WATERFORD PREVIEW –

WOODLANDS

AS Cheltenham preview evenings go, there’s one very much very much to the forefront.

This was the 11th annual renewal of the Ladbrokes-sponsored event in Woodlands Hotel, in Waterford which this year took place in aid of St Declan’s SVP and Waterford Hospice.

With Brian Gleeson once in again in the chair, there were 11 panellists with regular guests John Francome and Davy Russell providing the main entertainment. Oliver Sherwood and Mick Fitzgerald were joined by Yorkshire’s Jim McGrath, who showed precisely why he’s so missed from our television screens.

Henry de Bromhead, set to field his strongest ever Cheltenham team, was on the panel and David Casey was there to provide the low-down on the Willie Mullins contenders. Jack Kennedy quietly gave his views with Katie Walsh being more vocal. Noel O’Brien, as always, provided perfectly balanced viewpoints and Hayley O’Connor represented the sponsors.

Francome had us searching for our pens straight away when he nominated Moon Racer, a horse that started his career with octogenarian Michael Ronayne from outside Dungarvan, as his banker for the whole meeting in this race.

Francome said: “Moon Racer stays well and likes the track. I love this horse as an individual and I’d half fancy him if he ran in the Champion Hurdle.”

Russell later disclosed that it was on social media on Thursday afternoon that Moon Racer has been well-supported for the Champion Hurdle at 10/1. Fitzgerald is a fan of the Harry Fry-trained Neon Wolf, a Ballyragget maiden point-to-point winner last season for Mag Mullins.

De Bromhead, in essence, was the panellist that this evening revolved around as the local Knockeen handler has any amount of realistic Cheltenham contenders including Champagne West, Monalee and of course Petit Mouchoir in the Champion Hurdle.

The 44-year-old, whose wife Heather and father Harry were in the audience as were some of his staff members, issued a positive bulletin on Petit Mouchoir. He said: “He won the Ryanair Hurdle impressively at Christmas and he hadn’t done much wrong this year, apart from falling in the Fighting Fifth. Petit Mouchoir would compare favourably with Sizing Europe. He is a real galloping horse and he has got his jumping together. It is very exciting for us to have a horse like him.”

Francome was in the Yanworth corner and so too was Sherwood who opined that the ground will more than likely be good/soft which will suit Alan King’s charge. Hayley O’Connor revealed that there has indeed being ‘huge money’ in the Champion Hurdle market for Limini.

For the Neptune Novices’ Hurdle, Casey certainly wasn’t putting anyone off from backing Bacardys. He said: “We like him and he has done nothing wrong. He will improve plenty for his win in the Deloitte Hurdle at Leopardstown last month. He was lame after Christmas and we thought that he would need the run badly in the ‘Deloitte’.”

Russell was encouraging those present to back Death Duty at 8/1, non-runner, no bet, for this race. The Youghal native thinks that Death Duty, alluded to by Jack Kennedy as the best horse that he has ridden, has loads of pace. Katie ventured that Death Duty is not guaranteed to get three miles, while O’Brien argued that all that Gordon Elliott’s charge did when winning at Naas was stay.

BEST HORSE

Sherwood put in a good word for Neon Wolf, whom he believes is the best horse that Harry Fry has trained in his short career to date.

The RSA Chase provided plenty of entertainment with Francome saying that he didn’t know what happened to Daryl Jacob when he wrestled this race’s favourite Might Bite to the ground at the final fence with victory well and truly in his grasp in the Grade 1 Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton over Christmas.

It seems Russell is not a Might Bite fan. To plenty of laughs, Russell said: “He is by Scorpion, he will have his race run by the time that he leaves the parade ring. I wouldn’t even lead-up Might Bite. I bet you he will stand on his lass’ toe walking around the parade-ring and he would be laughing at her then! “

Francome, however, was still siding with Might Bite and Noel O’Brien alluded to Sandra Hughes’ Acapella Bourgeois as being a good bet (at 16/1) on the back of his 32-length romp at Navan last month.

