CHELTENHAM RACEDAY PREVIEW: Dr Richard Newland, Evan Williams, Henry Oliver, and Emma Lavelle Assess their chances on day one of The April Meeting.

Henry Oliver has reported The Big Bite to be in “good order” as he bids to sign off his season on a high in Wednesday’s feature at Cheltenham, the Grade Two Ballymore Silver Trophy Handicap Chase.

The eight year old looked likely to win last month’s Grade Three Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury before hanging left on the run-in and Oliver is hopeful that his charge can build on that run with another good performance here.

He said: “He ran a creditable race off his mark last time and unfortunately it just didn’t all go to plan. Once he hit the rail (at Newbury) he straightened up but obviously his chance had gone by then, but he’s come back in really good order and he’s good to go again.

“The track here is a bit of an unknown, he has run there once before, but most of his form is on flat galloping tracks. His owners were keen to see if he handled the track just for future reference so we can make a bit of a plan for next year.

“It was pretty decent ground at Newbury the last day so I don’t see why this ground wouldn’t suit. He’s not had a busy season and seems to have come out of his last start well – he has a 4lbs higher mark here but the form is working out well and he’s in good order.”

Oliver also sends out the popular veteran Singlefarmpayment in the sixth race, the Weatherite Handicap Chase. The 11 year has been a regular fixture in competitive handicaps over the years and picked up his first success since December 2016 when winning at Ascot last month.

His trainer is now hopeful the gelding will have gained some confidence from that run last month and said: “He had his day last time and we were delighted for the old boy.

“Adrian gave him a lovely ride and everything came together and he won nicely to be fair to him. Hopefully that’s given the horse a bit of confidence and he seems bright and well this morning.

“The handicapper has been fair to him by putting him up 4lbs for that win and I think looking at some of his really good form he is well in. Hopefully he’s got a little bit of confidence now he’s got his head in front and he can go well again.”

One runner who is proving popular in the betting for tomorrow’s feature race – the Ballymore Silver Trophy Handicap Chase – is the Evan Williams-trained Coole Cody, who will be bidding to sign off a fine first season over fences on a high.

The 10 year old was an impressive winner of the Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup at the November Meeting, and Williams is hopeful that his runner can give another good account of himself here.

He said: “He’s been in great form all year and his Festival run was fantastic when you look at how well the winner ran at Aintree last week.

“He’s been a great horse this year and winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup was brilliant, so whatever he does he’ll always be the Paddy Power winner. He’s done very well for us and hopefully he runs well again.”

Williams also sends out Winds Of Fire in the Kingston Stud Handicap Hurdle and is hopeful that the drop back to two and a half miles will play into the hands of his six year old.

He said: “He’s had a good solid season. He’s found one or two horses a bit too good for him at times but he’s been going the right way and we just thought it was worth upping him in class off a featherweight because he has been so progressive this year.

“I think a stiff two and a half (miles) is probably his ideal trip – he’s got a good racing weight and although it’s a very competitive race, if he handles the track he’s got a good chance.”

Also represented in the feature race is the Emma Lavelle team, who send out Manofthemountain. The eight year old bounced back to form with a good effort to finish second at Kempton Park on the back of a break last month and his trainer is hopeful that this assignment will suit him.

She said: “He’s come out of his last run great and he probably just took a blow at the back of the second last on what was his first run after a winter break.

“He will definitely have come on from that. He loves to jump and travel and although his winning has been done over three miles I think round Cheltenham with the hill I think it could play to his strengths. He didn’t get home when we ran him over further so I’m looking forward to seeing him run tomorrow.”

Lavelle also runs The Domino Effect in the Jockey Club Cheltenham and South West Syndicate Handicap Hurdle, a horse who opened his account over hurdles in good style at Chepstow last month.

His trainer feels he deserves to take his chance in this competitive heat now switched back to handicap company and said: “He’d knocked on the door a few times and has been a bit of a slow learner, so it has all started to come together and I think the cheekpieces probably helped him at Chepstow.

