With Constitution Hill unable to defend his crown, State Man appears to have been presented with a gilt-edged opportunity to claim Unibet Champion Hurdle glory on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.
The seven-year-old has met with defeat only once since joining Willie Mullins – and that was when left trailing in the wake of Nicky Henderson’s brilliant hurdler 12 months ago.
State Man has since won a second Morgiana Hurdle, a second Matheson Hurdle and a second Irish Champion Hurdle, taking his overall tally of Grade One victories to eight.
Last month, hopes appeared high within the Mullins camp that the chestnut gelding could at least make more of a race of it with Constitution Hill this time around, and it is undoubtedly a bitter blow to the race that the rematch will not take place after the reigning champion was ruled out.
In his absence, State Man will be cramped odds to provide Mullins with a fifth Champion Hurdle triumph following the previous victories of dual winner Hurricane Fly, Faugheen and Annie Power – but the trainer himself is taking nothing for granted.
“He looks a worthy favourite and hopefully he can prove himself to be a proper favourite,” Mullins said on the Cheltenham gallops on Monday morning.
“He’s been doing everything right, so it would be great if he could win a Champion Hurdle, but nothing is a given when you come over here.”
Paul Townend has steered State Man to all but one of his 10 career wins so far and the leading rider hopes he can continue his winning streak on his return to the Cotswolds.
He said: “He’s been excellent this season, hopefully he can keep it going for another day.
“This is his third time here, so he knows the run of the place already.”
The biggest threat to the red-hot favourite is Gordon Elliott’s Irish Point, who for much of the season looked set to contest the Stayers’ Hurdle later in the week.
However, with Constitution Hill not in attendance and Elliott and owners Robcour already responsible for a major Stayers’ Hurdle contender in the form of Teahupoo, they have decided to split their aces.
“If you take the favourite out of it, it looks an open race. I think there’s only two horses in the race under about 10-1, so we have to take our chance,” said Elliott.
“I’m not worried about the trip.”
Henderson has won the Champion Hurdle on a record nine occasions and despite Constitution Hill’s defection, the Seven Barrows handler fires a twin assault, with his supplemented Betfair Hurdle winner Iberico Lord joined by high-class mare Luccia.
Regarding Iberico Lord, Henderson told Unibet: “As everyone knows, this was definitely not the original plan, but circumstances have meant he now slots into this, and our decision was also swayed by the fact that the ground is going to be softer in the early part of the week.
“Obviously, he has to improve dramatically to beat the likes of State Man, but his victory in the Greatwood Hurdle has worked out particularly well, as has his win at Newbury last time, so the form is strong, and he is an improving horse who deserves to be there.”
He added of Luccia: “She is the most wonderful person to have around the place and her owner has always been keen to run her in the Champion Hurdle, so here we are!
“Her form is very good all the way through, anyway, and she receives a 7lb sex allowance which is a big help. We haven’t seen her since December; therefore, she arrives here a fresh mare and I’m hopeful she can run a nice race.”
The home team also includes Kerry Lee’s Nemean Lion and Hughie Morrison’s admirable veteran Not So Sleepy, who has been kept fresh for this race since landing the rescheduled Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Sandown in early December.
The 12-year-old’s title-chasing jockey Sean Bowen said: “State Man obviously looks the one, but there doesn’t look too much beyond him.
“I schooled Not So Sleepy last week and he was in great form with himself, so hopefully we can play a part. Hughie thinks he’s in great form.
“It was the absolute best, a brilliant day when he won the Fighting Fifth and it’s great to have horses like him still winning Grade Ones.
“Everyone will be watching him and willing him on, so it will be fun.”
Mullins sends over a youthful second string in Zarak The Brave, while it would be a mystery of Cluedo proportions if Lorna Fowler’s outsider Colonel Mustard comes out on top.
Willie Mullins will be responsible for half of the field when saddling six runners in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and hopes are predictably high for a record-extending eighth success in the Cheltenham Festival curtain raiser.