Onto the Queen Mother Champion Chase then with Casey saying of Douvan: “He is in very good form, he looks great and he worked well this morning. He is a gentleman of a horse and we think that he is the best horse that we probably have ever had.”

Casey likewise was the centre of attention when it came to the Champion Bumper. He remarked of likely favourite Carter McKay, called, of course, after Steve McQueen’s iconic character in the 1972 film ‘The Getaway’: “He has improved again since Naas. We also run Next Destination, who is a horse that is a galloper. It wouldn’t be a shock if he runs well and Ruby (Walsh) rides him.”

Mullins of course also runs Yorkhill in the JLT Novices’ Chase. Francome wasn’t in the Yorkhill corner. He said: “Yorkhill gets his back up really high. I think that he will struggle around Cheltenham with his jumping.” Katie Walsh disagreed with them all as she referred to Yorkhill as an ‘absolute beast’ and she said that he will win the JLT.

In the Ryanair Chase, Casey certainly wasn’t putting anyone off from backing Un De Sceaux. He said: “Un De Sceaux is a solid horse and the ground was too quick for him last year. The step up in trip will help him and he is a much more relaxed horse this year.”

McGrath agreed, but Fitzgerald was firmly in the Empire Of Dirt corner - the gelding being the banker of the meeting.

Kennedy, not one to make five sentences when one would clearly suffice, said: “I think Empire Of Dirt will be very hard to beat. I thought he was a horse that could have gone for the Gold Cup.”

Casey advised that the 5/2 on offer about Let’s Dance is extremely good value for the mares’ novice. For the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, Kennedy, not surprisingly, said that he didn’t think that there was anything to beat Death Duty.

But, the horse that we all wanted to know about was Monalee. He said: “I like Monalee. This is probably the race that we should go for as Monalee is proven to stay. He is a very good horse and the extra half-mile will definitely play to our strengths.

De Bromhead then asked Gleeson what race would he go for with Monalee, as in the Neptune or the Albert Bartlett. Gleeson quickly indicated the latter - Fitzgerald added that Tom Segal has put forward Monalee as being one of the best bets of the entire evening.

GOLD CUP

When it came to the Gold Cup, Francome and Fitzgerald were firmly in the Native River corner. Although, Francome said that he would have €50 each-way on Bristol De Mai, to the general amusement of Russell who gave Nigel Twiston-Davies’ grey absolutely no chance.

De Bromhead recommended his own horse Champagne West, raised 12lb by Noel O’Brien, as the best handicapper around and very fair, to a mark of 166 following his stunning victory in the Thyestes Chase.

The rest of the panel, however, favoured Djakadam. Casey agreed saying that he thinks that Djakadam has the best form in the race. He ventured that the French-bred ran too freely when finishing third in the Lexus Chase over Christmas.

Casey also came out firmly against Cue Card. “I think that Cue Card has no chance,” he said. “He ran two stone below his best in the King George behind Thistlecrack. As soon as Paddy Brennan dropped his hands on him crossing the line at Ascot he pulled-up. For me, he left his season behind him when he got into a battle with Coneygree at Haydock.”

All in all, it was a most informative night. Eleven panellists just may have been too much, but, there were a wide-range of topics discussed, with plenty of different viewpoints. Very well done Ladbrokes and the Woodlands Hotel. Here’s looking forward to next year!

PANEL’S BANKER/CHARITY BETS

Mick Fitzgerald: Empire Of Dirt in the RyanAir Chase

Noel O’Brien: Vroum Vroum Mag in Mares’ Hurdle

David Casey: Augusta Kate in Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

Katie Walsh: Lets Dance in Mares’ Novice Hurdle

Hayley O’Connor: Un De Sceaux in Ryanair Chase

Davy Russell: Uxizandre in Ryanair Chase

Jim McGrath: Beware The Bear in the National Hunt Chase

Henry de Bromhead: €50 e/w Monalee in whichever novice Hurdle he goes for

Oliver Sherwood: Dino Velvet in Fred Winter Hurdle

Jack Kennedy: Death Duty in Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

John Francome: Moon Racer in Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

Brian Gleeson: €50 on Monalee & €50 on Coney Island (now a non runner) in RSA Novices’ Chase