“He travelled well, jumped well and won the race nicely, but clearly going from novice company to handicapping is a big change and hopefully over three miles it will give him time to travel and jump and we’ll see where we are with him. Chasing will be his game next season, but he deserves a crack at a nice race like this.”

Elsewhere on the card, Dr Richard Newland is due to have three runners, including Captain Tom Cat in the Kingston Stud Handicap Hurdle. The six year old racked up a hat-trick on good ground in the early part of the season and his handler is hopeful of a good run here after being given a mid-season break.

He said: “He’s in good form. He’s been trained for the race and I think he probably wants better ground, we obviously had a very good season, had a nice break to freshen him up and the plan will be to go for the handicap hurdle tomorrow and then almost certainly we’ll be going novice chasing fairly soon after.

“He should hopefully go well – there’s no easy race at Cheltenham as we know, but he’s in good form and he’s ready to go. Cillin (Leonard, jockey) knows the horse well and has lots of confidence on him, so I hope he’ll run a really good race.”

Newland also sends out Aaron Lad in the Jockey Club Cheltenham and South West Syndicate Handicap Hurdle, who will be able to line up off a nice racing weight with his jockey Cillin Leonard taking off a useful 7lbs.

His trainer added: “He’s come out of the Newbury run really well. He had a little niggly problem at the start of the season and we’ve just been playing a bit of catch up to get out there, so we’ve decided to go over hurdles just for now.

“He ran a solid race last time, he’s trained nicely and he’s a really genuine animal. He’s been high enough in the weights and I’m pleased they’ve dropped him 3lbs here. The reason I’ve taken 7lbs off is purely to give every chance to the horse and he’s won round there before so we’ll have a go.”

Preview of the Newmarket Craven Meeting Day 1, Andrew Balding looking forward to the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket on Tuesday.

Taking centre stage is the Listed bet365 Feilden Stakes over nine furlongs which often provides some valuable pointers to the future, most significantly in recent years when it went to Golden Horn in 2015. The Anthony Oppenheimer-owned colt, who was trained by John Gosden, went on enjoy a fabulous campaign with victories in the Derby, Coral-Eclipse, Irish Champion Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

The field of nine for tomorrow’s contest includes a pair from Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby – Secret Protector (William Buick) and Highland Avenue (James Doyle). Both already have made their mark in 2021 with Secret Protector easing to a comfortable victory in an extended nine furlong conditions race at Meydan, UAE and Highland Avenue, a Dubawi colt out of 2015 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Lumiere, rattling off two wins on the Polytrack at Kempton Park, most recently in the ‘Road To The Kentucky Derby’ Conditions Stakes on 3^rd March.

Youth Spirit has been not been seen out since finishing third in the Group Two Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood in late July, having previously won a seven-furlong maiden on Newmarket’s July Course earlier in the same month.

Trainer Andrew Balding reports the son of Camelot to be in good order for his return to action tomorrow when he will be partnered by Oisin Murphy.

Balding said: “I am very happy with Youth Spirit and have been pleased with how he has been working so far this spring.

“He will come for the run tomorrow but I am looking forward to getting him going again.

“He showed a very decent level of form last year and he is an exciting horse for this year.”

Roger Varian is represented by Royal Champion, who was the impressive winner of his only start in 2020 when landing a mile maiden on the Rowley Mile. Ireland’s champion trainer Aidan O’Brien sends over Arturo Toscanini, who similarly won on his sole start last year when taking a Curragh maiden in November.

Fancy Man also held an entry in Thursday’s Group Three bet365 Craven Stakes but trainer Richard Hannon has opted for tomorrow’s contest instead. The son of Pride Of Dubai landed two of his three starts last year, rounding off the campaign with a Listed victory in the Betfair Exchange Ascendant Stakes at Haydock Park.

