ENTRIES for the four big novice chases at the Cheltenham Festival were revealed this week with the three Grade 1s pretty much on a par with last season. The National Hunt Chase however, dropped from 37 last season to 26 this time. In the early 2000s it regularly had a field of over 20.
Unsurprisingly, Irish stables are dominant. Willie Mullins has 33 entries over the four races and ante-post punters will be aghast to find that six - Facile Vega, Gaelic Warrior, Il Etait Temps, Grangeclare West, Minella Cocooner and Nick Rockett are each entered in three different races. Fact To File is in the Turners and Brown Advisory with Mullins housing the current favourites for those two races in Grangeclare West and Gaelic Warrior as well as Embassy Gardens for the National Hunt Chase.
It should also be noted that in last year’s Festival, the big Mullins entry was whittled down to four in the Arkle, just two in each of the National Hunt Chase and Turners and five in the Brown Advisory. The stable won the Arkle and National Hunt Chase with short-priced favourites but British stables kept the other two Grade 1s at home.
Gordon Elliott has 23 entries across the three days with just Firm Footings holding three possible engagements across the three longer distances races.
Henry de Bromhead has just four entries over the four races and bookmakers can’t make up their minds how to price Quilixios available from 14s to 20s across the Arkle markets. Watch House Cross (Turners) and Monty’s Star and Senior Chief, (Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase) are his other entries.
Henderson three
Perhaps more surprisingly, the Nicky Henderson yard can only produce three entries with Mister Coffey (NH Chase) set to make his third Festival appearance and still in novice company.
Paul Nicholls has 10 entries with Stay Away Fay, who also received a Gold Cup entry, in the National Hunt Novices’ Chase and the Brown Advisory, along with Hermes Allen.
That horse’s Kempton conqueror, the brilliant French novice Il Est Francais is the intriguing entry in the Turners despite connections saying he was more likely to be targeted at the big French Grade 1 in April. His appearance could upturn the apple carts for a few.
Dan Skelton’s impressive weekend winner Grey Dawning has two entries – the Brown Advisory and the Turners.
Flooring Porter’s only entry is in the National Hunt Chase which Gavin Cromwell stated mid-week is his intended target, while Apple Away, second at Warwick to Grey Dawning is in the National Hunt Chase and Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
The J.P. McManus-owned Corbetts Cross appears in the three longer distance races while Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero’s highly promising Iroko is an entry in the Arkle and Turners despite reports in November that he would miss the season after sustaining a foot injury following and impressive debut. Connections this week reported last year’s Martin Pipe winner to be back in work and the entry was ‘just in case’. Also in the J.P. McManus ownership, the Punchestown winner Spillanes Tower had received Festival quotes but does not appear among the entries.
Arkle favourite
Marine Nationale dominates the Arkle at odds-on after his impressive debut and the race is traditionally won by a novice who was also among the top grade over hurdles with only Western Warhorse (33/1) and Put The Kettle On (16/1) offering hope for outsiders. Looking at the last 10 years, Irish yards have won six of the last 10 runnings of both the Arkle and Turners. Britain has fared better in the Brown Advisory, winning six of the 10 but it must be shorter odds the National Hunt Chase is for export back to Ireland with seven of the last 10 runnings going to Irish-trained runners.
Latest betting
Arkle Novices’ Chase: Marine Nationale 4/6; Facile Vega 9; Gaelic Warrior 8; Found A Fifty 10; Hunters Yarn 12; Il Etait Temps 14; Blood Destiny 16; Iroko 20; My Mate Mozzie 25; Quilixios 20; Le Patron 33; Uncle Phil 33; Djelo 33; Master Chewy 33; Sharjah 33
National Hunt Chase: Embassy Gardens, Nick Rockett 6; Flooring Porter, Corbetts Cross 8; Meetingofthewaters, Three Card Brag 10; Grangeclare West 12; Salvador Ziggy 14; Stay Away Fay 12; Broadway Boy 14; Apple Away, Minella Cocooner 16; Favori De Champdou 20
Brown Advisory: Grangeclare West 7/2; Fact To File, Stay Away Fay 5; Grey Dawning 9; Corbetts Cross 10; Gaelic Warrior 12; Montys Star; Hermes Allen 16; Nick Rockett; Embassy Gardens 20; Sandor Clegane 33; Affordale Fury 33; Giovinco 33; Ginnys Destiny 25; Meetingofthewaters 33; Apple Away 33; Broadway Boy 40; Facile Vega 40; Walking On Air 40; Favori De Champdou 40; Tahmuras 50
Turners Novices’ Chase: Gaelic Warrior 5/4; Facile Vega 10; Corbetts Cross; Fact To File, Il Est Francais; Found A Fifty 12; Iroko 16; Hermes Allen 14; Grey Dawning, Grangeclare West 16; Nick Rockett 20; Djelo 20; Il Etait Temps 20; Ginnys Destiny 20; Blood Destiny 33