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Cheltenham Handicaps

D

Double J

Journeyman
Joined
Nov 16, 2016
Messages
2,758
Anyone got any clearly being laid out for one?

Madara - Plate - Skeltons horse. came close in Paddy Power last season, think they’ve minded this with the Plate in mind.

Jeriko Du Reponet - Kim Muir, every man and his dog can see this one though. 4/1 is a scandalous price all the same.

Murcia
Karbau
Roc Dino
All with the County in mind?
 
With Cromwell having a rotten start to the season and the green shoots of recovery starting to sprout from the yard any of his in the handicaps are worth a second look.
 
Danny said:
With Cromwell having a rotten start to the season and the green shoots of recovery starting to sprout from the yard any of his in the handicaps are worth a second look.
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Two of his horses ran very poorly yesterday. It will be interesting to see how Vanillier runs in the 12.28 as a bellwether for the state of the yard.
 
Outsider said:
Stencil. Grand annual?
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Stencil needs another chase run by Sunday, 23rd February ( inclusive of races on that date ) to be eligible to run in the Grand Annual. He's 12/1 NRNB for that race, and the same price for the Jack Richards novice handicap chase over two and a half miles plus. His rating of 135 would have been high enough to get into last year's race.
 
Certainly seemed to be money for Shannon Royale last time (albeit in a dire race). Wonder if today's run in the P.P. Hogan is a prequel for the Cross Country.

Agree on Roc Dino's target - can only see that last run as getting a 5th run in to qualify for the County.
 

Watch And Learn: Graeme North timefigure analysis​

By Graeme North
Horse Racing
Wed February 04, 2026 · 3h ago

Our timefigure expert Graeme North analyses the key action from the Dublin Racing Festival as the clock backs up Majborough's performance rating.

With half of Leopardstown Racecourse, or so it seemed, under water in the lead-up to the Dublin Racing Festival it perhaps wasn’t surprising that the first day’s card (subsequently moved to Monday) was abandoned following further rain.

Predictably, conditions were unusually testing and for the first time since the fixture's inauguration in 2018 Timeform called the ground heavy on the hurdles track (it was soft on the chase course); conditions were even more challenging on the rescheduled Monday, however, with both the hurdles and the chase track riding around 23lb slower than the previous day according to the going allowance used by Timeform to calculate its timefigures and the chase course too verging on heavy.

For any reader anxious that their ante-post Cheltenham fancy had a hard race in bad conditions my advice would be don’t worry too much - in 2018, which was the last occasion the ground was as testing as this according to going allowances, of the 12 winners who went on to Cheltenham three won (Footpad in the Arkle, Samcro in the Baring Bingham and Relegate in the Champion Bumper), and another four ended up finishing second.

Majborough soars to big DRF number​

If there is one horse from the opening day who should have little trouble going on to follow up at Cheltenham if historical pointers are any guide it is Majborough, whose 179 performance rating in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase if repeated in the Champion Chase in six weeks’ time would have won him every renewal since Altior in 2018 - and with some ease too.

That 179 performance is fully backed up by the clock; worth 179 too, a timefigure that is the best recorded in the history of the Dublin Racing Festival, eclipsing the 176 and 174 Chacun Pour Soi recorded in the same race and is the second-best timefigure at around two miles (behind Altior’s 180) since Timeform started returning timefigures over jumps.

The brilliant Chacun Pour Soi never got near his best form at Cheltenham (or at Sandown in his only other hop across the Irish Sea, seeming to me unsuited by the fences coming up in much more rapid succession than the evenly-spaced ones in Ireland) but Majborough has already won at the Festival, albeit over hurdles in the 2024 Triumph, and was beaten less than a length in the muddling 2025 Arkle despite all but coming down two-out after several earlier scruffy jumps.

