Drinmore Novices Chase horse-by-horse guide and trainer quotes
Joseph O'Brien is looking forward to seeing Le Richebourg put his unbeaten record over fences on the line in the Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse.
The JP McManus-owned five-year-old mixed it with the best in the novice hurdling division last season and was fifth in the Galway Hurdle on his most recent outing over the smaller obstacles.
He made a smart start to his chasing career at Listowel in September and after following up in impressive style in a Tipperary Grade Three, he is well fancied to complete the hat-trick when stepping up to Grade One level on Sunday.
"His couple of runs over fences have been very good. Obviously he's been running on nice ground, which he seems to handle quite well," said O'Brien, who has his string in tremendous form.
"He's well since his win in Tipperary and this has been the plan since then.
"A lot of people are waiting for a bit of juice in the ground - it's hard to believe it's still good this far into the National Hunt season.
"But I suppose it's to this fellow's advantage so far as he likes a bit of nice ground - we'll be keeping to good ground as far as possible through the winter.
"When the rain comes there'll be no shortage of it, I imagine."
Gordon Elliott has saddled four of the last eight winners of this contest, with Jessies Dream (2010), subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Don Cossack (2013), the ill-fated No More Heroes (2015) and Death Duty (2017) all on the roll of honour.
The Cullentra handler is well represented in this year's renewal, with Cheltenham Festival winners Blow By Blow and Delta Work joined by stablemate Cubomania.
Elliott said: "We run three in it and it's probably fair to say Delta Work looks the pick of them.
"The more rain that falls the better for him, but he's in good form."
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Hurdle winner Blow By Blow - who made a winning debut over fences at Galway before being narrowly beaten by Some Neck in the Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown a fortnight ago - is fitted with a visor for the first time.
Delta Work won the Pertemps Final at Prestbury Park in March and made a solid if unspectacular start to his chasing career at Down Royal.
Blow By Blow, Delta Work and Henry de Bromhead's Mind's Eye all carry the colours of Gigginstown House Stud and racing manager Eddie O'Leary said: "Delta Work is a nice horse and hopefully he'll go well again.
"Mind's Eye is a nice, fine big horse, hopefully he'll run well.
"Blow By Blow is a big, lazy, idle devil, hopefully he wakes up a little bit."
Willie Mullins relies on Cadmium, who has won four of his nine starts over fences for the Supreme Horse Racing Club.
He landed the Grade Three Buck House Novice Chase at Punchestown on his penultimate start before returning to the track to finish third behind stablemate Voix Du Reve in the two-mile Craddockstown Novice Chase.
Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: "He's as fit as a fiddle and has been running well all year.
"It's a Grade One, so he needs to step up, but he has a lot of experience and I think that will stand to him.
"Stepping up to two and a half miles could suit."
Discorama steps up in class after winning on his chasing debut at Naas for Paul Nolan.
Nolan said: "He's in good form and we're happy to let him to take his chance.
"He needs to step up a good bit on what he's done so far, but it's a nice race and we're hoping he'll run respectably.
"I'm glad they've had a bit of rain. We'd prefer a bit more, to be honest, as he has form on heavy ground, but so long as it's safe we'll give it a go and we'll see how we get on."
Jetz (Jessica Harrington), Rashaan (Colin Kidd), Dawn Shadow (Dot Love) and High Nellie (Michael Bowe) complete the field.
Blow By Blow
Strong stayer who won the Martin Pipe at last season's Cheltenham Festival, before seemingly having his limitations exposed in graded company thereafter. Chasing always likely to be his game, though, and after outclassing moderate opposition at Galway he went down fighting to Some Neck at Punchestown. Going back left-handed is a positive while the switch from blinkers to a first-time visor is noted, but dropping back to two-and-a-half miles on good ground is a negative - there's a reason he's favourite with several firms for the National Hunt Chase over four. Likely we'll see one or two slow leaps but him on the back foot and he'll not recover, but very much the sort of horse who can come into his own again during the spring when sent beyond three miles.
Cadmium
Experienced six-year-old who is the sole Willie Mullins representative and has to be respected as a result. Won a good handicap at Punchestown in the spring and looks to have run to form all three starts since returning from a couple of months off, including when winning by five lengths here in October. Well beaten third dropped back to two miles last time out but front two in that race could both prove to be very smart and stepping back up to two and a half miles looks sure to suit, especially on decent ground. Chance is therefore respected on first try in a Grade One with the pick of his form over fences arguably as good as anything else in this field.
