Cheltenham Festival
THE entries for the Grade 1 novice hurdles and chases were revealed this week with one of the talking points the small entry for the Arkle Novices’ Chase.
Even with the Turners Novice Chase removed from the Festival card, the Arkle only has 23 entries, 13 of them Irish-trained. The biggest Arkle field in the last 10 years was the 12 who lined up in Duc De Geniveres’s win in 2019. Only five made the starting line last year and it looks sure to be a single figure field again, headed by market leaders Lulamba and Kopek Des Bordes, who heads to the DRF where Romeo Coolio may be in opposition.
By contrast, the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase has held up well with 43 entries, 29 Irish-trained.
Willie Mullins dominates with 16 possibles, headed by Final Demand and Kempton Grade 1 winner Kitzbuhel. Jimmy Du Seuil, Joystick, Kaid d’Authie and Kappa Jy Pyke also have winning form this winter.
Romeo Coolio has been given the option over the longer trip, the DRF no doubt will decide which option is taken.
The mare Jade De Grugy has also been given an entry over the three miles and she is joined by Henry de Bromhead’s Limerick winner The Big Westerner.
The top-rated young hurdlers are in the Supreme Novices which also includes three four-year-olds, Proactif and Macho Man from Willie Mullins and Minella Yoga from Paul Nicholls.
Of the Christmas fallers, El Cairos is only in the Supreme but Talk The Talk is in both the Tuesday and Wednesday openers along with impressive recent winner Mighty Park and his stable companion The Reverend. Nicky Henderson’s second strings behind Old Park Star, Act Of Innocence and the impressive Newbury winner Fire Warning, are in both races.
Online chat
There has been some online chat about the Mullins/Donnelly-owned five-year-old Fou De Toi, who has yet to appear after one run in France.
There is a lot of weeding out to be done on the Albert Bartlett with 83 entries, 48 Irish-trained. Turners favourite No Drama This End is perhaps a surprising entry from the Nicholls camp. Last year’s Triumph Hurdle didn’t find favour with the authorities, seeing a field of 17 but 11 of them trained by Willie Mullins. There are 68 entries this season and 34 Irish-trained with 19 from the Mullins yard.
Among those yet to run are Sunday’s Naas entries Charme De Faust (Ricci), Majolique (K Alexander), Mon Creuset and Moulin Labbe (Gigginstown), and big money €470,000 buy Quinteplus (H. O. S. Syndicate).
Supreme best odds: 9/4 Old Park Star, 5/1 El Cairos, 8/1 Talk The Talk, Mydaddypaddy, 12 Mighty Park, 14 Mossy Fen Road, 16 Idaho Sun, 20 Sober, Ballyfad
Arkle best odds: 6/4 Lulamba, 3/1 Kopek Des Bordes, 11/2 Romeo Coolio, 7 Kargese, 16 Irish Panther, 20 Mambonumberfive, 25 Kappa Jy Pyke, 33 Kawaboomga, Kala Conti
Turners best odds: 7/2 No Drama This End, 12 Mighty Park, 14 Skylight Hustle, Act Of Innocence, 16 I’ll Sort That, 20 Sortudo, Ballyfad, Doctor Du Mesnil, Sober
Brown Advisory best odds: 5/4 Final Demand, 10 Kitzbuhel, The Big Westerner, 12 Romeo Coolio, 16 Koktail Divin, Wendigo, 20 Western Fold, 25 Salver, Kappa Jy Pike
Triumph best odds: 4/1 Narciso Has, 7 Proactif, 10 Maestro Conti, Mange Tout,
12 Fantasy World, 16 Minella Study, Macho Man, 20 Minella Yoga, Selma De Vary
Albert Bartlett best odds: 12 Doctor Steinberg, 14 No Drama This End, Sortudo, Espresso Milan, 16 I’ll Sort That, 20 Doctor Du Mesnil, You Proof, 25 Klimt Madrik, Carlenrig