Willie Mullins column: Cheltenham Friday view
Al Boum Photo spearheads our star columnist's team for the final day of the Cheltenham Festival as he bids to win a third Gold Cup.
It was nice to get another couple of winners at Cheltenham on Wednesday. Monkfish wasn’t as good as he normally can be and gave us quite a scare over the last in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase with the loose horse and everything but got the job done.
Chacun Pour Soi was a little disappointing in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. Maybe we weren’t bold enough with our tactics.
Sir Gerhard and Rachael Blackmore were very good in winning the Weatherbys Champion Bumper and Kilcruit lost nothing in defeat either. He just needed a little pace early on to turn it into more of a staying test as he finished very strongly.
They are both very nice prospects to go novice hurdling with next season.
Elsewhere it was great to see Paul Hennessy train his first Festival winner with Heaven Help Us in the Coral Cup.
The winner is owned by John Turner, who Paul introduced us to and has horses with us here including Billaway, Buildmeupbuttercup and Tornado Flyer.
Paul is a family friend and neighbour from Doninga. We’ve known him and his family since we were children.
13:20 TAX FOR MAX
This is a big ask for him. However, he’s gaining invaluable experience in this field for later in his career.
13:20 HAUT EN COULEURS
Paul rides him. He’s a horse we purchased in France earlier in the season. It’s taken us all this time to get him right but we were very happy with his latest work. We’d rather have had a run under our belt but the way things worked out we couldn’t get one in. However he’s not a back-number in this field.
13:55 BUILDMEUPBUTTERCUP
She has run very well here in the past and was fourth in this last year. I think drying ground will benefit her hugely and she’s one for each-way punters.
13:55 CIEL DE NEIGE
He will benefit from the cheekpieces being fitted and is a horse that promises to have a big day and maybe the headgear will help him achieve that goal. He comes here fit and well and with a bit of luck has every chance. If you go back to the Betfair Hurdle run this time last year that shows you the level of ability he has.
13:55 CAPTAIN KANGAROO
He gets in here with a nice light weight. He might not have the profile of some of these but he has plenty of experience and is at the right end of the weights so who knows what can happen in this very open race?
13:55 GETAWAY GORGEOUS
She has lots of experience over hurdles but always seems to find trouble in her races. However, the ground has come her way and one day she’s going to get a clear run through and will strike. The drying conditions are hugely beneficial for her.
13:55 GANAPATHI
He comes here with probably a nice mark but lacking a little in experience. But from this rating he could improve with a trouble free run and has the ability to go very close in this.
14:30 N'GOLO
Being by Galileo he might benefit from this rise in trip and it will hopefully help him jump well. He has a good profile for this race, he has six or seven runs under his belt and hopefully will be relaxed enough to see it out. He has an each-way chance.
14:30 STATTLER
He could cap a great week for Ronnie Bartlett who owns National Hunt Chase winner Galvin. He’s doing everything right at home and has been doing everything right on the racetrack all year. He’s in good form and has a great chance. I think he’s crying out for this trip and this type of race. He has the experience.
15:05 KEMBOY
Danny is hoping to do the Irish-English Gold Cup double on him which is very unusual. Dry weather is going to suit and if he can get a trouble-free run up near the front he has every chance of getting into an each-way position.
15:05 AL BOUM PHOTO
He’s travelled over well and has taken his training all year without a hitch. We’re pleased to have him back here in the form he’s in. A dry track is probably the only negative we have at the moment but he’s been here and done it twice and we couldn’t be happier.
You might dream you have a horse to win one Gold Cup but a second and now going for a third is off the scale. He’s always run well at Cheltenham and even the day he fell with Ruby he was possibly going to win. The track and the hill he likes and we’re privileged to be in the position we’re in with this horse.
15:40 BILLAWAY
We’ve got a lot more experience into him jumping this season and I think he’s one of our better chances of a winner this week. If Paul and he get on they’re going to be a formidable combination to beat.
I’ve never won the St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase before and it has probably one of the nicest if not the best trophies in National Hunt racing and it would be great fun if we could manage to win that. We mightn’t even let owner John (Turner) know we have it for a little while when we get back!
There’s a great turn out for first running of the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase in a week when there’s been a general decline in field sizes. It shows the new programme for mares is working and everyone was a little afraid first couple of years could have small fields but they’ve got a great turn out.
16:15 SALSARETTA
She has some form good enough to entitle her to run in this but unfortunately the drying conditions at Cheltenham aren’t in her favour.
16:15 CABARET QUEEN
The opposite is true of this mare and I think a smaller field and better ground are a big boost to her chances in this.
16:15 ELIMAY
She had a great run behind Allaho in Thurles and her experience and natural jumping ability will be a great asset in this contest. Underfoot conditions will be a big help too. We’re very happy with her.
16:15 COLREEVY
She has done everything right, jumps, stays and battles well. Even though she’s only a novice she deserves her chance against these mares. She has a Grade One penalty which means she has to give weight away and the drying ground won’t be to our advantage either.
16:50 GENTLEMAN DE MEE
Simon Torrens rides him. He could be nicely handicapped. I thought he could have been good enough for the Ballymore at this meeting. Simon is riding great at the moment and with a bit of luck won’t be far away. He can be keen so we’ve put a hood on to help.
16:50 GALOPIN DES CHAMPS
Another novice who could have a favourable handicap mark. I think he’ll be fine on the ground and for this race we have two very good pilots with Sean O’Keeffe on him. That’s a huge bonus. Both have a great chance of getting close to the money.
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