The Closutton maestro first struck with Tourist Attraction way back in 1995 and has since prevailed with Ebaziyan, Champagne Fever, Vautour, Douvan, Klassical Dream and Appreciate It.
This year’s challenge is expected to be headed by Tullyhill, who was beaten at long odds-on when making his jumping debut in late November but has since posted a couple of impressive victories.
Mystical Power, a son of the great Galileo and former Champion Hurdle star Annie Power, is also at the head of the betting after winning the Grade Two Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown by seven lengths.
French import Mistergif romped home by 18 lengths on his first start for Mullins at Limerick, while outsiders Asian Master, Gold Dancer and Supersundae complete the strong stable squad.
“I’m very happy with how all the team have travelled and arrived here, they’re all in good order,” said Mullins.
“Tullyhill disappointed with his jumping on his first run, but we got that sorted out and now he’s showing his true colours.
“Mystical Power has surprised us, his pedigree is starting to come out. At home, he doesn’t show that sort of form, but when he gets to the racetrack he’s a different beast.
“I just thought after what he’s shown us on the track, it was an easy decision to go for the two-mile race.”
A powerful raiding party from Ireland is further bolstered by Gordon Elliott’s Firefox, who was below par in Grade One company at Naas last time out but had previously enjoyed smooth successes at Down Royal and Fairyhouse, where he notably got the better of Ballyburn.
Elliott said: “I think the trip will suit him, he looks in good form and we’re very happy with him.
“He was obviously disappointing the last day, but you can put a line through that – he didn’t scope right and was lame after the race. He’s in good form now and we’re looking forward to running him.”
Henry de Bromhead sends over Navan Grade Two scorer Slade Steel and has opted to go for this two-mile contest in order to avoid facing last month’s Leopardstown conqueror Ballyburn.
“He’s done little wrong, we’re happy with him and he seems in good form,” commented the Waterford trainer.
“He seems pretty adaptable (trip-wise) and I suppose Ballyburn has beaten us a couple of times, so we said we’d take that view (of avoiding another clash) and that’s what we’re doing.”
Jeriko Du Reponet is rated the most likely home winner, with Nicky Henderson seeking to strike for the third time in five years after recent triumphs for Shishkin and Constitution Hill.
This five-year-old attracted strong ante-post support following two facile victories at Newbury and retained his unbeaten status when seeing off subsequent Dovecote scorer Lump Sum in the rearranged Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster, albeit in a more workmanlike manner.
Henderson told Unibet: “He is unbeaten and ever since he arrived at Seven Barrows, this race was always where we wanted to end up.
“While he may not have looked visually impressive at Doncaster last time, the race wasn’t run to suit, but has subsequently worked out very well – and there is likely to be much more pace on here, which will play to his strengths.
“Obviously, the Irish squad will be very hard to beat, but I rather fear Jeriko may be the slightly forgotten horse and I’m very much looking forward to it.”
Ben Pauling’s Tellherthename bounced back from being pulled up on testing ground at Aintree over Christmas by securing a 14-length success at Huntingdon and connections insist he is not heading to Cheltenham just to make up the numbers.
“I’ve been delighted with him and we’re very excited,” said Pauling. “Touch wood and fingers crossed, we’ve got him there in great form and his preparations have gone well to date.
“He schooled well last Thursday and it’s just exciting to have one in the Supreme with a chance.”
Favour And Fortune has some solid form in the book, prevailing at Hereford and Wetherby before chasing home Jango Baie in the Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Liverpool and then finishing a close second to Mullins raider Fun Fun Fun at Exeter, although Alan King would rather be racing on a sounder surface.
He said: “I would prefer it if the rain didn’t arrive. He will be a much better horse on better ground. I promise you, the more the ground dries, the better his chance will be.
“I’m amazed he has done as well on the ground we have raced him on the last twice and Aintree was very tough and the same at Exeter. He’s such a good-actioned horse and he’s running well despite the ground.