Majborough hadn't been foot perfect in either of his two races before the Dublin Chase this season, the Hilly Way at Cork and the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase here at Christmas, but the application of cheekpieces for the first time finally unlocked the ability that he’d often hinted had been there if he put it all together and he reversed Rewards Club form with last year’s Champion Chase winner Marine Nationale and Hilly Way winner Found A Fifty in no uncertain terms, passing the post 19 lengths clear in what was the largest winning margin in the race after the 12-length routs by Min in 2018 and Chacun Pour Soi in 2022.

If there’s reason to be cautious regarding his Cheltenham prospects it might be that he’s unlikely to be allowed quite as much rope at Cheltenham (a course where Marine Nationale is unbeaten) as he was at Leopardstown which is known as something of a front-runners track, and there's always the question of whether the headgear will work just as well again. We shall see.
 
Last Kingdom - 5yo rated 139 over hurdles. Coral Cup or the Martin Pipe?

Owned by JP, with a change of trainer from Willie Mullins to Faye Bramley notified on 2nd February. Declared to run in the 4:10 at Warwick on Saturday with Donagh Meyler booked. A win ahead of the publication of the Cheltenham handicap weights may not be the plan.
 
Jayhawk said:
Last Kingdom - 5yo rated 139 over hurdles. Coral Cup or the Martin Pipe?

Owned by JP, with a change of trainer from Willie Mullins to Faye Bramley notified on 2nd February. Declared to run in the 4:10 at Warwick on Saturday with Donagh Meyler booked. A win ahead of the publication of the Cheltenham handicap weights may not be the plan.
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Very interesting, that's the AP McCoy stable isn't it. Wouldn't have thought they'd be wanting to win on Saturday.
 

Cheltenham Festival handicap tips: Who qualified with fifth start over hurdles at the Dublin Racing Festival​

By Matt Brocklebank
Horse Racing
Thu February 05, 2026 · 2h ago

Matt Brocklebank looks back on the Dublin Racing Festival and highlights those who qualified for Cheltenham Festival handicap hurdles, plus a few who still have time to make the cut.

The fifth amendment​

It will be fascinating to see how many Cheltenham Festival handicap winners emerge from this year’s Dublin Racing Festival. What does your gut say? A couple, maybe three or four at a push?
There are 12 handicaps in total across the four days at Cheltenham and not one of them was won by a horse who ‘prepped’ at the DRF last season. Maybe it’s about now you’ll be wishing you could amend your initial guesstimate.
I’m not so sure, but it feels like the hurdle races are going to prove key to finding the right answer, as is typically the case.
For a bit of essential background, it’s worth reiterating that last year saw the introduction of a rule that requires novices to have had a minimum of five starts over hurdles to compete in the non-novice/juvenile handicap hurdle races at the Festival (County Hurdle, Coral Cup, Pertemps Final and Martin Pipe), while from the current campaign that now applies to all horses.
In 2025 the Coral Cup was won by non-novice Jimmy Du Seuil after just five starts over hurdles, the Martin Pipe was won by non-novice mare Wodhooh after six hurdles starts, and while Kargese had competed nine times over timber (three of which were in France) prior to landing the County Hurdle, she was followed home by Ndaawi (after six previous hurdle starts), Absurde (just four, lightly-raced non-novice) and Ethical Diamond (five, second-season novice).
Although we’re obviously working off very limited evidence in regard to the five-runs-per-novice rule, it’s pretty much always been the case – barring the Pertemps which remains something of an outlier – that young, lightly-raced improvers are going to prove most impactful when it comes to the principal handicap hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival, and there’s no reason to think otherwise based on last year’s results.

