THE Northern Ireland Festival of Racing was officially launched on Tuesday at a high-profile event in The Bridge Suite of Titanic Belfast.

The award-winning venue will be the new sponsor of the Grade 2 novice chase on ‘Super Saturday’ at the course.

Down Royal’s feature race the JNwine Champion Chase is the first Grade 1 of the new NH season. From its first running in 1999, it has consistently attracted the best chasers and the two day meeting continues to widened its appeal.

Last year’s race was won by the eventual Gold Cup winner Don Cossack and previous winners include two other Gold Cup winners in dual winner Kauto Star and Looks Like Trouble. Beef Or Salmon was also twice a winner and the supporting cards over the two days are sure to attract some of the best NH performers in the country.

NOEL MEADE

MONKSLAND

9yo b g (21232-1)

Beneficial - Cush Jewel

WOUNDED WARRIOR

7yo b g (F221313/226-)

Shantou - Sparkling Sword

We have three in the JNwine.com Chase and I am hoping to run both Monksland and Wounded Warrior.

Monksland is the most likely runner and I know it will be a step up for him, but his owner is local to the track and we are keen to run him in that. We would like to have a cut at it - he will also be entered for the second season novice chase over two and a half miles on the same day, but that race won’t be any easier, so at the minute, he is more likely to take his chance in the Grade 1. He was good at Galway and that run would have brought him on a lot as he was short going there. He had a week’s swimming after that and we just have to be careful with him as he is like china, but all is good with him at the minute.

Wounded Warrior is a definite possibility if the ground is soft. He is in very good form and I had him pencilled in to run over hurdles a couple of weeks, but the ground was too quick. I’d like to get a piece of work into him on the grass. He wants soft ground, so we’ll keep an eye on the weather with him, but I am keen to run him in the Grade 1. I am not sure yet what else I’ll run - we’ll know more next week, but I’d imagine that I’ll have runners in the maiden hurdles/bumpers.

PATRICK MULLINS

ALELCHI INOIS

8yo b g (16P24-1213)

Night Tango - Witness Gama

BALLYCASEY

9yo gr g (35U6-F3151)

Presenting - Pink Mist

AIRLIE BEACH

6yo b m (1-1111)

Shantou - Screaming Witness

We have Alelchi Inois and Ballycasey in the Grade 1 and we’ll see. They have other options such as the Clonmel Oil so we’ll know more about them next week. They are rated a few pounds below the likes of Don Poli and Sliviniaco Conti, but they have race fitness on their side.

I’d imagine that Airlie Beach will take her chance in the Grade 3 Mares Hurdle on Friday. She was cheaply bought by The Supreme Horse Racing Club and her owners are living the dream. She is five from five and she just keeps improving. This is the next step for her and her owners are getting great excitement from her. She is a homebred, they bought her for small money and they have the Cheltenham dream and hopefully that dream is still alive after Down Royal.

HENRY DE BROMHEAD

VALSEUR LIDO

7yo b g (12FU22-)

Anzillero - Libido Rock

SADLER’S RISK

8yo b g (031-221)

Sadler´s Wells - Riskaverse

We will have a few runners over the weekend and it’s been a lucky track for us and Identity Thief won there last year before he won his Grade 1. I am hoping to have two runners in the JNwine.com Champion Chase. Valseur Lido isn’t here that long, and its early days to be making long term plans for him, but the aim is to run in the Grade 1 and it looks an ideal starting point for him.

Sadler’s Risk had developed into a very good servant for us and he is in very good form. He likes a bit of nice ground and I was delighted with him the last day at Punchestown. We’ll let him take his chance and I’d be hoping that he’ll run a nice race.

KIM BAILEY

THE LAST SAMURI

8yo ch g (3112-)

Flemensfirth - Howaboutthis

The Last Samuri is also in at the weekend, but our plan was always to come to Ireland. I am happy with him - he is not that big, so it’s really a case of seeing where we are with him. He has to go this route now, but that is a very nice problem to have. He is only a few pounds wrong with some of the horses at Down Royal and at the minute it’s a case of all systems go. Groundwise, I see they are planning to have yielding ground (if they don’t get any rain) and that would be perfect for him.