“I bet he’s a 10lb better horse on decent ground – it was good to firm on his hurdles debut at Hereford and he loved that. I think it’s his class that keeps him in it on the testing ground.”
The field is completed by Irish longshot Kings Hill, who picked up a Thurles maiden win for Galway handler Paul Gilligan last month.
Newly crowned NCAA champion Rivaldo Marshall has thrown his name into a growing pool of promising athletes in the 800m for Jamaica.
The 22-year-old University of Iowa Junior produced 1:46.96 to take gold at the NCAA Indoor Championships held in Boston from March 7-9.
Another member of that pool of promising Jamaican 800m runners, Clemson Senior Tarees Rhoden, ran 1:47.79 for fifth while Vincentian Penn State Sophomore Handal Roban ran 1:48.16 to finish seventh.
“I’m excited. Been working hard these past few weeks and my coach told me just come out here and do my thing,” Marshall said in a post-race interview.
Marshall entered the final lap of the final in second and produced an excellent display of both speed and strength to outlast his opponents and take the title.
“I told myself that once it’s the last lap, no one’s beating me. I train to go as hard as possible in the last lap,” he said.
His winning time was just outside his personal best 1:46.86 done to win at the Tyson Invitational on February 10.
Two weeks later, Marshall had a disappointing showing at the Big 10 Indoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio, running 1:49.32 for fifth.
He said that performance was motivation for him.
“At the Big10 meet, I didn’t run that well and I used that as motivation to work hard these past few weeks,” he said.
This wasn’t the first taste of success on the collegiate circuit for the former Calabar High star.
Before transferring to the University of Iowa ahead of this season, Marshall previously competed for Indian Hills Community College where he won gold at the 2022 NJCAA Outdoor Championships with 1:50.82.
That same year, Marshall took silver at the NJCAA Indoor Championships with 1:51.30. A year later, he took bronze in 1:48.10.
There could be emotional scenes at Cheltenham if Embassy Gardens were to prevail in the Maureen Mullins National Hunt Chase.
The race is named in honour of the matriarch of the great Irish racing family, who died last month at the age of 94 and whose son Willie trains Embassy Gardens – the mount of grandson Patrick on the opening day of the Festival.
Stattler and Gaillard Du Mesnil have provided the duo with victory in the last two years, while the younger Mullins is the race’s most successful jockey, having first landed the spoils with Back In Focus in 2013 and also scoring aboard Rathvinden six years ago.
This year’s contender was pulled up on his previous visit to Prestbury Park in last year’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, but has thrived since switching to fences this term, winning impressively the last twice.
However, there is a big threat lurking from within the Mullins family, with Emmet Mullins’ Corbetts Cross another Irish raider predicted to play a leading part.
“It was very kind of Cheltenham to name the National Hunt Chase after granny and I think Embassy Gardens is going to have a huge chance,” said Patrick Mullins.
“However, I think my cousin Emmet might have the edge with Corbetts Cross – his form looks that bit stronger, but I guess his prep has not been ideal.
“Hopefully one of us can do it, but I would prefer it if it was me.
“It is a lucky race for us and Jamie Codd has 10 Cheltenham winners, I have eight, so I need another three before I retire to try to pass him. I need to put them away if I can.”
It could be an extra-special week in the Cotswolds for the Mullins family, with the master of Closutton just six away from becoming the first trainer to reach three figures at the Festival.
Patrick Mullins is keen to pay tribute not only to his father but also his grandparents, who provided the template for the all-conquering dynasty that dominates today.
“It’s an incredible landmark and I suppose the expanded Festival is what makes numbers like that possible. But for him to be the first trainer to get to it (100 winners) would be very special,” he added.
“We’re very lucky and we obviously lost my grandmother Maureen recently and herself and grandad built the foundations going back to Dawn Run, and even further back Vulpine and Counsel Cottage. There’s a lot of history and lots to be proud of.”
