HENRY DE BROMHEAD
IDENTITY THIEF
5yo b g 11
Kayf Tara - Miss Arteea
Gigginstown House Stud
Deloitte Novice Hurdle
He seems to be in great form. He is unbeaten in his two starts to date and he looks a very nice horse and Sunday will tell us a lot more about him. He was very good the last day at Leopardstown but this looks a very strong race. He won his maiden hurdle well over two and a half and before that he won his bumper over two, so I don’t see the trip of (two/two) being an issue for him. He is a horse with plenty of gears and we have always liked him.
DAVY RUSSELL
LORD WINDERMERE
9yo b g F11418/221231/8761-37
Oscar - Satellite Dancer
Dr Ronan Lambe
Hennessy Gold Cup
I dropped him right out the last day and things just never happened for him in the Lexus but he still ran a reasonable race - he was beaten the same distance in the race last year. The ground was very holding at Christmas and he was never comfortable on it. We were thrilled with his comeback run at Punchestown in the Durkan Chase and we expected him to improve for that, but as I said things never happened for him in the Lexus. Jim (Culloty) seems to be very happy with him now and he goes there at the weekend in great shape so hopefully he’ll take a big step forward.
LE VENT D’ANTAN
6yo b g 17/3212-121
Martaline - Leeloo
Goliath Syndicate
Flogas Novice Chase
He was very good the last day and I think he is a very nice horse. He jumped great and Liz (Doyle) is very happy with him. Sunday will tell us more about him and I think he is aiming towards being a very good novice chaser. He progressed throughout the second half of last season over hurdles and he appears to have improved again this season. He jumped great on his first start over fences at Naas and he came on a lot for that run. Liz tells me that he has improved again for his run at Christmas time, but this looks a hell of a good race and we will know a lot more about how good he is after Sunday.
ENDA BOLGER
ON THE FRINGE
10yo b g 3411/14/32F/1/123-112
Exit To Nowhere - Love And Porter
J.P. McManus
Raymond Smith Memorial Foxhunters Chase
He ran okay in Down Royal at Christmas but he would have needed the run. He was beaten fair and square on the day by Oscar Barton and he has won again since at Oldtown at the weekend. My horse will have come on a good bit for that and regarding plans, I am not sure if he’ll go to Cheltenham or Aintree but we’ll get Sunday out of the way first and see how he gets on. I would expect a better performance from him at the weekend.
TED WALSH
FOXROCK
7yo b g 1U231/213119-5321
Flemensfirth - Midnight Light
Barry Connell
Hennessy Gold Cup
He was good the last day in the Leopardstown Chase and he has come out of that race well. He had the two options after that, either run on Sunday or wait for the Bobbyjo at Fairyhouse, but Barry (Connell) lives just down the road and as long as he is okay, he’ll go to Leopardstown. He is gone up to 158 now and there are not a lot of options for him. You might only get one crack at a race like this and he is entitled to take his chance. Whether he is good enough to be in the shake up only time will tell but he rarely runs a bad race around Leopardstown. Barry is a great supporter of the game and it is great for him to have a runner in a race like this.
BARRY CONNELL
MOSSEY JOE
12yo ch g /342U11/11133-P
Moscow Society - Delmiano
Barry Connell
Raymond Smith Foxhunters Chase
He seems to be in good form and Enda is happy with him. He had the one run in a point this year when he was pulled up but he we are happier with him now. It looks very competitive but we are hoping that he runs a good race.
THE TULLOW TANK
7yo b g 2/451/1112-156
Oscar - Bobbing Back
Barry Connell
Flogas Novice Chase
He has been a bit disappointing on his last couple of runs. When he ran in the Drinmore, he had a lung infection so you can put a line through that. He didn’t jump as well as he can when he ran at Christmas time and we have ironed out a few little things with him. We are hoping for a better performance at the weekend.
BLUE HELL
5yo b g 11243-3
Russian Blue - Art Fair
Barry Connell
Paddy Power Live Streaming Handicap Hurdle
He is a nice horse that came to us from France. He has run a couple of nice enough races but we have got his wind done since. This will be his first run back and while he will come on for the run, we are hoping that he will run a good race.