Mai the force be with you​

Looking back over the past eight years, since the inception of the DRF, eight handicap hurdles at Cheltenham have been won via a Leopardstown stepping-stone.
So, who wasn’t eligible for such races until running at the weekend?
I make it 11 horses to have had their fifth qualifying hurdles run at the DRF and the most obvious one to kick off with is the Charles Byrnes-trained I Started A Joke, which felt like quite a fitting name as he traded at 11/8 with one firm on the morning of the 19-runner Padel At Leopardstown Golf Launching Spring 2026 Handicap Hurdle.
Sent off 7/4 in the end, he ran a fine race despite being foiled by Gordon Elliott’s Bowensonfire and has only been raised 4lb in Ireland (to 132).
Given the unusually testing ground on the hurdles track (described as ‘Heavy’ by Timeform), it’s perhaps no great surprise the more battle-hardened winner’s previous experience ultimately told but I Started A Joke is a novice to take very seriously for the remainder of the season.
He could be the sort to rock up in the Imperial Cup at Sandown before an inevitable trip to Cheltenham.


races with our Race Replays
in for Free​

Bleu Berry finished well down the field in this event before winning the 2018 Coral Cup off a 1lb higher mark for Willie Mullins and the champion trainer had almost half the field this time, Kimi De Mai faring best of his nine with an eight-length third under Sean Cleary-Farrell - and qualifying for Cheltenham in the process.
The mare still has very few miles on the clock for a six-year-old and, from the family of Bristol De Mai, is likely to benefit from a step back up in trip despite failing to justify skinny odds in a two and a half-mile maiden at Punchestown on January 12.

Dame's best days still in front of her​

Sticking with Sunday’s action, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy And Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle was run at a crawl and looked a muddling sort of affair. That’s not to take anything away from eventual winner Cousin Kate, who was given a clever ride by find-of-the-season Michael Kenneally, claiming 7lb.
Heaven Help Us pulled off the mares’ handicap/Coral Cup double five years ago and Denis Hogan clearly has a major late-bloomer on his hands as Cousin Kate only made her debut in September.
This was her eighth start over hurdles while, in behind, the second Dameauscottlestown, ninth Shoda, tenth Galileo Dame and the well-held 13th Adrienne were all having their fifth outing. Shoda and Galileo Dame are both trained by Joseph O’Brien and the latter, who finished sixth to Air Of Entitlement in last year’s Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and was far from disgraced here under a big weight, should head back to Prestbury Park with outside claims given her sliding handicap mark.

Cousin Kate in action at Leopardstown

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Time for another?​

Interestingly, not one of the dozen who went to post for the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle won by Talk The Talk was having their fifth start over jumps. Plenty were taking their tally to four, though, which begs the question: is there time for another run?
The gruelling conditions might put paid to that idea but, equally, the beaten horses certainly won’t have been given too hard a time on that ground and in theory three starts within six weeks shouldn’t be an issue if connections are looking to get a BHA mark for the Festival.
Mullins won the 2024 County Hurdle with then-novice Absurde after an eyecatching fourth in this G1 event, while Galopin Des Champs famously finished sixth in it at 100/1 before bolting up at 8/1 in the 2021 Martin Pipe.
Sixth home Le Divin Enfant, sent off the shortest price of the Mullins trio after being well supported, is the only realistic potential handicap project from Closutton this time and his pedigree suggests the Martin Pipe trip would hold no fears if they can squeeze in another run somewhere in the interim.
Keep an eye on the upcoming entries for fourth Koktail Brut (Elliott) and fifth Blake (Noel Meade) in the next couple of weeks as well.


Watch And Learn: Graeme North timefigure analysis from the DRF

Manic Monday​

A similar scenario played out in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle and given there was a clear-cut winner in Doctor Steinberg, perhaps the beaten horses suddenly become more obvious spring handicap projects as a result of not wanting to meet the winner on equal terms again any time soon.
Killultagh Vic won the 2018 Martin Pipe after finishing third in this race when it was still run as a Grade 2 and, under the current rules, Kazansky, Love Me Tender, Santo Sospir and Yeshil will all need another spin in order to be given a mark at the big Cheltenham weights reveal in 20 days’ time.
Monday’s 0-150 Listed Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle over three miles witnessed a handful of horses potentially put their hands up for a Festival entry.
Delta Work finished fourth in this race and then third in a Pertemps Qualifier at Punchestown a couple of weeks later before claiming his first Cheltenham triumph in the Final of that series and third He Can’t Dance represents the same Elliott/Gigginstown team. The last qualifying race is run at Naas these days towards the end of the month and I’d be amazed if this dour stayer didn’t feature among the possible entries. He'd need a top-four finish there, too.
The Emmet Mullins-trained pair Barra Rua and Dippedinmoonlight both shaped with promise in fourth and fifth respectively, while Willie Mullins’ Road To Home and Eclipse Chaser – also having their fifth starts - were pulled-up before the last flight and could obviously fare a bit better on less taxing ground.
Published at 16:00 GMT on 04/02/26
 