Since his first Festival triumph with Tourist Attraction in 1995, Willie Mullins has unleashed an array of top equine talent on the Cotswolds and has walked away with the leading trainer award 10 times in the last 13 years.
And although it is a difficult task to pick a highlight, his son feels the day Hurricane Fly regained his Champion Hurdle crown in 2013 may be the greatest of all his father’s accomplishments at the Festival.
He added: “The one that stands out for me is Hurricane Fly regaining his Champion Hurdle. He missed the Supreme and first Champion Hurdle through injury, then he won it.
“When he lost it the following year, he had a bit of an interrupted season, and for him to come back and reclaim the top hurdling crown was a great sense of vindication for a horse of that quality.”
Danny Mullins is relishing the prospect of being reunited with Il Etait Temps in the My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham.
Together the pair have struck Grade One gold at each of the last two Dublin Racing Festivals, most recently digging deep to land the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown last month.
With stable jockey Paul Townend siding with Gaelic Warrior, who beat Il Etait Temps comprehensively at Limerick over the Christmas period, Danny Mullins keeps the ride on the grey and is optimistic he will put up another good show as he looks to complete the same double achieved by El Fabiolo 12 months ago.
“I was expecting that Paul might have wanted to ride him, given that he was favourite all week, but I suppose Gaelic Warrior has been very good at times and has had his own mind at other times,” he said.
“I’m delighted to be on my fella, I think any one of four can win the race and I’m definitely one of the four.
“He ran to a solid Grade One level over hurdles but he seems to have been a deserving Grade One winner over fences this season, whereas he was maybe fortunate to win one over hurdles.
“For a small horse, he shows serious scope and it’ll be tested to the limit going into the Arkle.”
Il Etait Temps carries the colours of the Hollywood Syndicate and Barnane Stud, with the latter owned by the family of former England cricketer Craig Kieswetter, who said: “He’s not the most elegant, but he certainly has a lot of fight and courage and character for a small horse.
“His style of racing and jumping is probably not the most attractive but he’s got the job done for us twice now in Grade Ones and has placed form in some big races since he came into the yard for Willie. They obviously think very highly of him at Closutton.”
Gaelic Warrior, who has been second at the Cheltenham Festival for the past two years, failed to fire at the Dublin Racing Festival, unseating Townend at the final fence when well beaten by stablemate Fact To File.
Mullins has a third string to his bow in the form of Hunters Yarn, while Irish Arkle runner-up Found A Fifty (Gordon Elliott), 2021 Triumph Hurdle hero Quilixios (Henry de Bromhead) and My Mate Mozzie (Gavin Cromwell) add further strength in depth to the Irish contingent.
One of the chief hopes for the home team is JPR One, who looked the likely winner of the Arkle Trial at Cheltenham in November before tipping up at the final fence, since when he has finished third in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown before landing a Grade Two at Lingfield.
Joe Tizzard said: “He was unlucky early doors at Cheltenham and he’s only put in the one bad run at Sandown on heavy ground in the Henry VIII. Other than that, he’s been very good.
“I think he will need to improve again, but he is where I want him at home and if we have a clear round, I think he won’t be too far away. I hold the horse in high regard and a bit of drying ground wouldn’t do him any harm either.
“It’s unfortunate Marine Nationale won’t be there, but I watched the Dublin Racing Festival and it looks a wide-open race.”
Gary Moore’s Authorised Speed and the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained pair of Master Chewy and Matata complete the field.
“They both have good form this season, so hopefully they will run well,” said Twiston-Davies.
“I think they have quite a good chance and I think they are as good as any of the British. Matata has that nice course form from New Year’s Day, it was a good run.”
Soft ground looks assured for at least the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, with more rain possible on Tuesday.
After the wettest February on record, the water table remains exceptionally high which meant a relatively dry weekend at the track came in very useful.
The ground is even more testing in the middle where the cross-country race takes place, with the ground described as heavy, soft in places.
“We’re happy and the track is in good shape, we’re pleased with how that looks,” said clerk of the course Jon Pullin.