GORDON ELLIOTT
CHATHAM HOUSE RULE
4yo gr c 01
Authorized - Cozy Maria
Gigginstown House Stud
Gala Retail Spring Juvenile Hurdle
He got an easy lead when he won the last day at Punchestown. He had a hard race that day but he has come out of it well and he seems to be in great form. His work has been good but this race will tell us a bit more about him. We’d like to think that he could be a nice horse but we’ll see how Sunday goes first and make a plan from there.
VERCINGETORIX
4yo b c 1
Dylan Thomas - Great Artist
Simon Munir & Isaac Souede
Gala Retail Spring Juvenile Hurdle
He won well at Limerick. It might not have been the strongest of races but he did it well. I think he’ll appreciate the better ground on Sunday and we’ll see how he gets on. He has options at Cheltenham and Sunday will tell us a lot more about where we stand. He was a good horse on the flat and he is not slow. He has a bit of class and he jumps great. He has been in good shape at home so hopefully he’ll run a good race on Sunday.
FRANK BERRY
ALIVISIO VILLE
5yo gr g 3-1
Visionary - Murphy Ville
J.P. McManus
Deloitte Novice Hurdle
He did it well when he won his maiden hurdle at Christmas. Willie seems very happy with him and he seems to be in good form. It is a big step up for him on Sunday and I don’t think the ground will be an issue for him. It wasn’t that bad when he won at Christmas so the likely better ground on Sunday won’t be a problem for him. I think his lack of experience might stand against him more than anything else as he has only had the one run over hurdles.
CARLINGFORD LOUGH
9yo b g /21221U6-15
King-s Theatre - Baden
J.P. McManus
Hennessy Gold Cup
He ran well in the Lexus and we couldn’t have been happier with him. He went there in good order and hopefully he can improve a bit for that run. John is very happy with him. He has a bit to find with a few of these but hopefully he’ll run well. We’ll learn an awful lot about him on Sunday. If he can’t perform or be there at the finish, he has no business going for a Gold Cup but we’ll see how he gets on at the weekend. John tells me he is in very good form.
BRYAN COOPER
VALSEUR LIDO
6yo b g 61/1101-211
Anzillero – Libido Rock
Gigginstown House Stud
Flogas Novice Chase
He was very good when he won the Drinmore and I suppose if you take out Un De Sceaux, he was probably the most impressive winner of a novice chase this year. The fact that he hasn’t run since, means that he is coming into the race a bit under the radar. I don’t think he has to improve a great deal to win again on Sunday, but it is Grade 1 and you can’t take anything for granted. In saying that, it would be great if he could do the same as he did at Fairyhouse.
I sat on him on Tuesday on the Curragh and he is in good form. He is not a horse that would show you a lot at home which is often a good sign. He seems to save his best for the track.
FIRST LIEUTENANT
10yo ch g /4232213/34234-246
Presenting – Fourstargale
Gigginstown House Stud
Hennessy Gold Cup
The drying ground will be a big plus for him. I sat on him at Mouse’s last week and he was jumping out of his skin and he looks super. He ran well enough in the Lexus, but a few of Mouse’s didn’t appear to run up to their best at Christmas time and I think he goes there with his chance.
We know that he likes Leopardstown but this looks a very competitive race and I suppose the horse that I took out of the Lexus was Carlingford Lough. He was having his first run since Punchestown and I thought he ran very well. He might be the one to beat.
WILLIE MULLINS
BOSTON BOB
10yo b g /1661-1324
Bob Back – Bavaway
Andrea & Graham Wylie
ON HIS OWN
11yo b g /1766112-862
Presenting – Shuil Na Mhuire
Andrea & Graham Wylie
Hennessy Gold Cup
They both ran well in the Lexus Chase at Christmas (On His Own finished second and Boston Bob fourth) and we’ve been happy with the way they’ve progressed since.
ALVISIO VILLE
5yo gr g 3-1
Visionary – Murphy Ville
J.P. McManus
Grade 1 Deloitte Novice Hurdle
The McManus team is very keen to run Alvisio Ville in the Deloitte, so that’s where he’ll go. He’s fit and well and we’re looking forward to seeing him.