Donn McClean with five Irish dark horses ahead of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival

There were big-priced Irish-trained winners as well as short-priced Irish-trained winners at last year’s Cheltenham Festival.

Here are five Irish-trained horses who could be a little under-rated this year.

Duc Des Genievres (Trainer: Willie Mullins)

Strange to think that a Willie Mullins-trained Arkle winner could be under-rated, but that may be the case with Duc Des Genievres.

Last year's Arkle cut up a fair bit in the weeks leading up to the race, and there had been three more departures by the time they reached the landing side of the third fence, but you can only ever beat what they put in front of you, and Duc Des Genievres was impressive in winning the race. He travelled well, he jumped well, he moved easily into the lead at the third last fence, and he came away from his rivals over the last two fences and up the hill to win well in a good time.

To put the perceived quality of that run at the time into context, the Buck’s Boum gelding was sent off as 5/2 second favourite for the Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown on his next run, just behind the 9/4 favourite Defi Du Seuil, and in front of his stable companion Chacun Pour Soi.

He was well beaten into third place that day behind that pair, and his first two runs this season were lacking sparkle, but he ran well in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton at Christmas, and he had just started to weaken when he came down at the second last fence last time in the Dublin Chase.

The step up to an extended two and a half miles for the Ryanair Chase could bring about significant improvement, and the return to Cheltenham, the scene of his career-best performance, is an obvious positive, while soft ground would be a bonus. It is a hot Ryanair Chase, but he could be one of the forgotten horses of the race.

A Wave Of The Sea (Joseph O’Brien)

Most of the talk around the Triumph Hurdle of late has centred around Solo. Does he deserve a mark of 157? Does he deserve to be at the top of the market?

Before the Adonis Hurdle, the talk was of Goshen and Allmankind and Aspire Tower, all front-runners over hurdles, all free-going types. There wasn’t much talk about A Wave Of The Sea. There still isn’t.

Joseph O'Brien’s horse won the Spring Juvenile Hurdle. He may have been a little fortunate to win it, it may be that he would have finished only third if Aspire Tower had not come down at the final flight, but he stayed on strongest of all after the favourite departed to go and catch Cerberus on the run-in.

His stable companion had beaten him in a Grade 3 contest at Fairyhouse on Hatton’s Grace Hurdle day, reversing form from six weeks previously – they’re old adversaries – but the moderate pace that Robbie Power set on Cerberus at Fairyhouse that day didn’t suit A Wave Of The Sea. He was much happier behind a faster pace at Leopardstown.

With so many forward-going runners in the race, it is probable that he will have an even faster pace at which to run in the Triumph Hurdle. His jumping has improved with each run, he was more fluent last time than he was earlier in the season and, in a race in which stamina may be crucial, he could out-run his odds by a fair way.

Alfa Mix (Gavin Cromwell)

Alfa Mix holds entries in the Coral Cup and in the Martin Pipe Hurdle, and he will be of interest in whichever race he contests.

Winner of his maiden hurdle at Tramore back in October, Gavin Cromwell's horse was impressive in winning the competitive Tara Hurdle at Navan in December on his first run in a handicap. The handicapper raised him by 11lb for that to a mark of 136, but he ran a big race off that mark to finish second to Kilfenora in another competitive two-and-a-half-mile hurdle back at Navan in January, with the front pair finishing clear of their field.

He will get to race off a mark of 142 at Cheltenham, a mark that is just 6lb higher than his Navan mark, and that is fair. He is only five and he has raced just six times over hurdles, so he still has plenty of potential for progression and, while he has never run at Cheltenham, the fact that he has run so well on the two occasions on which he has raced at Navan is a positive in that regard.

City Island (Martin Brassil)

Things haven't worked out for City Island this season so far. Circumstances dictated that he was late embarking on his chasing career and, on his chasing bow, he made a mistake early on, and that seemed to shake his confidence at his fences.

After another fairly inauspicious run over fences, trainer Martin Brassil and owners Sean and Bernardine Mulryan took the decision to return to hurdles. At worst, he can have another go at fences next season if he wants, all going well, with his novice status still intact.

It is a big ask, to go and win a Stayers’ Hurdle, to beat the monster that is Paisley Park, on the back of a less-than-ideal preparation. And yet, go back to his Ballymore Hurdle win last year.

He got the better of a good battle that day with Champ, now RSA Chase favourite. The pair of them finished nicely clear of Bright Forecast, who hasn't run since, with Brewin’upastorm (two for two over fences this season so far) fourth, Sams Profile (only just beaten by Reserve Tank in the Grade 1 Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown next time) fifth, and Galvin (well fancied for the Northern Trust Company Chase) sixth.

He has run just five times over hurdles and, a half-brother to three-mile chase winner Easy Street, from the family of Morley Street and Granville Again, he could improve for stepping up to three miles.

Tronador (Gordon Elliott)

It is easy to see why Aramax sits at the head of the betting for the Fred Winter Hurdle, but his stable companion Tronador might be a little under the radar as a result of the favourite's popularity.

A 60-rated horse on the flat after just five runs, the Lope De Vega gelding shaped really encouragingly on his first run for Gordon Elliott over hurdles in the juvenile maiden hurdle won by Leagan Gaeilge at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival.

He was badly hampered as they raced out of the back straight that day, yet he stayed on well from the rear up the home straight to take fourth place.

Winner of an Adare Manor Opportunity maiden hurdle next time at Thurles, he kept on well to take third place last time behind his stable companion Floueur in a rated novice hurdle at Navan against his elders.

That was just his third run over hurdles, and a rating of 129 looks fair for him. Perhaps coincidentally, that is the mark off which Veneer Of Charm won the Fred Winter Hurdle in 2018 for the same connections.

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