“We faced a few challenges last year with grass cover, but that was on the back of a cold spell throughout the winter. It’s been a very different story this year and obviously very wet, which has given us other challenges, but we’re happy with conditions.
“We’re soft on both the Old and New course and heavy, soft in places on the cross-country. We had seven millimetres overnight into yesterday and a further 4mm throughout the day. We’re forecast to be dry today, but then we have some more showers moving in tomorrow morning before a dry afternoon.
“I think we’ll be soft ground for the first race, particularly if we get a few showers in the morning.
“We’re dry tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday looks to be as well. Thursday could be showery and the New course will probably be ready for a drop of rain by then. Thursday looks like we could still be on soft ground and we will have to see how Friday plays out.
“At the moment, Friday looks like a combination of sunshine and showers, so we could end up on soft or maybe good to soft.”
El Fabiolo and Jonbon head a list of eight runners in Wednesday’s Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.
The big two will clash for the third time, with honours even heading into this year’s Festival showdown.
Jonbon struck the first blow in the Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree two years ago, but El Fabiolo was a decisive victor in last season’s Arkle.
Edwardstone has been beaten twice by Jonbon this term but can boast a previous Festival success on his extensive CV, having landed the 2022 Arkle.
Captain Guinness was second to Energumene in this contest 12 months ago, while Elixir De Nutz will bid to follow up his surprise triumph over Jonbon in January’s rescheduled Clarence House Chase at Prestbury Park.
Boothill, 2022 Champion Chase runner-up Funambule Sivola and Gentleman De Mee complete the line-up.
Ballyburn will be a red-hot favourite to kick off day two of this year’s Festival with victory in the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle, with just seven rivals set to take him on.
His trainer Willie Mullins will also saddle four of those, including Naas Grade One runner-up Ile Atlantique and Predators Gold, who has been second twice at elite level at Leopardstown.
Ben Pauling’s Handstands heads the home team after completing a hat-trick of wins over timber in the Listed-class Sidney Banks at Huntingdon.
Last year’s Champion Bumper second Fact To File features among six entries still standing in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, having already claimed Grade One glory over fences for Mullins at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Paul Nicholls will be represented by Stay Away Fay, who prevailed in the Albert Bartlett 12 months ago.
However, Nigel Twiston-Davies was forced to withdraw Broadway Boy following an unsatisfactory tracheal wash and Dan Skelton has left out Grey Dawning.
Former Gold Cup hero Minella Indo is one of a dozen runners in the Glenfarclas Chase, which will also feature last year’s Gordon Elliott one-two of Delta Work and Galvin.
Mullins is set to saddle nine runners in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, as he bids to win that contest for a record-extending 13th time.
Burdett Road could make a brief return to the Flat this autumn after injury denied him a shot at the JCB Triumph Hurdle.
The four-year-old was a Royal Ascot winner when trained on the level by Michael Bell and became a leading Cheltenham Festival contender after making a smooth transition to hurdling.
An impressive victory at Prestbury Park in November saw him installed as Triumph Hurdle favourite and although Sir Gino usurped him in that particular market when lowering Burdett Road’s colours on Festival Trials day, connections were still targeting a run in the juvenile Grade One at the Festival.
However, a setback meant he was ruled out of the showpiece meeting and trainer James Owen is considering options on the Flat before he jumps obstacles again later in the year.
“He’s fine and he will probably start exercising again in the next week or two,” said Owen.
“He won’t jump again this season and I suspect he will have a little break now and then maybe have a look at the Flat.
“He hasn’t had a proper break, so we might just give him a proper break and then pick out a couple of races in the autumn. He will go hurdling again next season, what will we aim him at? I suppose maybe the Greatwood, but we haven’t really thought about it at this stage.
“It was just a small injury to the foot that came at the wrong time. We were gutted about it, but with the ground the way it is, things happen for a reason. He doesn’t know he’s had a problem and he’s absolutely fine now.”
