FAUGHEEN DELIGHTS MULLINS

Karl Hedley nominates his main hopes for Irish glory at Cheltenham

- Karl Hedley

Ahead of another exciting Cheltenham Festival, I shall provide you with a breakdown of the likely leading Irish contenders for all of the major prizes as well as a few who may have gone unnoticed and under the radar.

THE LIKELY LADS (AND LADIES)

The first one to look at is Asterion Forlonge, unbeaten in three starts this year. He won his bumper in game fashion to deny Watergate Lady by a little under a length. He then stepped into a hot maiden that featured the wellregarded Pencilfulloflead from the Gordon Elliott yard.

In a field of 21 runners, he was still able to put some ten lengths between himself and the Ellliott runner. His CV began to look a bit better and Willie Mullins saw no harm in entering him for the Grade One Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown at the beginning of February. Always prominent, he was strongly pressed for the lead two from home. He showed a tenacious attitude to stay on well in the closing stages to record a nine and a half length win over Easywork.

Willie Mullins was thrilled: “I’m surprised and delighted. I had him down as a two mile and six or three mile horse. The last day he won at Naas was a mile and seven. It looks like I’m wrong and he is a two-miler.

“He has a huge cruising speed and I said to Danny (Mullins) to go out and make the running. He’s never fast at home but he obviously covers a huge amount of ground and can keep that gallop up for two-miles flat out. He looked like he could be a Supreme Novice horse and that was the furthest thing from my mind three weeks ago. I think this fella can stay. I think he’s easy enough to ride. If the owner has something else for the Supreme, we can chat it out.”