Tuesday
Asterion Forlonge
(Supreme Novices’ Hurdle)
Joe Donnelly has always said go wherever you think we should go and at the moment we think the race for him is the Supreme. I was initially aiming this fella for the Albert Bartlett. We ran him at Naas over a mile and seven and I just told Paul that he had no speed at home and to just jump out, use his jumping and see what he is able to do. He won well and the second horse (Pencilfulloflead) won very well the other day. After Naas, I said I’d leave him in the two-mile race at Leopardstown and then I’d know where to go for Cheltenham but he passed that test in flying colours. We haven’t done any major work with him since so I’m hoping he will improve when we do take him out.
Cash Back
(Arkle)
He reminds me of Un De Sceaux. He has that style of running and that style of training. He is a horse who gets on with it at home, he likes to run and jump. If we got soft ground or heavy in the description, I’d be very pleased. We’re taking on Notebook again but we always hope that we can improve our horses going to Cheltenham. Notebook would have had more experience at Leopardstown, whether our fella is now gaining in experience all the time. He has a never-say-die attitude as well.
Sharjah
(Champion Hurdle)
His last run was terrible and we don’t know why. He missed the first hurdle down the back and we don’t know why he did it. He has been an excellent jumper. We just have to put that behind us now and get him back. I’d prefer if the race was on the last day of the Festival so he could get better ground but I think as horses get older they can handle different types of ground. I’d imagine Patrick will ride him.
Cilaos Emery
(Champion Hurdle)
I think he is going to be supplemented now for the Champion Hurdle now after his win at Gowran Park. The thinking is that he has a better chance at being placed in a Champion Hurdle than he would in the Champion Chase. He wasn’t spectacular in the Red Mills, but I loved what he did from the third last. It was good enough for me and Luke to suggest he can go for the Champion Hurdle and the fact that it is such an open race was very much a factor. He’ll be fine over hurdles – we’ll school him again before then and when the adrenaline kicks in, he should be fine.
Benie Des Dieux
(Mares’ Hurdle)
She is entered in the Mares’ Hurdle and she was a very unlucky loser there last year. She was very unlucky and I would like to go back and get some unfinished business done but that will be discussed with Rich. I like soft ground for her and I like what she did at the track last year. She is a hell of a mare. I thought what she did in France last year was probably missed by a lot of people over here. She beat their unbeaten mare and I think even the people over there couldn’t believe she could do what she did. If she had stood up in Cheltenham last year, maybe things would be different now but then again I am a creature of habit so maybe things would be the same!
I curtailed her chasing career because it’s easier to keep her sound running her over hurdles. Remember this mare hasn’t run a lot because I have had soundness issues with her. I’ve got her at a stage now that I can run her two or three times a year and I’d like to stay at that. I don’t want her injured again. If I had to find another race for her, she’d be going up in trip every day of the week. If she ever went chasing again, she could line up in a Gold Cup any day of the week.
She is favourite for the Mares’ and crucially, you have a much better chance of getting softer ground on the Tuesday which is important to her. She is a big mare and when you’re coming back in trip with her, soft ground helps a lot.
Stormy Ireland
(Mares’ Hurdle)
Her last win was very good and I was very pleased with her. We tend to let her do whatever she wants to do, that is the way she likes to run but, in fairness, she didn’t make it all the last day, she got taken on and she just dropped in. She does like to be there or thereabouts.
Carefully Selected
(National Hunt Chase)
He looks born and bred for the four-miler and Patrick is looking forward to riding him there. He gallops and jumps but he has more speed than his appearance suggests. I thought he got a bit of a freebie at Punchestown where he was allowed to go off in front and maybe the other jockeys thought they could do him for speed. If you looked at him in the parade ring, you might think he’s a plodder.
I’ve been amazed by his two other runs where he looked beaten but came back and won well on each occasion. Jumping-wise he gets from A to B but he has made those mistakes so he’ll be getting plenty of schooling as well. Maybe the fact that he’s only had three runs over fences is against him for the four-miler.
Wednesday
The Big Getaway
(Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle)
Talking to my team, we’re happy that he’ll go for the Ballymore. I was delighted with him the last time and he’s coming along nicely. Look at him and you think, let’s talk about him next year because he is just every inch a chaser in the making. I hope he runs well at Cheltenham, he can probably be there or thereabouts but that is probably the hottest race at the meeting. I would have liked to have gotten a bit more experience into him but he’s a good jumper and he has a big engine. I think he has a fighting chance anyway (against Envoi Allen) and I certainly won’t be shying away.
Allaho
(RSA Chase)
I think the RSA is the probable race for him at the moment. He is light on experience but he gallops and jumps. The only thing that could bring us back to the Marsh is that he can be quite keen. We did that with Black Hercules, who was favourite for the National Hunt Chase but ended up winning the JLT Chase. He might be a similar case. We’ll have to see how he works in the coming weeks but at the moment we’d be thinking RSA Chase. His jumping is a huge asset and I think he stays all day. I’d let whoever is going to ride him to let him gallop. I’m not sure we had the right tactics last year against Minella Indo and so we might make a lot more use of him this time.
Chacun Pour Soi
(Champion Chase)
He was much better at the Dublin Racing Festival. He needed his run at Christmas but he has been improving all the time and I’m hoping he will be a big player. I thought Min was the one to beat the last day, especially around Leopardstown, but we always thought the world of Chacun. He had to go do it and that’s what he did. He can improve now because he is only catching up on experience.
