Don't miss the key trainer quotes ahead of Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival, featuring the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle and Ryanair Chase.
1.20pm Marsh Novices' Chase (Grade 1) 2m 3f 166y
Envoi Allen puts his unbeaten record and huge reputation on the line in the Marsh Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on Thursday.
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned seven-year-old is already a dual Festival winner, having previously landed the Champion Bumper and the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
Given he has barely put a foot wrong in three starts over fences to date, the budding superstar of the National Hunt scene is unsurprisingly all the rage to make it a hat-trick on his return to the Cotswolds, despite a late move from Gordon Elliott’s yard to Henry de Bromhead.
“He’s travelled over well and Henry is very happy with him,” said Cheveley Park’s managing director Chris Richardson.
“There’s little to say that hasn’t already been said really. He’s done everything we’ve asked of him and I just love the way he pricks his ears and jumps beautifully.
“Even last time at Punchestown, when it looked like he was going to get challenged, he just showed his class and went again.”
Richardson admits not being on track is disappointing for both himself and Cheveley Park’s owners, the Thompson family.
He added: “We’re missing it all. We’ve had such a special time at Cheltenham the last couple of years and it would have been very special to be there again.
“I suppose it does take a bit of the pressure off, (but) to have 16 National Hunt horses and have six of them running this week is beyond one’s wildest dreams.”
Envoi Allen is set to face seven rivals in the day three opener, with Nicky Henderson saddling both Chantry House and Fusil Raffles.
Fusil Raffles is three from four over fences this season, while Chantry House bounced back from a disappointing run behind his stablemate at Cheltenham in December with a comprehensive success at Wetherby last month.
Henderson said: “Fusil Raffles has been a star this season. The only bad run he had was at Cheltenham, on the day everything of mine got stuck in the mud.
“I was very pleased with Chantry House at Wetherby. He was third in the Supreme last year and was very impressive first time over fences at Ascot, which isn’t a place I would usually take a first-time-out novice chaser.
“He was very disappointing at Cheltenham next time – he completely forgot how to jump.
“Since then he has had a bit of surgery on his back and he did very well, as Wetherby was only eight weeks after that.
“We’re running into what is probably one of the Irish bankers in Envoi Allen, but I’m not going to lie down and with Chantry House and Fusil Raffles, we’ve got two shots at it.”
Willie Mullins is also doubly represented, with Asterion Forlonge and Blackbow both declared.
Dan Skelton’s Shan Blue, the Mick Winters-trained Chatham Street Lad and Darver Star from Gavin Cromwell’s yard complete the line-up.
2.30pm Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) 2m 4f 127y
Willie Mullins retains faith that Min can make a bold attempt to retain his Ryanair Chase title – despite an evident blip in his ultra-consistent record at Leopardstown last month.
Min, a neck winner of Thursday’s Grade One last year from the reopposing Saint Calvados, has been a model of reliability throughout his career until pulling up after jumping poorly in the Dublin Chase.
Paul Townend was on board the yard’s odds-on winning favourite Chacun Pour Soi that day, over a trip three furlongs shorter than this, but the powerhouse yard’s number one jockey will renew his association with Min this week.
Mullins is also set to field Allaho, Festival regular Melon and outsider Tornado Flyer in a field of 14 which features a strong British challenge from Kim Bailey’s Imperial Aura and Nicky Henderson’s Mister Fisher.
Ireland’s multiple champion trainer prefers to focus on Min’s largely exemplary career record, rather than his recent aberration, and reports the 10-year-old in fine form at home.
“Nothing has shown up with Min (after the Dublin Chase), and I’m not really worried,” said Mullins.
“He just missed one fence down the back, and took off too soon.
“(Jockey) Patrick (Mullins) did say he felt he wasn’t galloping, and maybe the pace was too fast for him over that shorter trip and we shouldn’t have run him over the shorter trip – so once things weren’t happening we were happy to pull up.”
Mullins hopes Allaho, a close third over an extended three miles in championship novice company at Cheltenham last year, will also be running over his optimum distance this time.
His only concern for his three principals is that they could conceivably compromise one another’s chances.
“The three of them have similar tactics and methods of running – which might backfire against us a little bit,” he said.
“I always thought Allaho was going to be a three-mile, out-and-out staying chaser – the way he gallops and jumps – but his sire (No Risk At All) probably holds him back a little bit from having huge stamina, so he may just have a higher cruising speed at a shorter distance.
“He jumps very well and if you can match the two, possibly over that shorter trip it might suit him.”
Melon has run with great credit in defeat at the last four Festivals, finishing second each time, and he too has had the Mullins camp scratching their heads over his best trip of late.
“We looked at Christmas and the race at the Dublin Racing Festival for Melon, and he doesn’t enjoy being held up,” added the trainer.
“He much preferred what he was doing at Christmas (tracking the leaders), and possibly the trip (an extended three miles) was too long (last time).”
Bailey did make an initial Gold Cup entry for Imperial Aura, a Festival handicap winner at close to this distance 12 months ago, but the Ryanair was always by far his most likely target.
The Cotswolds trainer said: “We go there with a very strong chance.
