Irish Racing Army Mobilizes for Cheltenham Festival Dominance
British stables should be on high alert as Ireland's green tide of racing talent is poised to sweep into the Cheltenham Festival next month. While the first four Grade One favorites and three of the top six Gold Cup contenders are housed in British yards, the Irish battalions are mobilizing with unmistakable confidence and precision.
The Irish Offensive Gathers Momentum
Across Ireland, from sprawling operations with dozens of festival runners to smaller stables with single stars, there's a palpable sense of an army preparing for battle. This comes despite Ireland's rugby team suffering defeat in Paris and its footballers struggling to qualify for an expanded World Cup. In National Hunt racing, however, Irish horses, trainers, and jockeys show no signs of relinquishing their dominance.
The re-emergence of Gordon Elliott as a serious rival to Willie Mullins in the Irish trainers' championship is particularly ominous for British hopes. Last year, Ireland secured 20 winners at Cheltenham, its second-best performance after the remarkable 23-winner haul in 2021. Elliott endured a frustrating week, with his first 51 runners failing to win before Wodhooh claimed the final race on Friday.
"In racing, soccer, rugby, it's the same, you've got to keep your head going," Elliott reflected this week. "But as hard as it was for me, for all my staff who were putting in all the hours, it was harder for them. The horses didn't run badly, we just didn't get the bounce of the ball."
Elliott's Championship Contenders
Elliott's formidable squad for this year's festival includes Brighterdaysahead, second-favorite for the Champion Hurdle, and Teahupoo, the market leader for the Stayers' Hurdle. The unbeaten novice chaser Romeo Coolio is also in contention, likely for the two-mile Arkle Trophy but with the option to switch to the three-mile Brown Advisory Novice Chase.
Regarding Brighterdaysahead's disappointing performance as a 5-2 shot in last year's Champion Hurdle, Elliott remains optimistic. "I think last year she wasn't right," he explained. "After Punchestown we discovered something and we rectified it. She was beaten after a hurdle last year. We might do something different this year."
Elliott, currently around €500,000 ahead of Mullins in the Irish trainers' championship, believes his 50-strong festival team is his deepest in a decade. However, Mullins is expected to outnumber him with approximately 70 runners traveling to the meeting.
Mullins' Strategic Decisions
Willie Mullins faces several late decisions regarding his stable stars, including whether Irish Gold Cup winner Fact To File will be supplemented for the Gold Cup or attempt a repeat victory in the Ryanair Chase. Mullins suggested his team might be slightly behind in preparation due to the wettest winter in years.
"I didn't think things would be as quiet in the first part of the season," Mullins said. "We had a very wet time from November up to right after Christmas. We were waiting for a little less weather but it never really happened."
Ireland's Diverse Racing Forces
Mullins and Elliott lead Ireland's charge, supported by trainers like Henry de Bromhead, who hasn't drawn a blank at the festival since 2016 and boasts a 12-point profit to level stakes over the past decade. Smaller operations add further depth and color to Ireland's challenge.
Jimmy Mangan, without a British winner since Monty's Pass in the 2003 Grand National, will send 8-1 chance Spillane's Tower to the Gold Cup. Declan Queally, who both trains and rides Grade One-winning I'll Sort That, will run his stable star in either the Turners Novice Hurdle or the Albert Bartlett.
Barry Connell's bespoke stable in County Kildare will field two runners, including Marine Nationale, the defending champion in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Connell, a former hedge-fund manager who learned to ride in his late 30s, has built a seamless blend of tradition and modern ideas.
His festival record is impressive: five runners, two wins, one second, one fourth, and only one runner out of the frame. Marine Nationale is currently second-favorite for the Champion Chase behind Mullins's Majborough, but Connell is confident of turning the tables.
"He has been to Cheltenham twice, won there twice and not been off the bridle twice," Connell stated. "When he walks around the pre-parade ring there it's like he's walking around the courtyard here at home. Having the right temperament is a huge thing, especially for those championship races."
The Final Countdown
While Ireland may not reach the giddy heights of 2021's 23-winner spree, a repeat of last year's 20-8 final score is a realistic ambition. Punters on both sides of the Irish Sea will need to ride the green wave to stand any chance of finishing the festival in profit. The stage is set for another thrilling chapter in the Cheltenham rivalry, with Ireland's racing army ready for battle.
