ALLAHO

Willie Mullins

Ireland’s champion trainer Willie Mullins has captured the RSA Chase on four occasions and it is hoped this former French gelding will develop into a leading player for the Closutton outfit in the 2020 version in March although he has the option of the March Novices Chase.

Placed over hurdles at Auteuil for Guy Cherel before being bought by Cheveley Park Stud, he won a Grade 3 event over three miles at Clonmel in February last year before being placed twice in Grade 1 company behind Minella Indo at the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals.

The No Risk At All gelding didn’t make his chasing bow until the festive period having ‘torn off a shoe and jabbed a foot’ in November. Dropping back to two miles five in a beginners’ chase at Leopardstown, he attempted to make all under Paul Townend and was still in front jumping the last. Reeled in by speedier stablemate Easy Game, who had the benefit of a run beforehand, Allaho was beaten a length and a quarter but emerged with plenty of credit.

The majority of the Mullins runners this winter have improved for their seasonal return and he was no exception as he trotted up by 21 lengths at Fairyhouse less than a month later. Making all and jumping boldly, he pulled readily clear with the 138-rated Milan Native in second. Inclined to race enthusiastically, he needs to harness that, especially in the highest company, but he looks a fine staying prospect in the making and, along with A Plus Tard and Envoi Allen, he adds another powerful string to his owner’s bow, in terms of the Cheltenham Festival.

ASPIRE TOWER

Henry de Bromhead

With Allmankind, Aspire Tower and Goshen in the line-up, the Triumph Hurdle is set to be run at a brisk gallop. This gelded son of Born of Sea was an above average performer on the flat reaching a mark of 86 when trained by Richard Hannon and then Steve Gollings.

A winner over nine furlongs as a two-year-old, he finished third in the Listed Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton and also at Ascot’s Shergar Cup meeting last summer. Transferred to Henry de Bromhead during the autumn, he has taken the Irish juvenile hurdle scene by storm this winter hacking up at both Punchestown and Leopardstown.

A 13-length winner on his first attempt over obstacles at the former in November, he then destroyed seven rivals by upwards of 18 lengths in the Grade 2 Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle at the former on St Stephen’s Day. Rachael Blackmore’s mount made all and, having kicked for home rounding the final bend, he came home with the likes of Wolf Prince and A Wave Of The Sea trailing in his wake.

Bidding for Grade 1 glory at the Dublin Racing Festival, he was still in front when crashing out at the final flight. The jury remains out over whether he would have protected his unbeaten record with the race going the way of A Wave Of The Sea.

Despite the fact both hurdle wins have been achieved on soft ground, it was good ground at Ascot in August when third at the Shergar Cup meeting. Heading to the Festival of the back of a fall is hardly and ideal preparation but he remains a major contender to provice Ireland with their fifth win in the Triumph in the last eight years.

FLORESSA

Nicky Henderson

Nico De Boinville faces a tricky decision in the coming weeks regarding which Nicky Henderson-trained runner he will partner in the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival.

Marie’s Rock is unbeaten in three career starts, including twice over hurdles at Haydock and Taunton (listed), and looks a high-class daughter of Milan. That comment also applies to stablemate Floressa, who is two from three over obstacles and is officially rated 138. A wide-margin winner on her hurdles bow at Worcester in October, she was then narrowly denied by Silver Forever at Newbury the following month having met interference late on. Returning to the Berkshire track over three weeks later, the Poliglote filly gained her revenge on Paul Nicholls’ grey when winning a listed contest by upwards of a length and a half.

The runner-up that day was Gavin Cromwell’s Jeremys Flame, who subsequently filled the same position in the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown in early January. The form received another boost when Silver Forever easily landed another listed mares’ hurdle at Sandown next time. While only third at Doncaster last time in a Grade 2 event, she was three lengths behind the high-class Lady Buttons, in receipt of only 4lbs from the 150-rated star.

Yet to race on ground slower than good to soft, Floressa is blessed with plenty of speed and her trainer has suggested the five-year-old will head straight to Cheltenham without another run.

The Seven Barrows team are seeking their first win in the mares’ novice hurdle but they have two live players this time around, including this progressive filly.

FURY ROAD

Gordon Elliott

Despite a below par performance at the Dublin Racing Festival, this Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding remains a major contender for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle in a month’s time. Purchased for €205,000 as a store in June 2017, the half-brother to Monbeg Worldwide won the second of his two points for Pat Doyle before being sent into training with the triple Grand National winning handler.

Despite winning at Fairyhouse in February last year, he failed to set the world alight in three bumpers but has looked a different proposition over hurdles this year. Unbeaten in a trio of races, the Stowaway gelding has relished going up in trip winning in a hack canter over two miles six furlongs at Down Royal in November before trouncing three rivals in the Grade 3 Monksfield Novice Hurdle at Navan later the same month.

The Grade 2 staying novice at Limerick over Christmas has been won by subsequent Festival winners Faugheen, Martello Tower, Penhill and Weapon’s Amnesty in recent years and Fury Road added his name to the roll of honour when winning by a length under Davy Russell.