In Burdett Road’s immediate absence, Newmarket-based Owen has Sweet Fantasy to look forward to after the exciting mare took her hurdles record to two from two with a wide-margin romp at Catterick recently.
Owned, like Burdett Road, by the Gredley Family, she skipped 17 lengths clear of Irish raider Lily Du Berlais at the North Yorkshire track and her handler believes she has a big future ahead of her.
“I was going to enter her in the Mares’ Novices’ at Cheltenham but I pulled her out in the end,” continued Owen.
“She went to Catterick to qualify for the (Herring Queen Series) final (at Kelso) and she will probably run in the final. I will put her in at Aintree just in case, but the final is £100,000 and I want to keep her amongst her own sex if I can – she’s nice.
“We will probably run her on the Flat then and she’s probably still got some work to do on the Flat – she’s a nice filly. I’m excited for next year as she’s a big, raw filly.”
Lionel Messi sat out Inter Miami’s 3-2 home Major League Soccer defeat to Montreal on Sunday as he was rested.
Messi had played every minute of Miami’s first three MLS fixtures this season since joining up with co-owner David Beckham’s franchise in July, but watched from the stands as they slipped to their first defeat.
Miami’s assistant coach Javier Morales had hinted to reporters on Saturday that Messi could be rested, saying: “We all know Leo and he is a player who wants to play every game.
“I think we will have a conversation with him, see how he feels, see how he is and try to decide what is best for him because he has played 90 minutes every game and we will make the best decision thinking about the future.”
Messi took a heavy knock to the shin after scoring in Thursday’s 2-2 CONCACAF Champions Cup draw with Nashville, but Morales said that was not the reason why the 36-year-old did not feature.
In a dazzling display of unexpected speed, two-time World Championship 400m bronze medalist Sada Williams of Barbados set the track ablaze at the GC Foster Classic in Spanish Town on Saturday. Williams, who trains with the MVP Track Club in Jamaica, not only secured victory but also shattered her country’s national record with a scintillating time of 22.59.
As she crossed the finish line, Williams couldn't contain her joy, letting out a scream that echoed the magnitude of her achievement. The 26-year-old athlete's triumph was not just a personal victory but a testament to her resilience and commitment to excellence.
Williams dominated the field, leaving her MVP teammates Natasha Morrison and Tina Clayton in her wake. Both Morrison and Clayton delivered commendable performances with season-best times of 23.53 and 23.65, respectively. However, it was Williams who raced to victory with a significant lead.
Explaining the jubilant screams, Williams shared with Sportsmax.TV, "Yes, because I haven’t run that fast since 2016 (when she ran 22.61 as a junior). I was just hoping that the wind was legal. I wasn’t expecting much in the 200m, so I guess this only shows how fast I’ll run in the 400m this season, so I’m very excited to see how that goes. I did not think I was going to come out here and run that fast."
The arduous nature of her training was evident in her post-race comments. "Training is rough, training is rough. Every day I am just trying to survive. Every day is a constant battle, so I am just trying to survive and hope for the best for another season," she declared.
Reflecting on whether this year's training was more challenging than the past two seasons, during which she earned bronze medals at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon and Budapest, Williams admitted, "That’s a good question. Maybe. All I could tell is that it’s just rough right now, that’s why I was so shocked about the time because I have been dying the past three weeks."
The Barbadian sprinter is not one to rest on her laurels, as she looks ahead to another challenge – another 200m race in Miramar, Florida in a few weeks. When asked about the expectations in Barbados, Williams expressed confidence in the support she receives. "I know everybody is just hoping that I can make it on the podium for Paris. I know they’ll be very excited as they are every year."
As her fame continues to soar, Williams admitted to slowly getting used to her celebrity status in Barbados where she has received national honours as well as enjoyed ambassadorial roles for companies in the private sector.
