Henry de Bromhead has assembled a powerful troupe of horses for the Dublin Racing Festival and is likely to be represented in all eight Grade 1s, with a favourite’s chance in at least three. The current shortest priced of de Bromhead’s intended runners is the ultra-impressive juvenile Aspire Tower who runs in the Tattersalls Ireland Spring Juvenile Hurdle.
All eyes however will be on his star mare Honeysuckle who will run in the Irish Champion Hurdle and, if she wins, her name will be thrown into the hat for the corresponding race at the Cheltenham Festival.
Here, Henry talks us through his likely runners at Leopardstown.
A Plus Tard
Kapgarde - Turboka
6yo b g (21213-21)
Cheveley Park Stud
He seems really well and is in great form, we’re aiming him at the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase. He was really good at Christmas. We always felt he was more of a middle-distance horse so when you go up against an impressive two-miler like Chacun Pour Soi it’s a pleasant surprise to see your horse win well. Last year at Cheltenham he seemed to be going extremely well throughout. I was worried about the fences in his way and whether he’d stay! He was brilliant and Rachael was brilliant on him. It was her first winner at Cheltenham and we were delighted that it was our yard that gave it to her. He seems to have a preference for left-handed tracks, he’s never shown any reason why he would prefer it, but he seems to run a stone better left-handed. He loves Leopardstown, and we were delighted to give Cheveley Park their first Grade 1 winner with us. We’ll see what happens here, but the Ryanair Chase is the plan and that’s unlikely to change. He’s definitely up there with Special Tiara and Sizing Europe even though I never saw him as a two-miler.
Aspire Tower
Born To Sea – Red Planet
4yo b g (11)
Brendan McNeill and Jonathon Maloney
We were very lucky to get him, his owners decided to race him in Ireland this season. He had very solid flat form before we got him and if you set out to buy a horse off the flat to go hurdling, he would’ve ticked an awful lot of boxes. He’s taken to hurdling really well and seems to really enjoy it. It was only his second run at Christmas, and he hadn’t even run in a schooling race so we expect further improvement. We’re very excited to have him in the yard, but you have to temper that a bit. We’re delighted to have him, he’s a real good horse and hopefully he’ll continue winning ways.
Captain Guinness
Arakan – Presenting D’Azy
5yo b g (12)
Declan Landy
He came out of Punchestown well but he won’t run at Leopardstown. It just comes a little quick, and he’ll go straight to the Supreme. Unfortunately he got beaten the last day, but it was by a very good horse [Andy Dufresne].
Chris’s Dream
Mahler - Janebailey
8yo b g (1215PU-1)
Robcour
We were thinking of either the Irish Gold Cup or the Thyestes and when he was given a mark of 160 we decided on Leopardstown. He stays three miles really well and if there’s a good ease in the ground he’ll take his chance here. He’s in great form but his form seems to tail off after three runs. He’s had a nice break now and we’d ideally like to run him here but we might be struggling with the weather forecast. We want to give him a proper go in a Grade 1 and see where we stand.
Cobbler’s Way
Oscar – Beeper’s Leader
6yo b g (1-21)
Gigginstown House Stud
We were delighted with him at Christmas. He won nicely in the end and stuck at it well. Rachael got a great jump out of him at the last when he looked like he was struggling and he went away and did it nicely. He was very impressive in winning his bumper last year and he’s a horse we always liked. He’s a big, big horse and we’ve taken our time with him.
Honeysuckle
Sulamani – First Royal
6yo b m (1111-11)
Kenneth Alexander
She seems in great form and she’s working well and all seems good with her. We’re looking forward to getting her out again, really. We’re dropping back in distance now in the Champion Hurdle and we’ll see how it all unfolds. I’m not concerned about her going left-handed. She obviously hasn’t proven herself going that way and it can be a factor but she hasn’t shown us any signs that it’ll be a problem but until you go and do it, who knows? She won her point in Dromahane which is left-handed but other than that she’s always run right-handed, so it’s going to be something new.
In terms of dropping back to two miles, she’s won a listed hurdle in Thurles last year but she’s always looked very good over two-and-a-half so we never really saw much reason to change from that. Again that’s new to us and we’ll see. At this level, it’s a different ball game. I suppose the fear is dropping back from two-and-a-half to two (miles) and you’re suddenly on real good ground as well. I don’t know how keen I’d be on that but once there’s a slight ease in the ground this is where we’ll be going. I’d say if she did win the Irish Champion Hurdle, a decision on which race she’d run in at Cheltenham wouldn’t be made until much nearer the time. It wouldn’t be just made on her performance here, there’ll be a lot of other things to weigh up, particularly what other horses target each race.
The star attraction of Henry de Bromhead's embarassment of riches, Honeysuckle \ carolinenorris.ie
Jason The Militant
Sans Frontieres – Rock Angel
6yo b g (3-21)
Peter Michael
He’s a horse we’ve always liked. He was third to Envoi Allen in his first run. I think the maiden hurdle he won in Limerick will turn out to be pretty good. If the ground is properly soft, he’ll run.
Minella Indo
Beat Hollow – Carrigeen Lily
7yo b g (211-21)
Barry Maloney
He came out of his last race really well. We’re delighted he won and it was good to get him a spin over three miles before the RSA. He won’t run at Leopardstown but we’re very happy with him.
Notebook
Samum – Nova
7yo b g (221202-111)
Gigginstown House Stud
He’s done really well. Obviously he’s come from a relatively low rating over hurdles, 135, but it’s only when you look back through his form, you see the likes of Janadil, who he beat at Tramore on New Year’s Day. We kept stepping him up in trip and, for various reasons, things conspired against him. We went back to two miles again at Punchestown and that was probably his best run last year. He’s always schooled like a really nice horse over fences so we’d hoped that he would improve. I couldn’t have ever said he’d improve to this level but it’s brilliant to have him. He’s always been a natural jumper, even in his point-to-points for John Nallen, and more or less from the first day we schooled him here, he’s always been impressive.
Paloma Blue
Stowaway – Court Leader
8yo b g (4166-23)
C Jones
He has a lot of solid form over two miles around Leopardstown. He was disappointing at Ascot, but he’s a horse that I’ve always thought a huge amount of. If you look at his beginners’ chase last year, he was up alongside Real Steel at the last. His jumping has come together this year and he’s jumping a lot better. We’d be hopeful he’ll put his best foot forward in a handicap chase.
Petit Mouchoir
Al Namix – Arnette
9yo gr g (63044-422)
Gigginstown House Stud
He’s in great form and had a really good run at Christmas. He’s won this race before and is really coming back to himself now so we’re hoping for a big run from him.