Basil Pinenuts said:
Anyone know why Narciso Has has an Irish handicap mark (148) and Selma De Vary doesn't? Same number of hurdle runs
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equidia.fr/chevaux/selma-de-vary has a figure of 69kg after the horse's run at Auteuil in November 2025. Isn't the usual method to multiply the French rating by 2 to give a British ( or Irish ) rating. 138, at least before the race at Leopardstown.
 
Jayhawk said:
equidia.fr/chevaux/selma-de-vary has a figure of 69kg after the horse's run at Auteuil in November 2025. Isn't the usual method to multiply the French rating by 2 to give a British ( or Irish ) rating. 138, at least before the race at Leopardstown.
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Ah gotcha, think she'll go for the Triumph (and win). Owner must love that race.
 
Madness d'Elle declared for his third hurdles run on Thursday. The stable tour had "Hopefully he's a Triumph Hurdle horse" and went off 4/11 last time. Tender handling on Thursday might put him on a nice mark for the Hallgarten and Novum Wines.
 
'He's going to run a fantastic race' - Willie Mullins' horse-by-horse guide to his Cheltenham Festival team
Conor Fennelly gets the lowdown from Willie Mullins about his Cheltenham Festival team







On his preparations, Mullins said: "I'm happy enough. A few of the horses just haven't sparked yet but I think we'll have them right by the time they get to Cheltenham.
"The weather is huge. I think it's the wettest year I've ever had and I've been here 40 years. It's been a bit of a bother but everyone is in the same boat. We had a very wet time from November up to Christmas and I think we just got one dry week.

"I was sort of disappointed how slowly we were getting into gear but the weather wasn't a help. Sometimes at that time of year we are a little bit slow and people say we aren't going to go well, but come the spring things come right. Although we are probably a little bit behind even that at the moment."

Anzadam
Unibet Champion Hurdle, 20-1
I've tried a couple of things with him and I've one or two more things to try, which might make him competitive. I've been a little disappointed with him as the year has worked out, but I haven't given up hope.

Ballyburn
Unibet Champion Hurdle, 20-1
His pedigree would probably rule him out of the Champion Hurdle. I'm not sure he has any sort of a fast pedigree, so we'll have to see with him.

Bambino Fever Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle, 7-4
I was hoping there would be big improvement in her after Naas and she won well at Fairyhouse. It'll be a proper race with Oldschool Outlaw and we know she jumps, stays and goes at the track, so we've a lot of positives.

Bentraghhill
Weatherbys Champion Bumper, 14-1
He's a fair machine and will be over the years when he goes jumping.

Dinoblue
Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase, 7-4
She's going back to the Mares' Chase, all being well.

Doctor Steinberg Turners Novices' Hurdle, 10-1
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, 11-4
We always thought he was a good ground, summer horse, being by Doctor Dino. We didn't think he was the fastest Doctor Dino we ever had, so I thought he wanted good ground for stamina in the summer. He's really surprised me. I was watching him at Leopardstown coming up to the winning post and thinking Turners, while everyone else was saying Albert Bartlett. Looking at the way he pulled and dragged, I don't think he can do that for three miles around Cheltenham. You'd have a faster pace in the Turners but it'll probably be a much better race. I'll leave it up to Paul [Townend] as maybe he'll find some way of riding him differently. He rode him from the front at Leopardstown as he wanted pace in the race but he could probably cover him up and get him to settle in the Albert Bartlett. If he tells me he's able to get him to settle, we could think of running in the Albert Bartlett – that'd be crucial.

