Edwardstone to be crowned king of the Arkle March 14, 2022 Bill Esdaile’s 1-2-3 1st Edwardstone 2nd Riviere D’etel 3rd Gabynako TRAINER Willie Mullins has won four of the last seven renewals of the Sporting Life Arkle Chase (2.10pm) and holds a strong hand once more saddling three of the 11 runners. The pick of his trio looks to be Blue Lord, who was the best of [...]
Constitution Hill set to get home team off to a flyer March 14, 2022 AFTER weeks of speculation, Willie Mullins made the decision on Sunday morning to send Dysart Dynamo to the Festival opener, the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1.30pm), and to aim stablemate Sir Gerhard at Wednesday’s Ballymore instead. The news was disappointing for all those holding ante-post slips on last season’s Champion Bumper winner, but it [...]
Brook can be Queen of the Mares’ Hurdle March 14, 2022 AFTER winning the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (4.10pm) eight times in a row from 2009 to 2016, Willie Mullins has been in a bit of a drought recently. His last success in this race came in 2018 with Benie Des Dieux, but he saddles three this afternoon to try to right that wrong. Stable jockey [...]
“Honeysuckle has never let me down to this day and I can’t see why this year would be any different.” March 13, 2022 ON A relatively gloomy day at an uninspiring midweek fixture at Punchestown, the room was suddenly lit up by the arrival of horseracing’s brightest star. Rachael Blackmore spared some time in her busy schedule to chat to the assembled press who had travelled over to talk to her about all things Cheltenham. We are almost exactly 12 [...]
Home team likely to be steamrolled again March 13, 2022 THERE was a sense of embarrassment 12 months ago when the Irish left Cheltenham with a record 23 winners from a possible 28, and there is much hope the home team will put up a sterner defence this time around. Talk in the build-up has been of Great Britain winning the first three races with [...]
Dominant Allaho looks most likely to win by daylight in Thursday’s Ryanair March 13, 2022 IF THERE was one performance at last year’s Cheltenham Festival that will live long in the memory, it was Allaho’s demolition job in the Ryanair Chase. Willie Mullins’ eight-year-old set a blistering pace from just after the third fence and slowly went clear of his field, running out an impressive 12 length winner. He’s looked [...]
Don’t be surprised if there is another big price shock winner at the Festival March 13, 2022 THERE is always plenty of talk about the ‘bankers’ at the meeting with Honeysuckle (Unibet Champion Hurdle), Sir Gerhard (Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle) and Allaho (Ryanair Chase) the three obvious ones set to carry that label this week. However, with 28 races over four days, the one certainty is that there will more than likely be [...]
Put your faith in Jack at 10/1 to land Festival top jockey prize March 13, 2022 THIS time last year, jockey Paul Townend was as short as 2/5 to be crowned the Cheltenham Festival’s leading jockey only to be beaten to that title by Rachael Blackmore. He heads the betting for that much coveted crown at 4/5 with Fitzdares again this year having won it back in 2020. Willie Mullins’ stable [...]
Renton relishing racegoer return March 13, 2022 LAST year’s Cheltenham Festival was a very different one with no fans on course but there’s now only one sleep before we hear the famous Cheltenham roar again. Ian Renton, Jockey Club Regional Director, is looking forward to welcoming racegoers back to the Festival for the first time since 2020 and expects over 275,000 fans [...]
Scene looks set for Mullenbeg to prove she’s the real deal March 10, 2022 LOOKING at the remainder of the Sandown card and the eye is drawn to MULLENBEG in the EBF Mares’ Bumper (3.00pm). Her trainer Milton Harris is having a great season and has a live chance in next week’s Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with the Adonis winner Knight Salute, and he looks to have another good one on his hands here. The five-year-old didn’t [...]