Cubomania
Versatile type who landed a few bets winning a Flat handicap off a mark of just 53 in October, before returning to fences with a solid run behind Cadmium. Trip back over to the UK was rewarded at Cheltenham but form of that small-field novice not particularly strong and appeared to have no excuses when more than a dozen lengths behind Blow By Blow last time out at Punchestown. That gap may narrow back a couple of furlongs in trip but a rating of 136 looks high enough and surely short of the required standard.
Delta Work
Tad fortunate to win the Pertemps Final but backed up that performance with a neck second in Grade One company at Punchestown in April. Returned to action to make a winning debut over fences at Down Royal, where impressing with his fencing under sharp conditions which wouldn't have suited. No surprise he rallied well to dig himself out of a hole there and better can be expected as his stamina is drawn out, although whether this two-and-a-half miles does that sufficiently remains to be seen. Rain would certainly help.
Discorama
Form ties in closely with Blow By Blow, who he got the better of in a maiden hurdle at this meeting a year ago when sent off a 66/1 chance. The pair then met once more at Cheltenham, Blow By Blow exacting his revenge with a greater emphasis on stamina - despite conceding weight. Discorama returned to action in November with a likeable debut win over fences and while the form probably isn't all that strong, conditions here give him a chance of taking a lead in that private battle - perhaps without winning.
Jetz
Looked a strong beginners' chase that he won last Sunday, having previously unseated this rider on his first crack. Form in the spring suggested he was short of top-class, including when eight behind Next Destination, on which form he has plenty to find with Delta Work. Enough to find and race may come soon enough, but on the other hand these conditions look ideal.
Le Richebourg
Campaigned at trips around two miles over hurdles, winning his first three before having limitations exposed at the highest level. Signed off from that discipline with excellent fifth in the Galway Hurdle, though, and has since impressed in two starts over fences including when stepped up to this trip last time. May not have been all that much of a race for the grade, but the runner-up is a reliable yardstick and along with Cadmium, he has fewest questions to answer as regards his ability over fences and the suitability of conditions. Throw in the red-hot form of Joseph O'Brien's yard and you look to have a very worthy favourite.
Mind's Eye
Second to Samcro on debut over hurdles and went on to finish fourth in the Aintree Grade One over two miles, form which looks good since the third, Bedrock, went on to beat Samcro and the winner, Lalor, marked himself out as a chaser capable of going to the very top. Held on first start over fences by Voix Du Reve but he went on to win a Grade Two very nicely, so this one looks a player having since got off the mark at Wexford. He'll definitely need to improve both in terms of form and jumping, but the extra half-mile will help and could be set to outrun his odds.
Rashaan
Found things a bit much in the Clonmel Oil Chase, but back down to novice company now and his peak form would entitle him to respect at a big price. Sprang a surprise to beat none other than Apple's Jade over hurdles a couple of years ago and, with first-time cheekpieces employed and conditions to suit, it wouldn't be the biggest shock in the world were he to upset a few here if returning to his best.
Dawn Shadow
Finished strongly to win at Galway last time and step back up in trip looks a wise move. Still, she's in against the boys here and, with a stone and more to find, she's likely to be outclassed.
High Nellie
Ran very well to finish third in a Cork Grade Three last time but even that form leaves her well short of the required class.
Verdict
Blow By Blow and Delta Work both look like they'll be capable of winning in this grade over fences, but this trip is sharp enough and any significant errors look likely to be punished. Blow By Blow at least has two runs two his name as a chaser to Delta Work's one, but he's favourite for the four-miler at Cheltenham and the latter may have more tactical speed.
Neither can match LE RICHEBOURG for a turn of foot, though, and with his yard firing in winners he looks the one to beat. The five-year-old kept on improving over hurdles to the point that he wouldn't have been far behind the two main Gigginstown hopes and there's more to come from him over this trip as a chaser when conditions are sound.
Cadmium should run really well with everything to suit, with Mind's Eye respected too. He'll need to jump better than at Wexford but had previously chased home a very nice prospect and has the speed to go with the selection.
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