Espresso Milan Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, 14-1
He's a nice type who did it well at Thurles. I always thought an Albert Bartlett horse needs four or five runs but that might be changing.

Fact To File Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, 4-1
Ryanair Chase, 9-4
You go back to November and he was the Irish banker for the Ryanair, but he came out and did what he did at the DRF. JP [McManus, owner] has so many other horses, such as Spillane's Tower, that he can have a runner in the Gold Cup with a live chance while still keeping Fact To File in the Ryanair. He's been in the game longer than any of us and seen the ups and downs, so I'm going to respect whatever he says [regarding supplementing him for the Gold Cup]. We haven't really spoken about it and I don't think there’s any need at this stage as they are all within a few days of one another. A lot will depend on what horses are going to turn up and I think that'll influence his decision later in the day rather than earlier.

Final Demand Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, 4-1
We were all underwhelmed at Christmas. Patrick [Mullins] said he had a look around coming down the hill and he didn't want to give him a squeeze and turn him upside down at the second-last or last. I was hoping there was more in the tank but obviously there wasn't [given his disappointing run at the DRF]. It was very testing ground at Limerick and Leopardstown, but he looks like that type of horse who wants that type of ground. I was thinking to myself, are we missing something at home? We put a lot of thought into it and we're changing a couple of things at home. We were able to turn around Vautour in a few days and we have a whole month to turn this guy around, so that's what we're trying to do. We think he has the ability but we just have to get that spark back into him.

Galopin Des Champs Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, 8-1
He had a very hard race at Christmas for his first run, which I didn't like, but we had to do it. He ran a nice race at the DRF but I just felt his Christmas race impacted a little bit on his finishing position. He needed that. As he gets older, he probably needs softer ground and that would be a big help to him. He's in good order. I think he's still of an age where he can be competitive and still has the ability.

Gaelic Warrior Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, 15-2
Ryanair Chase, 2-1
He's in good form. He had a hard race at Christmas and at the DRF, but he ran fantastically in both races. He's a horse who runs well at Cheltenham. I thought his run at Leopardstown was ideal for the Ryanair myself. I wouldn't have any problems going to that race but maybe if I analyse it more and get more opinions, I might change my mind. It was a hell of a run, though.

Il Etait Temps BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase, 7-1
Ryanair Chase, 33-1
He's in the Ryanair but I’d say him and Majborough will go to the Champion Chase. He was fine after his fall and is back riding out. There was no spark in him the last day. He surprised me last year with what he did at Sandown and he came back and repeated the dose in the Tingle Creek.

Jade De Grugy
Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle, 12-1
Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase, 12-1
She's in the Mares' Hurdle still, just in case. She'd be entitled to run in it if we thought a stablemate could win the Mares' Chase. She's won her chase but I don't know what we'll do yet.

Kaid D'Authie Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, 5-1
He's a very good horse. He disappointed last year as I always thought he was way better than that. This year, he's showing me on the racetrack what he was showing me at home.

Kargese
Singer Arkle Novices' Chase, 5-1
That was a tremendous run at Leopardstown and she looks well suited to the Arkle.

Kappa Jy Pyke
Singer Arkle Novices' Chase, 16-1
Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, 40-1
I know the owners would love to go and they're from Cheshire. I'm thinking of looking at the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse, that looks to me an obvious target. However, the novice races could cut up at Cheltenham, so we'll see with him.

King Rasko Grey Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle 20-1
Turners Novices' Hurdle, 14-1
He was third at Leopardstown and I was looking at the three of them jumping the last thinking my fellow looks like a mare in foal compared to the other two! I think he has every chance of improving more than they have, condition wise. He comes right into it. By Galiway, he should have enough speed for the Supreme and the experience he got the other day will be a huge help. However, your first thought after the way he won in Limerick would be the Turners. All those things are still in the mix.

