Stable Tour: Gordon Elliott Cheltenham Festival 2017

Outlander

Outlander goes for the Gold Cup. He’s unexposed and it’s his first time over the trip but the way he’ll be ridden will suit him. We’ll drop him in and take our time. He’s not a Don Cossack. He won the Gold Cup last year by seven or eight lengths and I’m not stupid enough to think I can have another one the following year. He has surprised me. At home he doesn’t do anything too fancy, but he’s improving with each run and I’m looking forward to running him in the Gold Cup. He’s had three runs, he was second at Down Royal, he fell at Clonmel, second at Punchestown and then won the Lexus. So he’s fresh and he’ll go to Cheltenham and then Punchestown all being well. 

Don Poli

Don Poli’s had enough chances in a Gold Cup and he hasn’t won one but he’s definitely in good form. His last few runs have been good. He’s been very sweet the last two. I don’t know what happened at Down Royal, it was an embarrassment. The way he ran that day he wouldn’t win a point to point. There’s not much between the Irish horses. I’d say Outlander and Djakadam could be the two as they’re going there fresh, the others like Don Poli have had two races since, but I don’t think there’s a lot between the Irish horses. We’ll see what the English have, you know.  

Empire Of Dirt

He’s going for the Ryanair, that’s the plan and it looks like he has a chance. Unless something happens to Outlander or Don Poli he’ll be in the Ryanair. A Gold Cup’s a Gold Cup but we have two for that. I started training for the O’Leary’s seven or eight years ago and I’ve never had any problems with them. They’re straight with me and I’m straight with them. Of course we have our disagreements and they might not agree with my opinion, but if you work hard and do your best you’ll always be okay. They support us with a lot of good horses. 

Tombstone

All being well he’ll be supplemented for the Champion Hurdle. He’s got good form from the track last year, so why not? If he works well at the weekend and all is well we’ll supplement. It’s a very good race, but it’s an open enough race. I’m not saying he’s good enough to win a Champion Hurdle but when you see Petit Mouchoir is third or fourth favourite, he was well beaten by Tombstone in the Supreme last year. He should’ve gone chasing but he had a setback, so why not. I’ve never had a runner in the Champion Hurdle so I don’t know what it will take to win one but I think he’s not a bad horse. He’ll definitely go chasing next season. 

Death Duty

He goes for the Albert Bartlett, definitely. I’d say he’d have the pace for a Neptune but three miles he’s in his comfort zone. I think the race was made for him. He’s a big three-mile chaser in the making and I’ve said from flagfall it’s the race he’ll go for. He probably is a better hurdler than Don Cossack was at the same stage on form but he still has to go and do it when he goes chasing. He hasn’t done too much wrong this year. Nothing fazes him, he’s very laid back and they’re normally the best ones.

Apple’s Jade

She goes for the Mares’ Hurdle. Limini didn’t surprise me at all, she was the better horse on the day and we had absolutely no excuses. I’d be hoping a bit of better ground and a faster gallop would suit Apple’s Jade. I’d be delighted if Limini went down the Champion route but if she’s there we’ll take her on again. You can’t be worrying about one horse or you wouldn’t run them. She takes her racing well and I’d say she’ll definitely come on for her last run. If we could get a lead, something to take her there I’d be happier. She was obviously the best filly on the day when she beat Vroum Vroum Mag as she won the race. She’s a nice mare to have and I’m looking forward to running her. 

The Game Changer

We’ll run him in the Champion Chase against Douvan, there’s still a good bit of prizemoney to go after. Douvan looks one of the certainties of the week but we’ll go there. 

Noble Endeavor

He goes for the handicap on the first day. Jamie [Codd] said he wasn’t beaten in the four-miler last year when he came down and he was only just behind Native River. His form round Cheltenham is good. He was second in a Martin Pipe and he was running a massive race last year. So we’ll go straight there and then the Irish National after that all being well.

Dinaria Des Obeaux

We might go for the Fred Winter instead of the Triumph. I think Cheltenham will suit her, a good end-to-end gallop and the stiff finish. She’s tough. We’ll see what mark she gets and then we’ll know which way we’ll go.

Mega Fortune

Mega Fortune goes for the Triumph Hurdle. He’s won a Grade One, it’s in the boot, Philip Hobbs’ horse (Defi Du Seuil) has won a Grade One, the form is there. I’d say cheekpieces made a big difference for him last time, rather than the ground. We’ll definitely ride him positively. You’d think he was a three-mile chaser at home. We knew he went in cheekpieces for Andy Oliver on the Flat so we put them on him for the Grade One.

