Henry De Bromhead Stable Tour: Cheltenham 2017 squad

When Sizing Europe followed up his 2010 Arkle win at the Cheltenham Festival in the 2011 Champion Chase it was a golden few days for Henry de Bromhead and owners Ann and Alan Potts, whose red, green and yellow colours were carried to victory by Sizing Australia in the Cross Country Chase the following day.

A barren spell at the Festival since then perhaps goes a way to explain the Potts’ decision to remove their horses from de Bromhead last August, a move that has paid dividends for all concerned, with the big-spending owners enjoying high-profile successes with Colin Tizzard and Jessica Harrington.

However, de Bromhead himself has had a fantastic season too, smashing through the £1,000,000 total prizemoney barrier thanks to 62 winners in Ireland at a strike-rate of 17 per cent.

An influx of horses from Gigginstown on the back of their split with Willie Mullins has helped enormously and their Petit Mouchoir, 5/1 with Sky Bet for the Stan James Champion Hurdle, heads the strongest team de Bromhead will have brought to Cheltenham since the days of Sizing Europe.

“We’ve been really fortunate this year, we’ve got some really nice horses,” said de Bromhead at Naas on Sunday. “Roger Brookhouse [has brought some horses in] as well and plenty of others have joined us and we’re just really lucky to be in the position we’re in.

“You want to get the results, but we’re just trying to do everything as best as we can and get the horses there in the best shape we can.

“I’d say we’ll be bringing 10 or 12 over to Cheltenham, hopefully.”

Capital Force: He had a great run first time out at Fairyhouse and I was disappointed with him at Leopardstown. Ruby [Walsh] felt he got it wrong at Leopardstown again, on real good ground he’d have won by six or eight lengths and have been very impressive. I think I got it wrong running him over 2m2f and then he went and got the job done at Thurles on ground he would’ve hated. He’s by Kayf Tara out of a Presenting mare [so good ground should suit]. He’s a massive price, but he might be a fun each-way bet in the Supreme.

Champagne West: He’s done very little wrong this year as well. He won well at Tramore and then to win the Thyestes off 154 was very impressive. It’s not easy to do that in a top handicap and he’s gone up to 166 now so well take our chance in the Gold Cup and see how we go. He’s got good form around Cheltenham too. There is still a little question mark over his jumping, he made a mistake five out at Gowran, but other than that he’s been pretty good. It’s very open and they’re closely rated so it’s very competitive.

Heron Heights: He’s got a lot of entries at Cheltenham including the two-and-a-half-mile novices’ handicap chase but on his previous rating I doubt he’d get in. He’s in the Kim Muir, he’s in the Ultima and he’s in the RSA. I’m not sure where he’ll go but he’ll run in one and he’s in good form. He’s won at the course and distance so we’ll see with him.

Monalee: He’s a really nice young horse and he’s in the Neptune and the Albert Bartlett. He won well at Clonmel over three miles and was beaten by Death Duty over two and a half, so we’re trying to weigh up which way we’ll go. Do we go with the race that will suit him better? Do you want to take on a horse that has already beaten you? We just need to work all that out but he’s in great form and whatever he does this season is a bonus. He’s by Milan I think he’ll actually be better on better ground. He was beaten in a bumper at a point to point on heavy ground and I couldn’t wait to get him on to good ground, which he did at Punchestown where he ran well in a better bumper.

Peace News: He came to us with a big reputation, won his maiden hurdle well and looked like he might run okay in the Royal Bond where he fell at the second last. Nothing has won out of his maiden, it’s been a disappointing maiden. We need to see if we can get him back. Peace News was fourth at Naas on Sunday and has entries in the Coral Cup and County Hurdle.

Petit Mouchoir: He’s won his last two, both at Leopardstown, and he’s done nothing wrong bar the fall at Newcastle which was a bit disappointing. He seemed to be going well in that race [the Fighting Fifth] and he confirmed that at Leopardstown at Christmas when he did what we thought he might do at Newcastle. He then came back out and won the Irish Champion Hurdle so he’s had a fantastic season already. Buveur d’Air beat our lad last year at Aintree but ours is in good form. I’d never be overly confident but we’re looking for a good run.

Some Plan, Three Stars, Ordinary World: Altior was hugely impressive the other day and he has been all season, he’ll be very hard to beat. But I’d say we could end up with three in it against him as we’ve Some Plan who won the Irish Arkle, Three Stars who won a Grade Three at Punchestown and Ordinary World who was second to Min on ground he wouldn’t have been mad about at Leopardstown at Christmas. I’d say we’d end up running the three of them and they’ve similar chances on the form they have shown so far.

Probably for all of them, it's a case of the better the ground the better their chances, but it’s going to be tough against Altior. I’m running to win, I’m not saying I’m confident we’re going to win, ratings would tell you I’m not, but I always run to win and that’s it.

Special Tiara: He’s in mighty form. He’s had two runs on ground he would’ve hated this year but the day he got his good ground he won nicely at Kempton. He loves it and he’s been third in the Champion Chase the last two years. I still don’t know how he wasn’t second last year, but he’s a very good horse in his own right.

Sub Lieutenant: He’s had a great year. He won at Limerick and then he won the Grade Two against Outlander getting a little bit of weight at Down Royal. Then he was third to Djakadam off level weights and then he ran very well being beaten by Sizing John at Thurles in mid-January in the Kinloch Brae. I think his form his really good. I think the better the ground the better he’ll run and I’m hoping for a good run in the Ryanair.