Elliott can end day in style with American Mike March 15, 2022 TODAY’S card concludes with the Weatherby’s Champion Bumper (5.30pm) and if the vibes are to be believed then Willie Mullins’ Facile Vega will be extremely difficult to beat. The five-year-old is impeccably bred, out of multiple Mares’ Hurdle heroin Quevega, and it’s hard not to have been impressed by what he’s done on the track in his two starts so [...]
L’Homme Presse can put one on the board for the home team March 15, 2022 L’Homme Presse Ahoy Senor Farouk D’Alene IN A WEEK where the Irish are once again set to dominate, the home team hold a strong hand in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (2.10pm) now that Galopin Des Champs has opted to take up an alternative challenge. Trainer Paul Nicholls has always held Bravemansgame in the highest regard [...]
Irish Banker Sir Gerhard looks hard to oppose March 15, 2022 Bill Esdaile’s 1-2-3 Sir Gerhard Journey With Me Stage Star WHEN the Willie Mullins-trained SIR GERHARD beat Gordon Elliott’s Three Stripe Life over two miles in a Grade One at the Dublin Racing Festival, the majority felt that they would be locking horns again in a rematch at Cheltenham in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. However, [...]
Shishkin can leave Champion Chase rivals on the canvas March 15, 2022 Shishkin Nube Negra Energumene WHAT is it about Nicky Henderson and two-milers? He has won the Unibet Champion Hurdle a record eight times and is the joint leading trainer of this afternoon’s Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30pm) with six victories. Sprinter Sacre and Altior are two of the greatest two-mile chasers we have ever [...]
Epatante a huge price at 16/1 to regain her crown March 14, 2022 1st Epatante 2nd Honeysuckle 3rd Appreciate It ASK MOST racing fans what their dream result would be on the opening day of this year’s Cheltenham Festival, and it will surely be HONEYSUCKLE making it 15 wins from 15 career starts in the Unibet Champion Hurdle. Absolutely breathtaking in last year’s opening day highlight when pulverising her rivals by [...]
Ireland to end Ultima drought with Ben Dundee March 14, 2022 CHELTENHAM’S opening handicap, the Ultima Handicap Chase (2.10pm) hasn’t been a strong race for the Irish in recent years, and you have to go back to 2006, when Dun Doire won, to find their last winner. They have a strong hand this year, though, and Gordon Elliott’s duo Floueur and Death Duty look to have [...]
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 [...]