Kopek Des Bordes Singer Arkle Novices' Chase, 11-4
How many horses have gone to the Arkle off one run? Very few, I'd say, so maybe the statistics aren't as bad as we think. However, we are up against it with the experience. He worked very well the other day. I put him in against three good horses and they went two miles over fences at racing speed. That was our objective, I wanted to do what a race at Leopardstown would do and I wanted to bring him to a race meeting on a raceday, just to try and replicate it, but I didn't want the hardship that he might get in the Irish Arkle. I didn't want a hard race, but I wanted a good, hard bit of work. He did it well and the further and faster he jumped, the better he jumped.

Leader D'Allier
Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle 20-1
I was disappointed with him at Christmas but he was beaten by Ballyfad. I thought the way he finished at Punchestown puts him right there with a chance. He's right in the mix and has plenty of experience racing from France, which is a positive.
 
Lossiemouth
Unibet Champion Hurdle, 6-1
Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle, 5-4
She was disappointing the last day but it's a very open Champion Hurdle. I'll have a good word with Rich Ricci [owner] and see what he thinks. A lot will depend on how the mare is herself. The form she was in at Leopardstown wouldn't cut the mustard and she'd be better off going for the Mares' Hurdle in that sort of form, but we'll see.

Love Sign D'Aunou
Weatherbys Champion Bumper, 7-1
It was a huge performance at Naas. It was a deep enough race and he didn't beat them, he hammered them. What I loved about it was he never really showed me that at home and I love horses that come out and can do it on the racetrack.

Majborough
BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase, 13-8
We've all had our opinions on how he should be ridden. Mark [Walsh] just said he'd rather do what he wanted to do at Leopardstown and it worked like a dream. That was fantastic and I'd imagine if Mark can repeat that performance, he's going to run a fantastic race at Cheltenham.

Mighty Park Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle 14-1
Turners Novices' Hurdle, 6-1
When Mark got off him at Fairyhouse, he said he had a look around at the second-last and couldn't believe how far in front he was, going what he thought was a normal, slow pace. He said his cruising speed must be huge. He's a fantastic jumper and that puts him right in the mix. He has to be a hell of a horse to do what he did. Looking at him, you'd probably say Turners but when you listen to Mark and see what he did on the day – any horse who wins by 38 lengths, you're into Faugheen-type territory and those things don't happen very often. I'm always slagging JP, saying 'I think you're running my Champion Bumper horse in a maiden hurdle!' From day one, I've always thought he was good enough to win a Champion Bumper. That was the sort of performance he was showing me at home.

Narciso Has JCB Triumph Hurdle, 6-4
He's a beautiful, big horse who gallops and jumps. He's lovely and tall, and he's got the sort of strength I don't see in too many four-year-olds. I think he looks like a really, really good horse. He's still improving and loves jumping.

Nick Rockett Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, 40-1
I want to run him in the Gold Cup but I'm not sure he's where I want him at the moment. I'd have to really rush him. If I can get him there, I will.

Our Trigger and Quiryn
Weatherbys Champion Bumper, 14-1 and 12-1
I've got two beautiful four-year-olds – Our Trigger and Quiryn. Very few four-year-olds win the Champion Bumper nowadays. Quiryn is a Flat horse who never ran on the Flat, so he's been in training since he was two. I think Our Trigger was broken very early, so he's not your traditional June or July Derby or Arkle sale horse. They had a lot of work under their belt, so I'll be very interested to see what they can do with the allowance.

Poniros
Unibet Champion Hurdle, 16-1
He'll probably run in the Champion Hurdle as there's nowhere else to run him. The owners are happy enough to let him run and probably a first-five finish is the best we can achieve.

Proactif
Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle 25-1
JCB Triumph Hurdle, 13-2
JP said to make sure we enter him in the Supreme. I always like to have a reserve, as you never know what might happen, but I think there's a huge difference between what those other Supreme contenders have shown.

