The Irish Challenge at Cheltenham: Timeform's view

Timeform
06 March 2014

Willie Mullins leads the Irish challenge

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Timeform's Irish Handicapper Martin Rigg looks at the Irish challenge in each of the Festival's Grade 1s...

"... Faugheen has yet to be extended and tanked along when landing a Grade 3 over three miles at Limerick last time."

Willie Mullins is currently trading at under 1.51/2 to be the top trainer at the Festival and has a couple of strong contenders for the opening Supreme Novices' Hurdle in Vautour and Wicklow Brave. Ruby Walsh is reportedly leaning towards the former, who maintained his unbeaten record for the yard when making all to beat dual Grade 1 winner The Tullow Tank in the Deloitte Novices' Hurdle at Leopardstown last time, but Wicklow Brave is also on a roll, and the form of his impressive listed win at Punchestown is already working out well with the third that day a Grade 2 winner since. With very little between the pair on form, the ground could be the factor which separates them on the day, with Wicklow Brave looking an out-and-out two miler who will appreciate an emphasis on speed, while Vautour appeals as the sort to see it out better if it develops into a stamina test.

Champagne Fever goes for a third successive Festival victory when he lines up for the second race on Tuesday, the Arkle. His course record entitles him to plenty of respect, but Trifolium also has previous at Cheltenham (third in the 2012 Supreme) and boasts the strongest chasing form among the likely runners after his comprehensive win in the Irish Arkle last time.

Next up is Hurricane Fly's bid for his third Champion Hurdle victory and he looks the clear pick of the Irish challengers after twice inflicting defeat on Our Conor and Jezki at Leopardstown in recent weeks. Our Conor is priced up as if expected to make more of a race of it, but Hurricane Fly was going away from him at the finish last time and the proximity of the veteran Captain Cee Bee in third that day suggests the bare form may not be all that strong in any case.

Faugheen looks likely to spearhead the Irish Challenge in the Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle, which kicks off day two. Unbeaten in a bumper and three hurdle races, Faugheen has yet to be extended and tanked along when landing a Grade 3 over three miles at Limerick last time. The drop back to 21 furlongs won't inconvenience and he may well show himself to be the most talented Mullins-trained novice in action during the week.

The same connections' Ballycasey took a tumble in a schooling session after racing at Leopardstown last weekend, but clung onto favouritism for the RSA Chase, and does looks to have good claims if he can put in a clear round when it really matters, having beaten Drinmore winner Don Cossack by four lengths in the Dr P. J. Moriarty last time, with Galway Plate winner Carlingford Lough appearing held when unseating at the last.

With Sizing Europe seemingly not the force of old, and Arvika Ligeonniere's Cheltenham record less than inspiring, it could be that the Irish-trained runners will be playing for places only behind Sire de Grugy in the Champion Chase, but don't rule out a big run from last year's Arkle runner-up Baily Green, who always jumps well and will be suited if conditions are drying out by this stage.

It's true that Willie Mullins runners have often been sent off at unfeasibly short odds in the Champion Bumper, but he has saddled the last two winners of the race and genuinely looks to have excellent claims of completing the hat-trick, with Black Hercules and Shaneshill vying for favouritism and unbeaten in a brace of bumpers apiece, while Killultagh Vic is another Mullins runner to consider after his wide-margin defeat of last year's Champion Bumper third Golantilla at Naas last month.

A big run in the Arkle by Trifolium would be a positive pointer towards the chance of Felix Yonger in the JLT Novices' Chase, which opens proceedings on Thursday. Felix Yonger went down by nine lengths in the Irish Arkle, but beat Trifolium easily on less testing ground earlier in the campaign and ought to be hard to beat if he can raise his game back away from the mud.

Benefficient has been prominent in the market for the Ryanair Chase ever since his narrow defeat of Hidden Cyclone in the Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas and beat likely Ryanair favourite Dynaste at the Festival last year, but there is little doubt that David Pipe's runner has achieved the more of the pair since. Last season's Ryanair runner-up First Lieutenant hasn't been out of the first two in three successive appearances at the Festival but has plenty to prove after some below-par performances domestically this term.

The unbeaten Annie Power is the big Irish hope in the World Hurdle, but she hasn't gone beyond two and a half miles before and if Big Buck's turns up at anything like his best she'll need to progress again to overcome him.

The closing day opens with the Triumph Hurdle, in which Guitar Pete bids to provide Our Conor's trainer Dessie Hughes with a second successive win in the race. However, as likeable a type as Guitar Pete is, there is no getting away from the fact that he was put in his place by Royal Irish Hussar when sent over to Cheltenham in November.

Last year's bumper winner Briar Hill hasn't impressed every observer in extending his unbeaten record over hurdles this season, but there is a strong possibility that he'll improve considerably for the step up to three miles in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle and it is likely to take a very good novice to beat him.

For all the strength of the Irish party through the week, the Grade 1 in which Ireland holds its weakest claims is arguably the biggest race of all, the Gold Cup. Irish hopes rest largely on Last Instalment, who put in an exhibition round of jumping in winning the Irish Hennessy at Leopardstown, but that was a race he was able to dominate from the front and such a scenario in the Gold Cup is very hard to imagine.