A Champion Chase clash for the ages between Energumene and Edwardstone is the highlight on day two of the Festival.
The Willie Mullins’ trained reigning champion and last year’s Arkle winner face off in what promises to be a classic duel in what many feel is always the most exciting race of the week.
Their surprise January conqueror Editeur Du Gite will be there to pick up any of the pieces should the big two flop in a race his trainer Gary Moore won before with Sire De Grugy.
The closing bumper could produce a great story with the oldest trainer in the race John Kiely teaming up with the youngest jockey Johnny Gleeson.
86-year-old Kiely’s first winner came at the Punchestown Festival in 1976 and although his training career has produced many memorable moments, he’s yet to saddle a Cheltenham winner.
1.30 - Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
A race Willie Mullins has won five times in the past and stable vibes suggest his IMPAIRE ET PASSE is likely to bag a sixth success for Closutton today.
The French import has been the talk of the Preview Night circuit in recent weeks and has taken the unusual route to this race via the Moscow Flyer at Punchestown - a race Mullins usually aims for the Supreme Novices’ with the winner of.
The form of that is nothing special but he’s expected to take a massive step forward and has been the subject of strong market support in recent days.
Stablemate Gaelic Warrior snatched defeat from the jaws of victory here 12 months ago in the Boodles’ - when jumping right throughout - and although he looked sharper at Leopardstown he is stepping into Grade 1 company for the first time here.
Good Land showed a good attitude at Leopardstown but it wasn’t the strongest Grade1 ever ran while Hermes Allen is the big hope of the home team, having won the Challow Hurdle.
SELECTION: Impaire Et Passe
NEXT BEST: Good Land
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2.10 - Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
THYME HILL was the best of these over hurdles by some distance and a chance is taken on the Philip Hobbs-trained nine-year-old slaying the strong Irish challenge here.
He was fourth to Monkfish in a strong 2020 Albert Barlett and second to Flooring Porter in last year’s Stayers’ Hurdle and although his chasing career hasn’t been as good, he did show signs of improvement in winning a Grade 1 at Kempton over Christmas.
He’s also rated higher than Geri Columbe and Sir Gerhard over fences and he just might have one big effort still in him in a race where stamina is the vital ingredient.
Sir Gehard arrives here something of an unknown - he won the Bumper and Ballymore here - but his chasing debut at Gowran was far from perfect and he’s still very inexperienced over fences. He’s one of five Mullins runners in the race.
The Real Whacker is a brilliant jumper and won in real style here on New Year’s Day but this is a step up in class.
SELECTION: Thyme Hill
NEXT BEST: Geri Columbe
2.50 - Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle
A race dominated by Irish challengers in recent times and with sixteen of the 24 runners trained in Ireland, that trend looks to be maintained this year.
It’s typically wide open with a hesitant vote given to smart flat horse RUN FOR OSCAR. He runs off his Irish mark here and Charles Byrnes’ son Philip takes another 5lbs off.
He’s a strong stayer and was good enough to win the Cesarewitch at Newmarket last autumn and Byrnes is adept at preparing a horse for a big handicap prize like this.
Beacon Edge is another with a big shout if the ground dries out. He’s a Grade 1 winning chaser and Gigginstown House won this race last year with a similar type in Commander Of Fleet.
He ran really well behind Stayers’ Hurdle fancy Blazking Khal at Navan and is very well treated on his best form over hurdles having himself finished placed in a Stayers’.
As ever the JP McManus runners warrant respect with the Philip Hobbs-trained Camprond subject of significant ante-post support.
SELECTION: Run For Oscar
NEXT BEST: Beacon Edge
3.30 - Queen Mother Champion Chase
A fascinating rematch between last year’s winner Energumene, the 2022 Arkle winner EDWARDSTONE and Editeur Du Gite, with a slight preference for Alan King’s runner.
The trio clashed here in the rescheduled Clarence House in January with Editeur Du Gite surprisingly coming out on top at double figure odds.
Crucially though, Edwardstone finished six lengths clear of his big Mullins-trained rival and shaped like the best horse in the race despite going down by a head.
He likes to be held up and if ridden a little closer to the pace today he should reverse the form with Editeur Du Gite and become the first horse since Altior to complete the Arkle and Champion Chase double back to back.
Energumene won this 12 months ago in a race that fell apart after Shishkin and Chacun Pour Soi’s early exits and he’ll need to put in a much better round of jumping that he did back here in January.
Editeur Du Gite deserves respect but lack the surprise element now while the other four contenders look just to be making up the numbers.
SELECTION: Edwardstone
NEXT BESTt: Energumene
4.10 - Cross Country Chase
This race produced an epic battle 12 months ago between two Gordon Elliott-trained horses in Delta Work and TIger Roll and the Meath handler looks to hold all the aces once again.
His Cullentra yard have won five out of the last six renewals and the hero of 12 months ago DELTA WORK could prove too good again with ground conditions coming into his favour.
His big rival is stablemate Galvin, who was fourth in last year’s Gold Cup and is a classy horse, but is having his first run in this sphere. He might also prefer better ground.
Keith Donghue parted ways with the Elliott operation last year but comes back in for the ride in a race he won three times on Tiger Roll in the Gigginstown silks.
Franco De Port is another classy individual making his Cross Country debut for Willie and Patrick Mullins, and is respected, while Back On The Lash finished ahead of Delta Work over this course in January.
SELECTION: Delta Work
NEXT BEST: Galvin
4.50 - Grand Annual Handicap Chase
Another fiercely competitive handicap with DINOBLUE selected to bizarrely give Willie Mullins a first ever handicap chase win at the Festival.
Slick jumping and early pace is crucial since this race switched to the Old Course and this six-year-old filly makes plenty of appeal off a mark of 138 given she is already a sound jumper for a novice, and seemingly best when leading.
She improved as the season progressed last year - finishing fourth in a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse - and her three chasing efforts this season have been full of promise.
Any one of a dozen could win this with top weight Andy Dufresne in the mix having run well here last year while others with chances are the six-in-a-row seeking Final Orders and the classy Coeur Sublime, who is stepping into handicap company for the first time.
SELECTION: Dinoblue
NEXT BEST: Coeur Sublime
5.30 - Champion Bumper
Willie Mullins appears to have this race by the scruff of the neck with ten runners declared but John Kiely’s A DREAM TO SHARE might give the 86-year-old Waterford man a famous first Cheltenham Festival win.
Kiely’s brother Paddy trained Shuil Ar Aghaidh to win the Stayers’ Hurdle here 30 years ago but John has yet to taste glory in the Cotswolds. To do it at 86 would be one of the stories of the week.
A Dream To Share was a very impressive winner at the Dublin Racing Festival and has since been purchased by JP McManus from the RTE presenter Brian Gleeson.
His son Johnny keeps the ride and although he lacks experience he is a very accomplished young rider and comes here with a huge chance.
Mullins’ son Patrick has surprisingly opted for Fact To File, presumably because of the deteriorating ground conditions, but he has two and a half lengths to find with A Dream To Share from their Leopardstown meeting.
Fun Fun Fun was good at the DRF too and gets the mares’ allowance while It’s For Me produced a very taking performance in the same Munir/Suede colours at Navan and appears to be their first choice with Paul Townend booked to ride.
SELECTION: A Dream To Share
NEXT BEST: Fact To FIle