Gentleman Joe left his debut form well behind when the comfortable winner of a mile maiden at Kempton Park on 17^th March and the Authorized colt takes a step up in class tomorrow when he will be partnered by Hollie Doyle.

Trainer Joseph Tuite reported: “Gentleman Joe is in great form and I have been very happy with him since his win at Kempton Park.

“Tomorrow is obviously a step up in class and will tell us where we are with him but he is a nice horse and I couldn’t be happier with him.

“He does have an entry in the Dante Stakes at York but as I say tomorrow’s race will tell us where we are with him.”

Also lining up are Group Three UAE Derby third New Treasure (John and Thady Gosden), and Bodroy (Anthony Carson).

Tomorrow’s seven-race card at Newmarket also features the Pat Smullen Memorial Handicap, which has been organised by friends of the late nine-times Irish Champion Jockey who sadly passed away in September last year. Newmarket is the track was where Smullen recorded his first British Classic victory, partnering Refuse To Bend to victory in the 2000 Guineas in 2003. He went on to ride 1,845 winners in Ireland and 47 in Britain, winning both the Derby at Epsom Downs and the Irish Derby on Harzand in 2016.

The bet365 Craven Meeting continues on Wednesday 14^th April and Thursday 15^th April.

The going at Newmarket is currently Good, Good to Firm in places. The forecast is for dry and sunny conditions throughout the week with temperatures of nine to 11 degrees Celsius. Five millimetres of irrigation was applied to the course on Thursday and a further three millimetres was put down on Saturday. Further irrigation will be undertaken today.

Honeysuckle, Minella Indo, Monkfish & Envoi Allen are all set for Punchestown Festival as Grade 1 entries revealed

Honeysuckle, Put The Kettle On, Minella Indo, Al Boum Photo, Epatante, Monkfish, Envoi Allen and Tiger Roll all among stellar entries.

46 trainers with Grade 1 options at Punchestown
36 individual Grade 1 winners among the entries

In a season where history has been made and records have been broken the spotlight on jump racing pivots to what will be a fitting grand finale as Grade 1 entries for the 2021 Punchestown Festival are today revealed.

From Tuesday 27th April to Saturday 1st May, Punchestown will play host to a home coming of champions with 40 races over the five days including a dozen grade one contests attracting the highest rated horses over hurdles and fences. Meanwhile, running alongside the top class racing action will be two nail-biting jockey championship battles the first of which centres around title holder Paul Townend and the ground breaking Rachael Blackmore, whilst Patrick Mullins bids to hold off Jamie Codd in the amateur championship.

Heroes and heroines from throughout the season and both the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals feature strongly and include class acts such as the Henry de Bromhead duo of Champion Hurdle star Honeysuckle and Gold Cup winner Minella Indo. Importantly, and what has become integral to the status of the Punchestown Festival itself, is a continued strong representation from across the Irish Sea as, Epatante, Goshen, Nube Negra and Ahoy Senor feature with overseas runners entered in 10 of the 12 early closing races. Furthermore, Mica Malpic is a potential first French runner at Punchestown since 2005 and may line up for the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle.

Conor O’Neill, CEO Punchestown Racecourse said: “The performances and achievements by Irish horses, trainers, jockeys and owners throughout this season have been nothing short of outstanding. It is an honour and privilege to welcome these flagbearers of our great sport back to the home of Irish jump racing for what is shaping up to be one of the best quality renewals of the Punchestown Festival in recent memory.
“Whilst this year’s Punchestown is not going to be the brilliant social event that we have all known and enjoyed for so many years we look forward to sharing the action with everyone through coverage on RTÉ, Racing TV and the various Punchestown social media channels. Believe us when we say that preparations are already underway for the much anticipated return of crowds for the 2022 Punchestown Festival.”