Blood Crazed Tiger

He’ll run in the Neptune. Gigginstown might have a few runners in that race and he’ll be one of them. I’d be surprised if he were good enough to win it but I could see him getting fourth or fifth. But if you’re not in you can’t win can you. Better ground could suit him.

Brelade

Stepping up in trip could help him. He’s in the Martin Pipe and the Coral Cup and we’ll see what sort of weight he gets. Ground wouldn’t be an issue with him, he’ll go on any ground.

Jury Duty

The Pertemps is the race we’ve had in mind for him. He came back from Navan with a very nasty cut and I was running out of time to get him qualified, so I had to send him to Chepstow to do that. He’s a horse I’m really looking forward to running. I only entered him in the Coral Cup in case I didn’t get him qualified but he’ll definitely go for the Pertemps. At Cheltenham the only time you’ll look for him will be going over the last. We probably should have won the handicap hurdle at Punchestown when Jack [Kennedy] hit the front way too soon. He’s owned by a good bunch of lads, friends of mine, so it would be great if he could win for them.

Diamond King

Diamond King’s great. A bit of good ground and you’ll see a different horse. He was very good at Galway where he had nice ground and he just couldn’t get out of it as well last time. But I’m looking forward to him, he goes for the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate on the Thursday.

Barra

She’s going for the mares’ novice. I don’t think she was getting home over 2m2f, she just wasn’t finishing her races well. Hopefully two miles on better ground will be ideal. I’d say the mares’ division is very strong in Ireland this year, Willie’s [Mullins] got a very good hand. I’d say the mares’ novice will be a hot race. I liked Jessie’s [Harrington] horse on Sunday too, Forge Meadow. 

Automated

He’s going for the Coral Cup. I think the race will suit him as he likes passing horses and he’ll like the better ground. Bryan [Cooper] gave him a peach of a ride at Navan but that’s the way he loves to be ridden.

Bless The Wings/Cause Of Causes

Bless The Wings and Cause Of Causes will run in the Cross Country. Jamie Codd will ride Cause Of Causes and Keith Donoghue will ride Bless The Wings. Bless The Wings has been there a couple of times and always seems to find one that beats him but he deserves to win a big race. He was beaten a head in an Irish National last year and it would be good to see him win one of those nice races. Jamie knows Cause Of Causes well and the plan is to go to the English National with him afterwards.

Runfordave

He’s in all the handicaps and the Neptune and the Albert Bartlett. He’ll definitely be running in something and it will all depend on what we have in the Martin Pipe, he’s owned by the same owner as The Storyteller so we’ll have to see. I’d say he’d stay three miles but the Coral Cup or the Martin Pipe wouldn’t be a problem for him. I’d say he’ll stay three miles over fences down the road. 

Shattered Love

I might run her in the Neptune where she’d get the mares’ allowance. Her form isn’t far off the best of all those mares in Ireland, she wasn’t beaten far by those good mares of Willie’s [Let’s Dance and Airlie Beach] and she beat Forge Meadow well. I just think the mares’ novice could be a bit short for her I wouldn’t want her to get taken off her feet.

Tiger Roll

Tiger Roll goes for the four-miler. He could surprise you any day of the week. You’ll know after jumping two fences if it’s a going day or an off day. He’s 152-rated and he could be higher in England, there won’t be many as highly-rated as him in the race. He’s had his issues but he’s still a good horse. Better ground will suit him, he’ll definitely get the trip. If Jamie Codd doesn’t ride him, I think he’s booked to ride A Genie In ABottle, I might let Lisa O’Neill ride him. She’s working hard here in the yard and she’s been very lucky for Gigginstown after winning Kerry Nationals and bumpers and hurdles for them. She’s only a small thing but she’s a hardy bit of stuff. She’s lucky for the owners and luck can go a long way. There will be no big pressure on her if she rides him. It would be some double, a Triumph and a four-miler, from one extreme to the other.   

The Storyteller 

We’ll see what the handicapper does but I’m really looking forward to running him in the Martin Pipe. He’s a horse I have in my head will run there, but we’ll just have to see what the handicapper does. I’ve several entries for the Martin Pipe, Jeannot De Nonant and Carrig Cathal are possibles for the race as well. It’s a race I’d love to win.

Rest of Cheltenham team

Stone Hard goes for the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase. Taglietelle goes for the Coral Cup. Sutton Manor could join Jury Duty in the Pertemps. Squouateur will be aimed at the Kim Muir or possibly the Close Brothers race. Tell Us More and Mick Jazz will hopefully go for the County Hurdle.