She anticipates the reactions of her fellow Barbadians, eagerly awaiting their support and enthusiasm. "I am slowly getting used to it. I guess that if I was in Barbados I would be more pronounced …everywhere I go everybody would be at me, so seeing as I am in Jamaica it isn’t as obvious. But I am slowly getting used to it, so I can't wait to see their reaction."
Slingerz FC staged a stunning comeback to defeat Santos FC 3-1 on Saturday, securing their position at the top of Guyana's KFC Elite League. The enthralling match unfolded at a pulsating pace, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats.
The early moments of the game saw Michael Oie of Santos FC making an impact, putting his team ahead in just the second minute of play. The lead held until late in the half when Darren Miles of Slingerz FC leveled the scores with a timely strike in the 45th minute, just before the halftime whistle.
And as the half wound down, Slingerz FC seized the opportunity to shift the momentum in their favor. Bryan Wharton's powerful strike three minutes later propelled Slingerz FC into the lead, leaving Santos FC trailing 2-1 at the interval.
The climax of the game unfolded in stoppage time when Marcus Tudor sealed the victory for Slingerz FC with another goal, securing a 3-1 triumph. This remarkable win marked Slingerz FC's third consecutive victory, propelling them to the summit of the league table with a perfect record of nine points.
Winning coach Alex Thomas, reflecting on the challenging yet satisfying victory, commended his team's character. "This one was more challenging, more physical but I liked this game because it showed the type of character the team has. To come from one-nil down and still maintain our composure, we were patient, and stuck to the game plan and executed, that is what I like I was very impressed."
In other league action, Fruta Conquerors rebounded from their previous loss to Slingerz FC by securing a 3-1 victory over Den Amstel. Naron Jerick and Makhaya Jarvis played pivotal roles, helping Conquerors claim their first win of the season.
With Western Tigers and Guyana Defence Force eagerly waiting to hit the field, Slingerz FC's triumph has set the stage for an exciting battle at the top of the table. Western Tigers will face Monnederlust FC on Tuesday, while Defence Force takes on Ann’s Grove United on Thursday, both teams vying to join Slingerz FC in the league's pinnacle.
Four months ago, Mel Rowley’s dreams were being washed away by the chaos caused by Storm Babet, but now the Shropshire handler is eyeing Pertemps Final glory with Kyntara at Cheltenham.
Rowley is not a stranger to Festival success at Prestbury Park, as her husband Philip saddled Hazel Hill to win the St James’s Place Foxhunter Challenge Cup in 2019.
But Kyntara – who is as short as 12-1 with Sky Bet for Thursday’s three-mile handicap hurdle – represents the best chance of striking in her own name since becoming a professional licence holder at the family’s Poplar Cottage Farm.
Kyntara could be joined in the Cotswolds by recent Doncaster scorer Raffle Ticket, who holds an entry in the Trustatrader Plate, but soft ground would see hopes fully resting on the stable’s consistent hurdler, who began the season by winning at Lingfield and Aintree and has hit the crossbar in a couple of competitive events since.
“We’ve confirmed both of them but sadly, if the ground is right for one, it won’t be right for the other. But we’re very happy with them and we’ll just have to see how the week unfolds,” said Rowley.
“Kyntara is a definite to get in, so he would be favourite in regards to making the journey, but things could change dependent on ground.
“The softer the ground, the better for him and we’ve been absolutely delighted with him this season. He definitely has earned his place there and it would just be lovely to see him come up that hill.”
One of the many strings to the Rowley family’s bow is their renowned pre-training operation, with Sprinter Sacre perhaps the most famous alumni.
Kyntara himself was a Poplar Cottage graduate before joining Kim Bailey at the beginning of his rules career and his move back to Bridgnorth represents the Lady Dulverton-owned eight-year-old returning home ahead of arguably his biggest assignment to date.
“Who knows what will happen, it’s fairytale stuff and we’ve had horses for the owners for years,” continued Rowley.
“In fact, we had Kyntara when he was a three-year-old, then he went off elsewhere and now he’s gone full circle and come back to us.
