve and I’ve been very happy with him. It’s great for everyone involved in him and he will be my first festival runner too.
I’ve had runners at Cheltenham before, but they were at the other fixtures earlier in the season.
JOHN MCCONNELL
HANNON
(Triumph Hurdle)
FORM: 212
Canford Cliffs - Lady Rua Dargent
Derek Kierans
He got a mark of 139 for the Fred Winter, but we are more inclined to let him take his chance in the Triumph. He was a bit unlucky against the older horses at Naas, but he has been fine since and that is way we are thinking at the minute. The Fred Winter tends to be a bit of a cavalry charge and as a result, you tend to get a smaller field for the Triumph. I haven’t completely made up my mind yet, but that is the way we are thinking at the minute. We have to keep an eye on the weather as well and if it came up soft, there is a very good chance that he won’t run at all.
Assuming we get reasonable ground, we are leaning towards running him in the Triumph rather than the Fred Winter.
GERARD KELLEHER
MACS LEGEND
(Foxhunters)
FORM: 337/3529682/88
Blue Print - Rosealdi
S. Prenderville
He has been an amazing horse for us this season and I think he has been bit under-rated to be honest. It was a shame that he fell early on at Thurles (in the race won by Ucello Conti) a couple of starts ago and if he had gone close that day, we’d have no doubts that we’d bring him to Cheltenham, but at the minute, he might go to Gowran the weekend before. That is what we are thinking at the minute.
I know it’s a quick turnaround, as the Foxhunters is just six days later, but he’s an 11-year-old and he didn’t race until he was seven, so he has very little racing done and if he ran well in Gowran, there is a very good chance that he’ll go to Cheltenham.
It’s just brilliant for a small yard like ours – we have just six riding out and sure the dream is very much alive.
He has won two hunter chases this season and he beat Fenno’s Storm well the last day at Kildorrery and he is one of the best hunter chasers around.
There is a great bit of banter about the place and as I said, it’s just great for a small little yard like ours to think that we might have one good enough to go to Cheltenham.
He has options later in the season at Fairyhouse, Aintree and Punchestown and we’ll see how he is a bit closer to the time. He was fresh and well when we rode him out this morning.
The dream would be that he’d run well at Gowran and then he can head over and run at Cheltenham.
CHARLES BYRNES
WONDER LAISH
(County Hurdle)
FORM: (1-7110)
Halling - Wonder Why
Martin White
He is rated 4lbs higher in England, but there isn’t much we can do about that and after his run at Leopardstown, he has good bit of ground to make up.
The plan is to travel and he has done well for us this season. He and Off You Go have both climbed the ladder this season and I have no big expectations going there, but still it’s nice to be travelling over with two nice horses.
OFF YOU GO
(Coral Cup)
FORM: (06311-1812)
Presenting - Ozzy Oscar
J P McManus
He’ll go for the Coral Cup. He is at the wrong end of the handicap, but he appeared to run to his mark the last day at Navan. He is rated 5lbs higher in England, but the plan is that he’ll travel.
The last day he showed that he can run up to his rating and there might be more to come from him, but it won’t be easy for him. Yielding would be his preferred ground, and he’ll take his chance.