He showed us from day one that he could be a different class. The day that we schooled him in Leopardstown really opened my eyes. I sent him to follow graded horses around but after two fences Danny was in front on him and he led them around. That was spectacular for a novice. He seems to be such a natural at his fences, he is one that if you were ever going to go back riding, you’d love to sit on him. I’m not worried about how he’ll handle Cheltenham, he seems to handle any pace.
Un De Sceaux
(Champion Chase)
Connections are very keen to go for the Champion Chase. I don’t think we got the tactics right in the Ryanair last season – we dropped him in. He still retains a huge amount of ability at his age but I think connections want to go for the Champion Chase. I’d love to see lots of rain for him – that could be crucial. Part of the plan is that Patrick will ride him.
Appreciate It
(Champion Bumper)
He has done everything right on his last two runs and he looks to have a big chance in the Bumper. He is by Jeremy and normally they don’t come that big but he is a big chasing type and he gallops and stays all day. He has a huge cruising speed which is what you need for the Bumper. Usually we bring horses to Cheltenham with just one run but this fella has had three and I’m very happy with the way things have worked out.
Thursday
Melon
(Marsh Chase)
I think he showed us the last day that he needs a trip. His jumping, while it is good, is probably not as good as it needs to be for two miles. He might even be a three-miler in time. His Festival form is very good, without him winning, he has been second there three times, in a Supreme and two Champion Hurdles, so maybe I’ve just been running him over the wrong trip! If he gets a clear round of jumping, I think he’ll go close.
Easy Game
(Marsh Chase/RSA Chase)
He could easily go for either race. I would like to go wherever the ground is better, if that was possible – that will dictate the decision. He has improved significantly for fences which is extraordinary because I wasn’t sure when we got him if he’d ever jump a fence but Robbie Power was buzzing when he got off him the last day and said he was a natural. When we bought him we were looking at him as a hurdles horse that might go back on the flat so he is one who has surprised me nicely.
Faugheen
(Marsh Chase/RSA Chase)
Rich text me last night and said “Do remember that we haven’t spoken about our plans in Cheltenham for two particular horses Faugheen (and Benie Des Dieux)!” So that is the party line at the moment. No decision has been made. I’m delighted that he has been able to come back and win two Grade 1 races. He has been in great shape since.
I was disappointed with myself for not going chasing with him last season but I suppose a lot of people thought the Stayers’ Hurdle was a nice target for him. It’s a lot of pressure bringing a horse of his age chasing, if the worst was to happen, a lot would fall back on me. But I felt that horse was in great form and he’s still in great form.
Min
(Ryanair Chase)
We got the tactics wrong on him last season in the Champion Chase so if we were going back there we would change that up. But I suppose Rich (Ricci) would like to split him and Chacun Pour Soi up so he could well go for the Ryanair. You saw what he did at Aintree last year so two and a half miles won’t be a problem at all.
Penhill
(Stayers’ Hurdle)
He ran very well in Navan the other day. He came out of the race well. I think he needed that run and I think that will bring him on. This year I’ve got runs into him. As he has got older, he is taking a lot more training. He’s getting that and he’s taking it, holding on to his condition a lot more this year which is a good thing because he’s strong but it’s harder for me to get him ready.
I’m hoping the run the other day will put him in the right place and he is still going to need a day away to put him completely right. He may have even needed that run at Navan. Paul thought he might win in the straight and then he just took a blow. I’m happy that he may have needed that run and he’ll improve and we should have him right for Cheltenham.
Bacardys
(Stayers’ Hurdle)
He ran well in the Stayers’ two years ago. I tried to go chasing with him for the last two years and it didn’t work out. Patrick persuaded me to stay hurdling with him this year. I ran him back too quick in the Hatton’s Grace. I probably should have gone from Navan to Leopardstown at Christmas. That was my mistake. He likes Cheltenham and I think he has each-way potential.
Dolcita
(Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle)
I think she’s quite good. I was disappointed with her run behind Minella Melody at Fairyhouse. I think there is still a lot more to come from her.
There was no real excuse there at Fairyhouse but we still think she is good enough to take her chance in the Mares’ Novices’.
Friday
Monkfish
(Albert Bartlett)
His form got a boost this week (Run Wild Fred) so I think it’s a fairly simple decision to go for the Albert Bartlett. He was very green on his first run when we got things wrong with him and he disappointed me. He looked like he’d never raced before that time at Fairyhouse. We changed a few things for his next run and it worked. I think he is improving. He is not a big heavy horse, he’s light-framed, doesn’t take a lot of training and is one for the future probably more than this year. But I’m hope I’m wrong and he can do it in the Albert Bartlett.
Janidil
(Albert Bartlett)
He’s in the handicaps but I’m wondering: does he have a good profile for the Albert Bartlett? He’s rated 145, which could be good enough and I just like the fact that we have run him a lot this season and he has so much experience. His owner might have something better for the Albert Bartlett and we’ll have to look at what mark he gets for the handicaps but we are looking at the novice race.
Al Boum Photo
(Gold Cup)
When last year worked out so well, I thought that was the thing to do again. I’m probably a creature of habit so when something works, we go back and do it again and hope for the best. He’s going to go into the race nice and fresh, off a nice prep run but it’s worth noting that it can be very hard for Gold Cup winners to come back and win, but he’s come back and won already, albeit in a Grade 2 race, but a lot of Gold Cup horses don’t come back at all.