“It would just be the most fantastic thing (if he could win) and we can all but dream. He’s come such a long way since we’ve had him back anyway, that for him to be going to Cheltenham is just fantastic on every level.”
She went on: “We’re a small team who work very hard and they are special days when you have a runner at Cheltenham.
“When you have a runner going, who one would hope would be competitive, it is just fantastic and very exciting. As we all know, anything can happen between now and then, but if all goes well, we will be loading up the lorry next Thursday.”
It was back in October when Rowley saw her yard washed away as Storm Babet wreaked havoc across the country.
Poplar Cottage felt the full force of the flooding caused by water coming into the yard meeting with a nearby stream, with the result being that parts of the gallop and schooling grounds ended up under water.
A timely repair job by a local company helped the Rowley team remain up and running and after surviving the worst weather the husband and wife duo have experienced in over 20 years at Poplar Cottage, they are taking plenty of positives from a trying winter.
Rowley said: “They always say something good comes out of bad and it was an unmitigated nightmare – it was just carnage, I’m not going to lie.
“We got in touch with a local chap whose business is groundworks and he came along with a little army of very, very helpful people and between them they put us back together again and got us back up and running.
“On the back of all that, he liked what he saw and the whole ethos of the yard and the team. We were short of a sponsor and he has now sponsored us.
“So, out of bad a good thing has happened and we’re proud to be able to say the chap who got us back on the road is now sponsoring us.”
French superstar Il Est Francais is thrilling connections as he steps up his workload ahead of his next outing.
Trained by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, the six-year-old is becoming a household name in his native France where he has built up a formidable reputation. But it was at Kempton Park on Boxing Day when producing an imperious display in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase where he cemented his position as one of the leading chasers around.
His training team resisted the temptation to take in one of the graded novice events at the Cheltenham Festival en route to their main target of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, and Il Est Francais – who is a 6-1 chance with Paddy Power for next year’s Gold Cup – will tune up for his outing in the Auteuil showpiece on May 19 by running in the Prix Muray in early April.
With that event a little under a month away, George and Zetterholm have begun tightening the screws on the eight-time winner in eager anticipation of his spring campaign on home soil.
“He’s absolutely flying and actually schooled Wednesday morning for the first time since his little break which went really nicely,” said George.
“We started riding him back out from the beginning of February, but we’ve really started stepping up his work again now and he will be spot on for April 6.
“He’s very much on target for that race which is a Grade Two and then it will be the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris on May 19. He’s a horse who likes to run fresh so it gives him a month and a bit to get over it and he should be in great form.”
Classic dreams are very much alive for Rosallion, with Richard Hannon reaffirming his confidence in his high-class Qipco 2000 Guineas hope.
The son of Blue Point has always been held in high regard and has previously been described as “right up there with the best we’ve ever had” by his handler.
He was last seen putting a Doncaster disappointment behind him when scooping Group One honours in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere – a victory that made him Britain’s best hope of overcoming Aidan O’Brien’s City Of Troy in the opening Classic of the season.
Hannon has been pleased with what he has seen from Rosallion since returning to work for his three-year-old campaign, but is still to decide if he will take part in any of the Guineas trials in the spring.
Concerned about running the talented colt on soft ground before his big date at Newmarket on May 4, he could instead head straight for the 2000 Guineas itself – a race for which he is a best price of 8-1.
“Rosallion is in great form and he’s had a canter upsides Haatem on the grass,” said Hannon.
“Timmy Murphy rides him every day and was delighted with him. It wasn’t a massively informative piece of work but it was just one of those where we thought we would give him a little bit while it was a nice morning and the grass is nice.”
He went on: “I would like to give him a trial, but I won’t run him anywhere where there is soft ground. He could just go straight to the 2000 Guineas.
“I’m going to take him to either Kempton or Newbury two or three weeks before the trials, so if he does go straight to the Guineas, he will be plenty quick enough.
“My view of him hasn’t changed, there is not a horse I would rather have other than him.”
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