Cheltenham Festival: NAP, Best Irish Chance, Trainer to Follow
The countdown is almost over, with the Cheltenham Festival set to begin on Tuesday afternoon as jumps racing fans get set for the biggest four days of the year. The action in the Cotswolds dominates the sporting landscape in a manner unmatched for racing. It's sure to be a rollercoaster of emotion, as always, and here we've picked out our Festival NAP, Best Irish Chance and a Trainer to Follow across the meeting.
Festival NAP
Shanagh Bob @ 10/1
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle - 2.50 Friday
Once again this year, Ireland is expected to dominate the meeting, but Britain's training ranks will be desperate to ensure this isn't another 'greenwash' on home soil and they have plenty to go to war with against the raiding party in the Cotswolds.
One man sure to stand up to the challenge is Nicky Henderson, Britain's all-time leading trainer at this great meeting with 73 winners across four decades.
Forced to rule out superstar Constitution Hill on the eve of the festival after a setback, nobody could deny the Seven Barrows chief a decent week.
He has some excellent contenders and, perhaps, few better than SHANAGH BOB in the Albert Bartlett on Friday, the final race before the Gold Cup.
He runs in the colours of Joe & Marie Donnelly — rarely do they have anything substandard — and comes into this unbeaten after a point-to-point success and two wins over hurdles.
The most recent of those was a C&D trial for this in December and he took nicely to Cheltenham. It wasn't the strongest Grade 2 on paper but the form is standing up quite well.
Shanagh Bob is a physically imposing sort, likely to really come into his own in the future as a staying chaser but right now this is a perfect test for him. This race often goes to a horse with just that sort of profile.
Henderson's only previous winner was Bobs Worth, a future Gold Cup hero, and Shanagh Bob can give the Irish some woe in this three-mile Grade 1.
Best Irish Chance
Brighterdaysahead @ 6/4
Mares' Novices' Hurdle - 4.50 Thursday
No shortage of candidates for this, with the likes of State Man, Lossiemouth, Ballyburn, Fact To File, El Fabiolo, Galopin Des Champs and Dinoblue trading short for their festival targets.
Instead, consider BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD as Ireland's top contender for the Gordon Elliott team.
This Gigginstown House Stud-owned mare has really impressed in her three hurdles wins this season and is now a perfect 5-5 having also won both bumpers last season.
She is progressing at a rate of knots and looks a real athletic type who should have no problems handling Cheltenham.
Given the array of talent that has passed through Cullentra House, it's quite something to hear Elliott suggest that this mare might just be the most talented of the lot.
The likes of Jade De Grugy for Willie Mullins and Fergal O'Brien's Dysart Enos are solid opponents, helping in some ways to hold up the price, but Brighterdaysahead will take some halting if she's as good as her connections clearly believe.
Trainer to Follow
Henry de Bromhead
It goes without saying, of course, but look out for that man Willie Mullins. He's saddled 94 Cheltenham Festival winners and is long odds-on to burst through the century barrier this week and is 1/10 to be Top Trainer again for the 11th time.
In the 'Top Trainer Without Willie Mullins' market we find Henry de Bromhead at odds of 8/1, behind the likes of Elliott and Henderson only, and the County Waterford handler could be of some value.
De Bromhead heads to the Cotswolds this week with 21 Festival winners on his CV already and it would be a shock if he doesn’t add to that.
Former Gold Cup hero Minella Indo is hot-favourite for the Cross Country Chase, while Quilixios has gone from dark horse to talking horse in the Arkle market.
Telmesomethinggirl has a chance in the Mares' Hurdle, while Magical Zoe could run well in the County Hurdle.
Slade Steel is a key contender for whichever Grade 1 novice hurdle he turns up in and lots of good judges believe Monty's Star is a massive player in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.
Jungle Boogie is an outsider of note in the Gold Cup, while Maskada is set to defend her crown in the Grand Annual and Envoi Allen is a major player when he does likewise in the Ryanair Chase.
Whacker Clan is a Kim Muir candidate with winning form at the track and lightly-raced Waterford Whispers is targeting the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle — the festivalp finale.
By that stage it will be a major disappointment if we've not seen success for the wonderful alliance of De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore, the Queen of Cheltenham.