Cheltenham Festival clues and entries: Pats Fancy, State Man, Classic Getaway & more

The Dublin Racing Festival, which takes place at Leopardstown on Saturday and Sunday this weekend, is the obvious place to look if you’re on the hunt for Festival pointers and the entries will be through on Tuesday for what promises to be another high-class and highly informative meeting.

Prior to those entries being made public, here’s what else to look out for this week…

Mullins stars aim to get back on track

Kilcruit was among the leading contenders for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle before the seasonal got under way, based purely on his quality form in bumpers last term, and after defeats at 1/14 and 4/9 on his first two starts over timber he finally got off the mark at Punchestown on Monday.

Trainer Willie Mullins reached for a tongue-tie and, under a positive Paul Townend ride, he was in control throughout. Paddy Power and Betfair make Kilcruit 14/1 (from 25/1) for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, while the sponsors clipped the winner to 14/1 from 20/1 for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (NRNB).

Stablemate Classic Getaway also has a change of equipment, sporting a first-time hood in the two and a half mile maiden hurdle on the same card.

Cheveley Park Stud’s expensive purchase got a little stuck in the mud when overhauled by Cash Back at Clonmel but is expected to go one better and potentially book his place in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle or the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

Sticking with the action in Ireland and that man Mullins; he seemingly already has a strong hand in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle but there has been a recent move for State Man who bids to atone for a Leopardstown fall over Christmas in Tuesday’s two-mile maiden hurdle at Limerick.

Who do you Fancy?

The Virgin Bet Novices’ Chase is the standout contest at Exeter on Wednesday as Nicky Henderson’s rather workmanlike Leicester winner Dusart looks to take the next step on his chasing education.

He could face the very dangerous Pats Fancy, Rebecca Curtis’ fine jumper whose most recent success received a timely boost when the horse he beat handsomely at Chepstow – Imperial Alcazar – won at Cheltenham Trials Day over the weekend.

Pats Fancy is proven on all types of ground and holds an entry in the Grade One Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, as well as his most likely main target, the National Hunt Chase over three and three-quarter miles.

There’s a 2021 Cheltenham Festival winner in action at Wincanton on Thursday, with Porlock Bay set to tee up his defence of the St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup crown in the hunters’ chase on the card, while Henderson’s Fishcake – a half-sister to Monkfish – could make her racecourse debut in the National Hunt Flat Race, in which promising Flat trainer George Boughey could have his first NH runner in the shape of Morning Symphony.

Presse-ing his Cheltenham claim

The Grade One Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Chase is the feature at Sandown on Saturday and has attracted L'Homme Presse.

Venetia Williams' charge is a rapidly improving novice and completed his hat-trick in the Dipper at Cheltenham on New Year's Day. He was so good that day that he emerged as the leading home contender for the Turners Novices' Chase.

This is a proper test as you'd expect for the grade, Pic D'Orhy a big threat for the Paul Nicholls team while Tom Lacey has long had it in mind for Adrimel.

The Virgin Bet Contenders Hurdle is highly unlikely to have any bearing on the Unibet Champion Hurdle picture. In fact a clash between the increasingly wayward Goshen, Song For Someone, Guard Your Dreams and Hunters Call merely underlines the lack of strength in depth in the division over here right now.

The Virgin Bet Heroes Handicap Hurdle is competitive and could feature the first sighting of Easysland for the Jonjo O'Neill team. Clearly it's a pipe-opener for March and his Glenfarlas Cross-Country Chase bid, but he's worth watching.

Nicky Henderson has a couple of interesting potential hurdling debutants in the opener too in the shape of King Ottaker, rated 102 in his peak on the Flat and a Sky Bet Supreme entry, plus French import Balkeo who is also in at Chepstow on Friday and the Ballymore in March.

Ahoy out to book Festival place

Connections opted to swerve the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase with Ahoy Senor and and his pre-Cheltenham spin will come in Saturday's William Hill Towton Chase at Wetherby.

It's a proper test too with six-day entries including an intriguing Irish raider in Noble Yeats, Does He Know, a dual winner over fences this term for Kim Bailey and Saint Palais, a progressive young chaser who won a warm Newbury handicap from a mark of 135 last time.

Musselburgh stage their Festival Trials fixture across the weekend.

Entries for the Pertemps Qualifier include a handful from Ireland featuring Top Moon for Joseph O'Brien and Albert Bartlett third Streets Of Doyen.

The bet365 Scottish Supreme Novices' Hurdle looks the next port of call for First Street, back on track for the Henderson team with a good win from a mark of 132 at Sandown earlier in the month.

On the same Sunday card Doctor Parnassus could bid to underline his own Cheltenham claims in the bet365 Scottish Triumph Hurdle. He made a flying start over timber when pulling ten lengths clear of Restitution at Ascot two weeks' ago and can go higher.

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