Tuesday 27th April
William Hill Champion Chase Day

Champion Chase rematch on the cards
It’s On – Monkfish versus Envoi Allen

Following a historic raid on the major festivals so far, Henry de Bromhead’s Punchestown Festival campaign will hit the ground running on the opening day with Put The Kettle On in the newly sponsored €250,000 William Hill Champion Chase. The magnificent mare will attempt to emulate the 2013 feat of Sprinter Sacre by completing the Cheltenham and Punchestown double in the two-mile chase division.
A potential rematch with Cheltenham runner-up Nube Negra is on the cards as Dan Skelton eyes a first Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival following his best ever season domestically.
Willie Mullins won the last two renewals with Un De Sceaux and has the notable entry of Ryanair Chase winner Allaho engaged alongside Chacun Pour Soi and Cilaos Emery, while Joseph O’Brien’s Aintree winner Fakir D’oudairies is also a significant contender.

Grade 1 action will commence with the eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle of €100,000 and stand-out novices Appreciate It, Bob Olinger and Echoes In Rain would look the most likely to join a roll of honour that includes Douvan, Faugheen, Jezki, Hurricane Fly, Brave Inca and Moscow Flyer.

The opening day of the Punchestown Festival has produced some of the most memorable racing moments in the past and one of the clashes of the entire season is on the cards here in the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase where Monkfish and Envoi Allen could lock horns in what would be a battle for the ages. Further depth is added to the field by the likes of Chatham Street Lad, Colreevy, Janidil and Latest Exhibition.

Wednesday 28th April
Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup Day

Golden moments assured on day two of the Punchestown Festival

The best staying chaser in the land will be crowned at the Punchestown Festival with Minella Indo and his two-time Cheltenham predecessor Al Boum Photo set to serve it up to each other in the €250,000 Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.
In a golden age of staying chasers residing in Ireland, Minella Indo, already a Grade 1 winner at the Punchestown Festival as a novice hurdler, recorded a memorable success at the Cheltenham Festival last month when winning the Gold Cup there. A successful Cheltenham-Punchestown double in this division was last completed by Sizing John in 2017 and War Of Attrition in 2006 before that.

Al Boum Photo had to settle for minor honours when this race was last run in 2019, a renewal that will be forever remembered for Kemboy’s success which marked Ruby Walsh’s retirement from the saddle. Al Boum Photo, Kemboy, Melon and the dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll are among those that could stand in the way of Minella Indo from achieving the illustrious Cheltenham-Punchestown double while Allaho and Fakir D’oudairies have this option as well as the two mile Champion Chase on the opening day.

The Grade 1 €100,000 Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle might well be the next port of call for Scottish raider Ahoy Senor who upset the odds with a big race success at Aintree last week for trainer Lucinda Russell. Their potential rivals would include the Gavin Cromwell-trained Vanillier who recorded a career best to win at Cheltenham last month, while other Cheltenham winners, Galopin Des Champs and Telmesomethinggirl join the Emmet Mullins-trained Cape Gentleman in a 24-strong list of entries for this three miler.

The future stars of the sport will come to the fore in the Grade 1 ITM – Supporting Irish Stores Sales Champion Bumper with the rematch between Sir Gerhard and Kilcruit likely to divide opinion even within the Willie Mullins stable where they both reside. Three Stripe Life, Grangree and Ramillies who were fourth, sixth and eighth respectively in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham also appear among the 14 entries, while Belle Metal, Dysart Dynamo, O’Toole and Teuchters Glory could put their unbeaten record on the line.

Thursday 29th April
Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle Day

Four Cheltenham Festival winners add flavour to fascinating Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle

Multiple Greyhound Derby winning trainer Paul Hennessy has already proven his adaptability by enjoying major festival success and his stable star Heaven Help Us is one of 25 entries for the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown. The seven-year-old daughter of Yeats destroyed a competitive field in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival and would face her toughest task yet when taking on Stayers Hurdle winner Flooring Porter who gave trainer Gavin Cromwell another winner at the top level.
The €250,000 Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle has attracted the largest entry of the championship races at Punchestown with Agrapart, Lisnagar Oscar, Paisley Park, Third Wind and Vinndication forming a strong British delegation.
Paul Nolan has earmarked this target for his latest Cheltenham Festival winner, Mrs Milner, while the Emmet Mullins-trained The Shunter holds multiple Grade 1 entries at Punchestown and the Cheltenham Festival winner is an intriguing inclusion here.

