Top Tips At the Festival last year our experts gave you four horses to follow two of which won; Love Envoi (12-1), Flooring Porter (5-2). This year, they have identified six more that might salute the judge at good odds;
Bravemansgame (Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup) All the talk is of another Irish win and it’s hard not to be impressed by the favourite Galopin Des Champs, or to let your memory slide back to the wonderful performance of last year’s winner, A Plus Tard. The Irish however don’t always have it their own way in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, and one man who usually sees to that is Champion trainer Paul Nichols. His hope Bravemansgame has done everything right, is going the right way and is too big a price for an impressive King George VI winner.
Western Diego (Weatherby’s Champion Bumper) The Dublin Racing Festival is where we all tend to look to find the winner of many Festival races these days, however, this selection in the Weatherby’s Champion Bumper made his debut the week before in a pro-am flat race at Naas. The Mullins-trained son of Westerner was warmly supported and won with ease and since then the odds have steadily tumbled for the final race on the Wednesday. Home By The Lee (Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle) This Joseph O’Brien trained 8-year-old was 33-1 when sixth in last year’s Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle behind Flooring Porter, however his two most recent runs, first at Naas in November and then at Leopardstown in the Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle indicate he is an improved horse this season. There is no reason he can’t keep on improving. He’s a great each way bet and will be sure to be running on at the end. Gaelic Warrior (Multiple entries) It was said that Gaelic Warrior would be the best bet of the Dublin Racing Festival, and so it came to pass with a simplistic victory in a tough looking handicap Liffey Handicap Hurdle under top weight. Running in the familiar colours of the Ricci’s, this German-bred 5-year-old holds an entry in the Skybet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle. Whichever race he goes for, he is sure to put up a bold show. An Tailliur (Pertemps Final) Let’s face it, picking the winner of the Pertemps Network Final is probably the game of fools but one horse who rarely disappoints is the Jonjo O’Neil trained An Tailliur who rarely misses the podium. He qualified for the final courtesy of a staying on third in October at Cheltenham and hasn’t been seen in public since. The winner that day was Shoot First, who is now the 4-1 favourite for the competitive handicap, but I would rather be taking 16-1 about the local horse and hoping he can turn the tables.
Cleeve Golf Club
The first local race for a “Gold Cup” in Cheltenham was staged up on Cleeve Hill at the turn of the 19th century and much of the original track is now covered by the beautiful Cleeve Hill Golf Club. Our local golf club, which looks over our track, is kindly offering 10% off green fees for our Annual Members during Festival week. Tee off times from 6.30am. They also have a special, pre-racing breakfast and 18 holes offer which is well worth considering. Call them on 01242 675025 (Option 1) for more information.
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Billaway (St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup) Despite working hard to win the same Naas Hunter Chase for an incredible fourth time in succession, and charging up the hill for what looked like an improbable win in the St James Place Festival Challenge Hunter Chase last year, the 11-year-old Willie Mullins trained champion is still readily available at 10-1 to repeat his success in March. Billaway is not always one to “impress” on the track, doing just enough, making odd mistakes, having to be hard ridden but this could just be a very rare case of the market underestimating a horse that has nothing to really prove.
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