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.”
Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Racing Ahead.
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Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Racing Ahead.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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JANGO GOES SAILING BAIE
John Anthony keeps pace with the quickies in the race against the clock
HOPING FOR CLAR SKIES
Andy Newton crunches the numbers ahead of the Clarence House Chase
ROCKING THE COTS
Andy Newton reviews the betting and trends ahead of the Cotswold Chase
ODDS-ON TO TOP THEIR CLASS
Racing to School charity on the march to reach its 250,000th participant
FIBRE'S FIRST FOR FITNESS
Flbre-Beet from British Horse Feeds is the ideal support for horses suffering or recovering from gastric ulcers
COMMAND PAD
Ben Hastie talks to jockey Paddy Brennan about his brilliant career in the saddle and what lies ahead
TAKE HIGH FIVE
Helen Edwards was in Tokyo to see Do Deuce and Yutaka Take nick thriller
JUMPBACK TO FUTURE
reports on jumps return at Windsor after almost two decades
LUMP ON STORMIN' GORMAN
Graham Buddry looks back on twomile ace with no fear of handicapper
PAROL HEADS UP BEN'S TEN
Ben Morgan casts a shrewd eye over his key punting hopes for the month