GORDON ELLIOTT

DON POLI

7yo b g (51132-3)

Poliglote - Dalamine

CLARCAM

6yo b g (51125205)

Califet - Rose Beryl

LORD SCOUNDREL

7yo b g (23312-51F2)

Presenting - Noble Choice

ROI DES FRANCS

7yo b g (621166-)

Poliglote - Grande Souveraine

REALT MOR

11yo b g (4831FP)

Beneficial - Suez Canal

OUTLANDER

8yo b g (3111F2-2)

Stowaway - Western Whisper

We have a lot of horses entered in the Grade 1. Don Poli, Clarcam, Lord Scoundrel and Roi Des France are there and I suppose it will be sometime next week before we know what the final team will be, but I’d say we’ll have a good few runners.

Don Poli is in good form and he is a lovely horse to have in the yard and we know that his biggest asset is his stamina. Down Royal takes a bit of getting, especially if the ground turns soft, so I’d like to run him. Lord Scoundrel has done brilliantly for us this season and while he has a bit to do on ratings with a few in the race, he is fit after a great summer and he could run.

Clarcam is a great horse to have about the place and he could line up and if he managed to sneak a bit of prize money that would be great. Realt Mor is another that may take his chance. Outlander is there as well - we are still getting to know him and he seems to be in good form and I’ll chat to Eddie and Michael, but there is a chance that he could line up. He was a very good horse last year and we are delighted to have him.

PAUL NICHOLLS

SILVINIACO CONTI

10yo ch g (1171/22P1P-)

Dom Alco - Gazelle Lulu

I love having runners over there and we’ve won the Grade 1 a few times and I think we’ve won the second season novice chase seven out of the last eight years. This year I am planning to run Silviniaco Conti in the Grade 1 and we brought him back in early this season and he’ll be ready for his life. I think the track will suit him and he loves going right handed - his Kempton record is good and what else would I run him in at home? The Betfair Chase looks like it will be a good race and he is not that easy to place. We just thought that we’d start him off at Down Royal and I think the track will suit him and as I said, he’ll be ready for his life. We never had him right last year even though he won at Ascot, but I hope he is back to his old self and he certainly seemed to enjoy himself at Chepstow on Tuesday.

Le Mercurey is in good shape and he’ll go for the second season novice chase on the Saturday. It’s a race that we have a very good record in and that is the plan for him.

ENDA BOLGER

GILGAMBOA

8yo b g (11321/34554-)

Westerner - Hi Native

Gilgamboa is in the Grade 1 and assuming he gets his ground, he’ll start off there. It will be his first run of the season and he will come for it, but he has to start off somewhere and this looks the ideal race to do that. He looks great after a good break and assuming the ground will be okay, that’s the plan for him.

COLIN BOWE

GOLDEN FLOWERPOWER

4yo b m (51101)

King’s Theatre - Golden Flower

I have Golden Flowerpower as a possible runner in the Grade 3 mares hurdle on Friday. She has won two bumpers and she was very good the last day Roscommon. She has an option of running at Wexford as well and if we didn’t have that option, she would run at Down Royal - we’ll make up our minds next week as to what race she’ll go for. She doesn’t have a lot of miles on the clock, but she is a nice mare that jumps very, very well. As long at the ground isn’t heavy, it will be fine for her. I think the track up there will suit her and she was placed and won her point-to-point, so I am not concerned about her lacking experience for a race like this.

FRANK BERRY

IVANOVICH GORBATOV

4yo b g (1412-3)

Montjeu - Northern Gulch

I’d say there is a chance that Ivanovich Gorbatov could well run in the Grade 2 race (the WKD Hurdle) on Friday. It looks a nice race to start him back in and I know that Joseph is happy with him. He was a good horse for us last season and he had a good break and we are looking forward to it.