Cheltenham Festival 2023 horses that are returning fresh after a 100+ day lay-off

Keeping the dream alive?

“They will head straight to Cheltenham,” may be six words you dread hearing as a jumps racing fan, especially when they are uttered in the early months of the season, but the strategy is commonplace at the modern Cheltenham Festival.

The reasons for keeping a horse off the track before the big meeting are varied. Protecting a handicap mark, having a horse that is best fresh, avoiding winter ground and simply keeping the dream alive have all been factors for those horses that rock up at the Festival without a recent run.

Modern training facilities and methods lessen the need to get a run into a horse to prime them for the big day, and it won’t be a surprise to anyone that a total of 24 horses have won at the Festival following an absence of 100 days or more since the meeting was extended to four days in 2005.

Willie Mullins is responsible for eight of those winners – five of which were solely down to Quevega – with Gordon Elliott, Jessica Harrington and David Pipe the other trainers to have had more than one Cheltenham Festival winner that had been off the track for 100 days or more.

100+ days off club since Festival went four days in 2005

1. Arctic Fire, Willie Mullins, County Hurdle, 2017, 418 days off
2. Quevega, Willie Mullins, Mares’ Hurdle, 2011, 327 days off
3. Drombeag, Jonjo O’Neill, Fox Hunters’, 2007, 324 days off
4. Penhill, Willie Mullins, Stayers’ Hurdle, 2018, 323 days off
5. Quevega, Willie Mullins, Mares’ Hurdle, 2013, 320 days off
6. Quevega, Willie Mullins, Mares’ Hurdle, 2014, 320 days off
7. Quevega, Willie Mullins, Mares’ Hurdle, 2012, 313 days off
8. Quevega, Willie Mullins, Mares’ Hurdle, 2010, 296 days off
9. Croco Bay, Ben Case, Grand Annual, 2019, 227 days off
10. Eglantine Du Seuil, Willie Mullins, Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, 2019, 180 days off
11. Rock The World, Jessica Harrington, Grand Annual, 2017, 146 days off
12. Moon Racer, David Pipe, Champion Bumper, 2015, 144 days off
13. Galvin, Ian Ferguson, National Hunt Chase, 2021, 144 days off
14. Tiger Roll, Gordon Elliott, National Hunt Chase, 2017, 134 days off
15. Superb Story, Dan Skelton, County Hurdle, 2016, 124 days off
16. Cork All Star, Jessica Harrington, Champion Bumper, 2007, 122 days off
17. Balthazar King, Philip Hobbs, Cross Country, 2014, 117 days off
18. Ballynagour, David Pipe, Plate Handicap Chase, 2014, 117 days off
19. Joes Edge, Ferdy Murphy, Ultima Handicap Chase, 2007, 114 days off
20. Put The Kettle On, Henry de Bromhead, Arkle Trophy, 2020, 114 days off
21. Ravenhill, Gordon Elliott, National Hunt Chase, 2020, 107 days off
22. Next Sensation, Michael Scudamore, Grand Annual, 2015, 104 days off
23. Bobs Worth, Nicky Henderson, Gold Cup, 2013, 104 days off
24. Rivage D’Or, Tony Martin, Cross Country, 2015, 101 days off

So who are this year’s fresh as paint jobs? Here are six that could run at Cheltenham having not been seen for over 100 days…

1. MARINE NATIONALE, Barry Connell, Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, 100 days off

“He doesn’t need a run,” said Connell in the days after Marine Nationale had landed the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on December 4. The Dublin Racing Festival looked the obvious next port of call for the unbeaten six-year-old, but he was in his box as Facile Vega bombed out and Il Etait Temps romped to the G1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown. Marine Nationale might want to go further in time, but his Royal Bond victory has been well advertised by those in behind that day and he goes to the Sky Bet Supreme with leading claims.

2. CHAPEAU DE SOLEIL, Willie Mullins, Weatherbys Champion Bumper, 101 days off

The Champion Bumper is a race that has been won by a couple of horses that have been off for over 100 days, the only surprise being that Willie Mullins didn’t train either of them. He does train Chapeau De Soleil, though, a Rich Ricci-owned horse who was outpaced by Gordon Elliott’s Better Days Ahead (also off for 100 days, having not been seen since) at Fairyhouse on December 4, where better was expected of him judging by his 4/6 starting price. “I haven’t been able to get him out since,” says Willie Mullins in his Festival stable tour. “But his form is very good and if he gets there, he’s one for each-way punters.”

3. SHOOT FIRST, Charles Byrnes, Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Final, 144 days off

“I think he’d get in now,” Charles Byrnes mused after Shoot First bolted up in the Pertemps qualifier at Cheltenham’s October meeting. His initial observation was spot on – he’s number 14 in the list after the weights were unveiled last Wednesday – so with job done what was the point in ruining his mark in the intervening months? With Cheltenham experience in the bag and his trainer highly respected with projects like this, it’s no surprise to see him leading the market at best odds of 4/1. It could be a case of Shoot First, ask questions later, for the BHA handicappers if this one goes in.

4. HENRI LE FARCEUR, Hugo Merienne, Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, 103 days off

There are leftfield contenders for the championship races at this year’s Festival and then there is Henri Le Farceur, whose hat was thrown into the Stayers’ Hurdle ring at last week’s weights unveiling. Last seen winning a Grade 2 at Auteuil on December 3, Hugo Merienne says he will be supplemented for the Stayers’ at a cost of nearly £15,000. “We’ve been training him for this race,” he said. “He likes the distance and I think he’ll like the track. It’s a challenge but we’ll see. He’ll need to come and improve but we will try. We were actually thinking about whether to go to Kempton over Christmas, but the horse had a hard race at Auteuil and we gave him a few weeks off.” His task is a tough one, but having won off a 101-day break before, his time off the track looks unlikely to be a problem, at least.

5. SO SCOTTISH, Emmet Mullins, Magners Plate Handicap Chase, 117 days off

Emmet Mullins’ So Scottish caught the eye of plenty, including JP McManus, when he enhanced his reputation in defeat in an Ascot handicap chase back on November 19, when he was last sighted. Running in the Paul Byrne colours, he rallied well in second after being less than fluent at the second last as he went close to completing a four-timer. That was enough for McManus to unleash the chequebook and his mark has been protected since, the BHA allotting him a rating of 143 for the Magners Plate Handicap Chase, for which he is a 4/1 chance on the third day of the Festival.

6. A PLUS TARD, Henry de Bromhead, Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, 118 days off

On the same day So Scottish was enhancing his reputation, A Plus Tard was slightly tarnishing his after he was pulled up in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock. Last year’s brilliant Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup winner was sent off the 1/2 favourite for the first Grade 1 of the English jumps season but he was struggling early and ran way below form. A banged joint ruled him out of the Savills Chase at Christmas and he’s ended up going to the Gold Cup fresh, after 118 days off the track. “You’d love to have had one good run under your belt this season,” said Henry de Bromhead in the week. “Unfortunately we haven’t but he seems to be really coming to himself and hopefully we’re being led this way for a reason.” If he can repeat last year's style of victory, it will be a mighty training performance.

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