Salvator Mundi
Singer Arkle Novices' Chase, 25-1
After his race the other day, you'd be thinking he should go to Cheltenham. However, he's had two disappointing runs at Cheltenham and he won at Aintree last year. We'll have to think more on him.

Selma De Vary JCB Triumph Hurdle, 7-1
She's won a race in France and I thought she ran well at Leopardstown. I thought her jump at the second-last was fantastic. Could you imagine her doing that again at the last? But she just got tired. She's well entitled to run in the Triumph.

Sortudo
Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle 40-1
Turners Novices' Hurdle, 16-1
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, 14-1
He seems slow but I think he has more speed than we're giving him credit for. He was second over two and a half miles at Naas and Patrick said if the last hurdle was in that day, he thought it would have made a big difference. However, it was a tremendous performance from the winner. I haven't put too much thought into where he's going to run yet.

Spindleberry
Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase, 4-1
Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, 100-1
She's in the Gold Cup and Mares' Chase. We'll see what connections want to do.
 
Lossiemouth
Unibet Champion Hurdle, 6-1
Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle, 5-4
She was disappointing the last day but it's a very open Champion Hurdle. I'll have a good word with Rich Ricci [owner] and see what he thinks. A lot will depend on how the mare is herself. The form she was in at Leopardstown wouldn't cut the mustard and she'd be better off going for the Mares' Hurdle in that sort of form, but we'll see.

Love Sign D'Aunou
Weatherbys Champion Bumper, 7-1
It was a huge performance at Naas. It was a deep enough race and he didn't beat them, he hammered them. What I loved about it was he never really showed me that at home and I love horses that come out and can do it on the racetrack.

Majborough
BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase, 13-8
We've all had our opinions on how he should be ridden. Mark [Walsh] just said he'd rather do what he wanted to do at Leopardstown and it worked like a dream. That was fantastic and I'd imagine if Mark can repeat that performance, he's going to run a fantastic race at Cheltenham.

Mighty Park Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle 14-1
Turners Novices' Hurdle, 6-1
When Mark got off him at Fairyhouse, he said he had a look around at the second-last and couldn't believe how far in front he was, going what he thought was a normal, slow pace. He said his cruising speed must be huge. He's a fantastic jumper and that puts him right in the mix. He has to be a hell of a horse to do what he did. Looking at him, you'd probably say Turners but when you listen to Mark and see what he did on the day – any horse who wins by 38 lengths, you're into Faugheen-type territory and those things don't happen very often. I'm always slagging JP, saying 'I think you're running my Champion Bumper horse in a maiden hurdle!' From day one, I've always thought he was good enough to win a Champion Bumper. That was the sort of performance he was showing me at home.

Narciso Has JCB Triumph Hurdle, 6-4
He's a beautiful, big horse who gallops and jumps. He's lovely and tall, and he's got the sort of strength I don't see in too many four-year-olds. I think he looks like a really, really good horse. He's still improving and loves jumping.

Nick Rockett Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, 40-1
I want to run him in the Gold Cup but I'm not sure he's where I want him at the moment. I'd have to really rush him. If I can get him there, I will.

Our Trigger and Quiryn
Weatherbys Champion Bumper, 14-1 and 12-1
I've got two beautiful four-year-olds – Our Trigger and Quiryn. Very few four-year-olds win the Champion Bumper nowadays. Quiryn is a Flat horse who never ran on the Flat, so he's been in training since he was two. I think Our Trigger was broken very early, so he's not your traditional June or July Derby or Arkle sale horse. They had a lot of work under their belt, so I'll be very interested to see what they can do with the allowance.

Poniros
Unibet Champion Hurdle, 16-1
He'll probably run in the Champion Hurdle as there's nowhere else to run him. The owners are happy enough to let him run and probably a first-five finish is the best we can achieve.

Proactif
Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle 25-1
JCB Triumph Hurdle, 13-2
JP said to make sure we enter him in the Supreme. I always like to have a reserve, as you never know what might happen, but I think there's a huge difference between what those other Supreme contenders have shown.

