Cheltenham Festival Fever | View From Ireland | Donn McClean: Champion claims
Donn McClean highlights three horses of potential interest for the Cheltenham Festival following the racing in Ireland over the weekend, including Jason The Militant.
On the Radar:
- Jason the Militant - Unibet Champion Hurdle
- Zoffanien - Boodles Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle
- Lynwood Gold - Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Final
Jason The Militant threw his hat into the Champion Hurdle ring when he won the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Saturday.
Run a week later than originally scheduled this year, as the Gowran Park meeting the previous week fell to the elements, the Red Mills Trial Hurdle represents one of the last opportunities in Ireland for Champion Hurdle aspirants to get their eye in before heading for the Cotswolds. Theatreworld used to win the Red Mills Hurdle regularly before he would go to Cheltenham and finish second in the Champion Hurdle. Hardy Eustace was beaten a short head by George’s Girl in the race in 2004 before he won his first Champion Hurdle, and Dessie Hughes' horse won the Gowran race in 2005 en route to winning his second.
Jason The Militant was impressive in winning the 2021 renewal on Saturday. Sent to the front from flagfall, he was quickly into a good racing rhythm, jumping well. Rachael Blackmore gave him a squeeze on the run to the home turn, and immediately his three main rivals came under pressure. Petit Mouchoir was the only one of the three who was able to get close to him as they straightened up for home but, in truth, he was never really a threat.
Henry de Bromhead’s horse got on a little tight to the second last flight, but he didn’t lose much momentum and he was quickly away from the obstacle on the landing side. He jumped the final flight well, and he kept on nicely up the run-in to beat his former stable companion by seven and a half lengths, with Darasso and Sixshooter further behind.
There was a lot to like about this performance. Visually, it was impressive and, while the 10-year-old Petit Mouchoir is not the force of old, he is a 155-rated horse, and Jason The Militant conceded 9lb to him and beat him by seven and a half lengths in a time that was over 10 seconds faster than the fastest of the other two two-mile hurdles run on the day.
The handicapper raised Peter Michael’s horse by 5lb to a mark of 158 and, while the two mares Honeysuckle and Epatante are well clear on ratings in the Champion Hurdle, in receipt of the mares’ allowance, that rating puts Jason The Militant in the mix. Remember, he was only beaten a half a length by Abacadabras in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown in November on his previous run.
He is improving too, he was racing for just the seventh time in his life over hurdles on Saturday, and he probably put up the best performance of his career. Henry de Bromhead has more obvious Champion Hurdle candidates in Honeysuckle and Aspire Tower, of course, but Jason The Militant would be fully deserving of his place in the line-up. He would add to the strength of the de Bromhead team, and he would be a lively outsider.
Cilaos Emery was impressive in winning the opening race, the Grade 3 two-mile chase, at Naas on Sunday, and his stable companion Echoes In Rain looked good in winning the Grade 2 novices’ hurdle, but it is probable that neither will be going to Cheltenham this year. Trainer Willie Mullins had already taken Echoes In Rain out of the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle before Sunday, but she could be a mare who will be worth following now through the spring in Ireland. She settled much better on Sunday than she had in the Moscow Flyer Hurdle at Punchestown on her previous run, and she could continue to progress as she gains experience.
Cilaos Emery still holds entries in the Champion Chase and the Ryanair Chase, but Willie Mullins said afterwards that he might campaign him at home too through the spring.
Zoffanien booked his ticket for the Boodles Fred Winter Hurdle though when he ran out an impressive winner of the four-year-olds’ handicap hurdle. The Denis Hogan-trained gelding travelled well into his race behind a good pace that Rock Chica set, moved up nicely to join the leader on the run to the final flight, jumped to the front over that obstacle and quickened clear impressively up the run-in for Hugh Morgan.
It was a nice performance by Liam Mulryan’s horse, his first win over hurdles and a good step forward from his previous run, when he finished second to Druid’s Altar over Saturday’s course and distance two weeks earlier. He does carry his head a little high, but that didn’t stop him going forward on Sunday, and the turn of foot that he showed was impressive.
The Irish handicapper raised him by 10lb to a mark of 129, and it may be that he will need another couple of pounds from the British handicapper in order that he can be sure of his place in the Fred Winter line-up.
Zaffonien’s performance also enhances Druid’s Altar’s Fred Winter Hurdle claims. Joseph O’Brien’s horse was impressive in beating him in that race at Naas two weeks ago, a race that produced the Fred Winter 1-2 in 2019 and the Fred Winter 1-4 in 2020.
Finally, it is always worth giving the Punchestown Pertemps Qualifier a second look, given that it has produced Pertemps Final winners Mall Dini, Presenting Percy and Delta Work in recent years. Monday’s race was run five days later than originally scheduled, and the winner Atlantic Shore does not hold an entry at Cheltenham – his target is the Leinster National at Naas on the Sunday before Cheltenham – but Lynwood Gold kept on well to take sixth place.
Jessica Harrington’s horse was racing for the first time here since he finished eighth in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket in October, and it was just his fifth run over hurdles, so he could progress from it. Rated 91 on the flat, the Robcour gelding will be of interest if he does take his place in the Pertemps Final line-up.
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