The winning margin doesn’t do his performance justice because the six-year-old was still on the bridle when making a bad mistake at the last and he did well to regain his momentum on the run-in and still win. The O’Leary’s have won the Albert Bartlett with Weapon’s Amnesty (2009) and Very Wood (2014) and Fury Road looks shortlist material for the 2020 renewal.

ISRAEL CHAMP

David Pipe

David Pipe and the Pond House team enjoyed an excellent first half of the season with 50 winners on the board before we entered 2020. Warthog won the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham in December, while Israel Champ claimed two listed bumper victories at Cheltenham and Ascot in the space of a month.

A big powerful gelding by Milan, he had created a favourable impression when winning an Irish point at Monksgrange by 12 lengths (subsequent rules winners Lieutenant Rocco and Mackenberg failed to complete in the same race) under the tutelage of James Doyle before being bought privately on behalf of John White and Anne Underhill, of Dynaste fame.

Only sixth on his first run for his new connections in a bumper at Worcester in the autumn, he was fitted with a hood and tongue tie next time and showed what he is capable of when winning at Cheltenham’s November meeting. Given a canny front-running ride by Tom Scudamore, he kicked for home turning in before staying on too strongly for the well-supported Time Flies By (third in a Grade 2 novices’ hurdle since).

A length and three quarters winner, he proved it wasn’t a fluke when repeating the trick in another listed contest at Ascot before Christmas. The five-year-old took on six previous winners and conceded 4lb all round but it didn’t prevent him from beating the highly regarded and previously unbeaten Soaring Glory comfortably.

With those two wins under his belt, Israel Champ looks a prime contender for the Festival bumper, a race his stable won in 2015 with the now retired Moon Racer.

SPORTING JOHN

Philip Hobbs

Defi Du Seuil in the Tingle Creek and Thyme Hill in the Cleeve Hurdle have supplied Philip Hobbs with Grade 1 success this winter and it would be no surprise if Sporting John scores at the highest level before the end of the campaign.

The Cheltenham Festival is likely to be on his agenda and, although the five-year-old will have no trouble staying further, he has gained both his wins over two miles, one furlong and is a dark horse for the Skybet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Ironically, the Getaway gelding was purchased at the Cheltenham Festival Sale last spring for £160,000 having won his only point-to-point in Ireland for Matt O’Connor a few days earlier. Sporting the green and gold silks of J.P. McManus for the first time on his rules debut at Exeter in early November, he overcame a lack of experience to win going away by nearly two lengths.

Quickened well

Barry Geraghty’s partner quickened well on the run-in and had subsequent winners Harry Senior (second), Bullionaire (third), Kissesforkatie (fourth) and Eritage (fifth) in behind. Returning to the same course and distance a month later, he was sent off at prohibitive odds and never gave his supporters an anxious moment defying a penalty in the process.

An eight lengths victor, the third (Le Cameleon) won next time at Chepstow in early January. Sporting John has been granted an official mark of 146 as a result, which doesn’t leave him too far behind the principals in the Festival opener.

Having only raced on soft ground, a livelier surface is an unknown but there is every reason to believe this fast improving novice could be another future Grade 1 winner for the Minehead team.

THE BIG BREAKAWAY

Colin Tizzard

West Country handler Colin Tizzard is blessed with a strong team of novice hurdlers once again this season but this former Irish pointer could prove the pick of the crop.

A 10-length winner of his sole start ‘between the flags’ for Donnchadh Doyle in April last year, the half-brother to the smart chaser Kildisart was acquired for a hefty €360,000 at the Goffs Punchestown Horses in Training sale 13 days later.

Unbeaten in two starts over hurdles this winter, he looked green for much of his rules debut before powering away for an eight-length win in a Chepstow maiden hurdle in November. Reappearing less than a month later, he had no trouble defying a penalty at Newbury when readily brushing aside another former pointer Papa Tango Charly by seven lengths.

A strong galloper with a high cruising speed, he missed the Cheltenham’s Trials meeting in late January with a small setback.

Connections have a few options with their novice hurdlers. His style of racing suggests the Getaway gelding will be even better over three miles.

The Albert Bartlett can be a gruelling affair which invariably favours battle hardened types but The Big Breakaway oozes class and looks future Gold Cup material.

SHISHKIN

Nicky Henderson

River Ceiriog (1986), Flown (1992) and Altior (2016) have provided Nicky Henderson with victories in the Festival opener, the Skybet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. He may have a live one for the 2020 version, if this former pointer’s victory at Newbury in mid January is anything to go by.

Bought for £170,000 at the Cheltenham December sale at the end of 2018, the Sholokhov gelding made a striking impression in a Kempton bumper last March when cruising clear to win by eight lengths. Reportedly slow to come to hand this autumn, the six-year-old got no further than the second flight on his hurdles debut at Newbury in December having been too fresh and overjumped. Returning to his local track a month later, it was a different story as he showed a telling turn of foot on the run-in on ground described as heavy. An 11-length winner from the well regarded Shakem Up’Arry, who had chased home another Henderson novice Mister Coffey last time, the time was impressive too. Had a final run before the Festival at Huntingdon after we went to print, he looked a high quality novice hurdler in January with Grade 1 pretensions.

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