Salvator Mundi
Singer Arkle Novices' Chase, 25-1
After his race the other day, you'd be thinking he should go to Cheltenham. However, he's had two disappointing runs at Cheltenham and he won at Aintree last year. We'll have to think more on him.

Selma De Vary JCB Triumph Hurdle, 7-1
She's won a race in France and I thought she ran well at Leopardstown. I thought her jump at the second-last was fantastic. Could you imagine her doing that again at the last? But she just got tired. She's well entitled to run in the Triumph.

Sortudo
Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle 40-1
Turners Novices' Hurdle, 16-1
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, 14-1
He seems slow but I think he has more speed than we're giving him credit for. He was second over two and a half miles at Naas and Patrick said if the last hurdle was in that day, he thought it would have made a big difference. However, it was a tremendous performance from the winner. I haven't put too much thought into where he's going to run yet.

Spindleberry
Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase, 4-1
Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, 100-1
She's in the Gold Cup and Mares' Chase. We'll see what connections want to do.
 
Jade De Grugy comment interesting. Maybe Townend doesn't fancy Poniros in the Champion Hurdle and has Spindleberry for the Mares' Chase. But who knows with Mullins stable tours, hard to read too much into them.
 
A couple of interesting handicappers with entries over the next few days:

Quebecois (Ultima) - Noticed he's entered over an inadequate 2m at Newbury on Tuesday - straight out of the Ted Walsh playbook. Can only see it as getting a 4th chase run in to qualify for the Ultima. Nicholls has mentioned it / owners sponsor it. Should have Cobden on top. Great course form last time. 16s NRNB seems fair.

Madness d'Elle (Hallgarten and Novum Wines) - Clonmel plan abandoned today but they've entered him for 3 different races this week. Surely looking for a Fred Winter mark. Went off very short last time despite Mullins horses not being in form. That underperformance might mean a favourable handicap mark when the time comes.
 
Ian_Davies said:
None of the races mentioned in recent postings is a handicap.

This forum gets more surreal by the day.

Love it tbf.
Click to expand...

Ah the old process of elimination. You see at least we know what horses Mullins won't be winning the handicaps with. We've narrowed it down to just the rest of his yard.
 
Obviously a proper punter wouldn't touch any of the handicaps until the weights are unveiled but fcuk that. I have some bets in the can already.

Ultima:
I think I've made a balls of this. I took 33s about Hyland and I forgot about the old RP Chase which he was second in last year. I do think he's better going left handed which makes his run at Ascot behind Deep Cave all the more laudable. I doubt he'll show up.

Fred Winter:
I normally wouldn't touch this race with yours but I did notice Made u Blush towards the top of the market a week or so ago and he was in my tracker last year when in the care of J Portman (who I like as a trainer). I'll likely back him on the day with loads of places. I'm surprised he's jumping tbh, thought he had scope as a 4yo on the flat.

NHC:
Wade Out. Couldn't believe this fella was 14s NRNB a fortnight or so ago. Race his made for him, hopefully Bowen will ride.

Coral Cup:
The Yellow Clay I bet for the Stayers' way back in the Autumn and he's been shite this year. However, maybe it's just taken him a while to recover from running in the slop behind the mustard fto. I read Gordo's stable tour in the Post the other day whilst at work and he mentioned the handicap for him. Higher weights have a good record in the race and I thought he was worth a punt at 20s with the NRNB concession.

Jack Richards:
There was a novice event at Leop just after Xmas where I got double figures about Shuffle the Deck before he was backed into 5s - I thought he was one of my better Irish trackers - but he was bummed hollow by Koktail Divin and that horse, in my favourite colours, is a must bet for this. Obv he's not guaranteed to run - Henry has mentioned the Browns despite him having the mare for that - but 12s NRNB is acceptable.

County:
This is Murcia, simples. Hugely eye catching at the DRF 365 were silly going or keeping her at 10s straight after the race. She's gonna be pretty short on the day.
 
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