“I think it’s a very strong an competitive race, as they all are (at Cheltenham).”
Imperial Aura uncharacteristically unseated his rider David Bass when evens favourite in a Kempton Grade Two to win for the fourth time in succession on his last appearance two months ago.
But Bass said: “He’s schooled brilliantly since Kempton, and I find his jumping is better the quicker he’s going, so the way the Ryanair should pan out will suit him.
“I tend not to be as much of a form analyst as usual (at the Festival), because I just have to concentrate on my horse.
“The Ryanair looks wide open – you could give a chance to so many, so I think it will be a cracking race. I think he’s good enough to win, and I’m excited to ride in the race.”
Henderson has justifiably high hopes too for Mister Fisher, kept fresh since his decisive Cheltenham victory in December’s rerouted Peterborough Chase.
“He’s a lovely horse with a great temperament and a great attitude – a proper professional,” he said.
“He won the Lightning Novices’ Chase over two miles at Doncaster last year, so he’s got the pace, and he stays and jumps. I’d be very hopeful he’ll be competitive."
Amy Murphy’s Peterborough runner-up Kalashnikov returns for the Ryanair too, with Harry Whittington’s Saint Calvados also entered and bidding to go one better than last year’s second place.
A highly-competitive line-up also includes Jeremy Scott’s improving Ascot Chase winner Dashel Drasher, Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir D’oudairies – second in the 2020 Arkle – and Denise Foster’s two-time Festival winner Samcro.
O’Brien’s confidence is boosted by Fakir D’oudairies’ Cheltenham form.
“He’s been a fantastic horse for us and has shown a liking for Cheltenham in the past – winning a Grade Two juvenile hurdle, finishing fourth in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and second in the Arkle Challenge Trophy,” he told Betfair.
“He looked better than ever on his latest start when second to Chacun Pour Soi in the Dublin Chase. We have always thought that mid-range trips such as this would suit him, and we are really looking forward to seeing what he can do over it. It looks a wide-open race, and I hope he will run a big one.”
3.05pm Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 7f 213y
Emma Lavelle could not be happier with Paisley Park as her stable star attempts to regain the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Thursday.
The Marlborough handler believes Paisley Park is the same shape he was in when he lifted the crown in 2019.
She feels he can erase the memory of 12 months ago when his seven-race winning run ended in bitter disappointment as he suffered a heart problem and finished seventh behind Lisnagar Oscar.
His two runs this season have been more like the old Paisley Park. He gave encouraging signs when failing by only a length and a half to give 3lb to Thyme Hill in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.
Paisley Park then turned the tables on Thyme Hill to win the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot for a second time when they met on equal terms.
“He’s done everything he needs to. He’s in really good order. Now we’ve got to bring our A game to the track on the day,” said Lavelle.
“Everything has gone as we wanted. The Cleeve did not happen, but that’s how it was. He’s had a racecourse gallop since then. He’s ticked over really well and, touch wood, he seems in good form.
“These races are always going to be competitive. It’s sad that his sparring partner of this season (Thyme Hill) isn’t going to be there, but hopefully it will all go to plan.
“The first year when he was winning and everything went to plan, it was just very smooth, very easy and just brilliant.
“Last year we had to do a bit more work with him. This year he seems like he was his first year. He’s stronger and very up much up for everything we’ve asked of him, so hopefully it will go smoothly in the race as well.”
Lisnagar Oscar put up a career-best performance when causing a 50-1 upset 12 months ago, and the Rebecca Curtis-trained eight-year-old defends his title after finishing runner-up to Third Wind in the Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock last month.
Flooring Porter bridged the gap from handicaps to Group One company when winning the Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle.
Gavin Cromwell’s charge made all the running and found more when challenged in the closing stages to beat The Storyteller by 12 lengths.
The latter renews rivalry and is one of three runners trained by Denise Foster, along with Fury Road and Sire Du Berlais, as she minds Cullentra House Stables in County Meath while Gordon Elliott serves his suspension.
Willie Mullins’ Bacardys plus Noel Meade’s Beacon Edge give adds further strength to the Irish challenge.
It would be a tremendous training effort by Kim Bailey to get Vinndication to win this showpiece race.
The horse has not run over hurdles for over three years and has not raced since he picked up an injury in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury in November.
Bailey had hoped to run the eight-year-old in the Gold Cup, but opted for the Stayers’ Hurdle as he could not get a prep run into him.
Bailey felt the lack of a recent outing cost him in the Ultima Handicap Chase when he led two out, but was caught on the run-in and eventually finished fourth last term.
He will be ridden by David Bass, who is expecting a decent show from Vinndication.
“Last year I thought he was a certainty in the Ultima, but he hadn’t run since November and we couldn’t get a racecourse gallop into him and he just got tired,” he said.
“We had a discussion and felt he was just physically finding it hard over fences.
“We gave him a school over hurdles and he seemed to really enjoy it. He’s the type who could run well in the Stayers’ as he races behind the bridle. I think that track will suit him as well.”
Bailey also runs Younevercall, while the field is completed by 2019 runner-up Sam Spinner, If The Cap Fits, Lil Rockerfeller, Main Fact and Reserve Tank.