The Willie Mullins-trained Energumene is unbeaten in his last five starts and has racked up victories with a combined total of 53½ lengths in four outings over jumps and he spearheads the entries for the €115,000 Ryanair Novice Chase. Nicky Henderson has kept the Punchestown option open to his unbeaten chaser Shishkin who could look to do the Cheltenham-Aintree-Punchestown treble that Henderson completed with Sprinter Sacre. The talented Captain Guinness and vastly improving Jungle Junction also feature, while Henry de Brohmead has given himself the choice to drop Envoi Allen back to the minimum distance also.

Friday 30th April
Paddy Power Champion Hurdle Day

Get ready for Ladies Day at Punchestown as Honeysuckle and Epatante renew rivalry

The 2021 Champion Hurdle heroine Honeysuckle is on course to continue Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead’s historic run but may face old rivals in the battle of the mares as 2020 champion hurdle winner Epatante features in the entries for the €250,000 Paddy Power Champion Hurdle. In addition to Epatante, Henderson has included the 2019 winner of this race, Buveur D’air, while Gary Moore has already booked Goshen’s ticket to County Kildare for the penultimate day of the Punchestown Festival.

The Evan Williams-trained Grade 1 winner Silver Streak could come over from Wales, while the home challenge to Honeysuckle is headed by a couple of her stable companions at Henry de Bromhead’s all-conquering Waterford base, Aspire Tower and Jason The Militant. No stranger to breaking records himself, champion trainer Willie Mullins will bid for a ninth win in this years renewal with his top class team of Sharjah, Saldier, Klassical Dream and James Du Berlais, while Aintree winner Abacadabras could go in search of more big race glory for Sneezy Foster.

Henry de Bromhead keeps his options open with leading novice hurdler Bob Olinger as he also features in the €100,000 Grade 1 Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle over two and a half miles. The 26-strong list holds a similar look to the other Grade 1 novice hurdles in the week with Appreciate It, Cape Gentleman, Echoes In Rain and Telmesomethinggirl all likely to be Punchestown bound and sure to set up a fascinating tussle within the novice ranks.

Saturday 1st May
Ballymore Family Day

Big names turn up as richest ever mares hurdle race is up for grabs

Skyace, who has been transformed by trainer Shark Hanlon from humble beginnings in the sales ring as a shrewd £600 purchase to Grade 1 winner, is among 15 entrants for the €120,000 Grade 1 Coolmore Kew Gardens Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle.
Dreams became a reality for connections of Skyace at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday and the richest ever hurdle race for mares in Ireland or the UK was immediately put to the top of the agenda for Skyace who will face stiff opposition once again with Willie Mullins holding a typically strong hand.

Burning Victory, Concertista, Echoes In Rain, Great White Shark, My Sister Sarah, and Stormy Ireland make up the potential team for the champion trainer, while Cheltenham winners Heaven Help Up, Mrs Milner and Telmesomethinggirl add loads of depth to this two and a half miler.

Mica Malpic, a winner in France, is a fascinating inclusion in the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle, where he could take on the rapidly improving Jeff Kidder who has racked up wins at Cheltenham and Fairyhouse for Noel Meade. The standout name in the list is the Triumph Hurdle winner Quillixios who would be seeking to close a memorable chapter in the season for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore.

The 2021 Punchestown Festival will take place from Tuesday 27th April to Saturday 1st May. Full coverage will be available each day on RTÉ and Racing TV as well as interaction on all Punchestown social media platforms.