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.

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.”

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.”

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.”

Owner Andrew Megson hopes the true price of loyalty is a second Cheltenham Festival winner, as he seeks to reap the rewards of backing the in-form Ben Pauling.

The definition of loyalty is a strong feeling of support or allegiance and the Megsons have never wavered in their belief in Pauling – the man who delivered them an emotional first Festival success with Global Citizen two years ago.

Now, the enthusiastic Yorkshireman and his wife Jane are putting their trust in Pauling once again, as the on-fire Naunton Downs handler prepares the family’s three Festival runners for action in the Cotswolds.

“We’re very excited and also a little nervous, but at the moment all the horses are well, so we are all extremely excited, especially for the Supreme on Tuesday to start off with,” said Megson.

“We think Ben is a fantastic trainer and is a really nice guy, who we trust completely.

“We really admire how Ben and Sophie have backed themselves. Where they were before was a nice yard but you wouldn’t say it was state of the art and it was holding them back.

“They’ve gone out, bought a golf course and converted it to how Ben thinks a perfect yard should be, from the gallop to the American barns to the round gallop. It’s clearly cost a lot of money, but they have taken a big risk and backed themselves and we really admire that.”

He went on: “Ben is picking up some big races, winning a lot of races and is definitely hitting form at a good time.

“He’s a great guy with a great team and is always loyal to his people. The way that him and Sophie have invested in themselves and challenged themselves to get to the top is great. He’s a young guy with lots of ambition and he’s great to be around.”

Not only have the Megsons put complete faith in their trainer, but they have also backed his jockey Kielan Woods, who was aboard Global Citizen in 2022 and will partner all three of the family’s Pauling-trained Cheltenham runners this term.

Their support comes at a time when Woods has spent a significant amount of time on the sidelines, having received a 45-day ban for persistent whip offences.

However, despite Ben Jones shining aboard the Pauling string during Woods’ suspension and the financial services sector expert considering the loan of a calculator, there was never any doubt in Megson’s mind that the 31-year-old Woods would continue riding the family’s string.

He joked: “We’ve got a huge amount of time for Kielan and we think he’s a brilliant horseman and jockey – we would just be happier if he could count to six!

“He assures us now he’s learnt to count and we think he’s as talented as anyone. We hope we are loyal people and we want to stick by him. We’ve given him an abacus and told him when you get to six, stop.

“Kielan rode our only Festival winner and Ben trained our only Festival winner, it is days like that you never forget.

“Yes, Kielan seems to have fallen foul of the stewards but not for one minute have we thought about not letting him ride. If none of us made a mistake, life would be quite dull.”

With Pauling and Woods in place, it is full steam ahead in the quest for a second Cheltenham Festival winner, in an ownership experience that began at a charity dinner – and was assisted by a generous helping of alcohol.

Lured into syndicate life via a tour of Jonjo O’Neill’s Jackdaws Castle, Andrew and Jane were soon bitten by the racing bug and before long their light purple silks were a common sight throughout the winter.

And it was somewhat fitting that Global Citizen, who had given them a first graded success in the Dovecote as a six-year-old, would provide Festival glory in the twilight of his career four years later.

“I actually cried when Global Citizen won,” said Megson, reflecting on that Grand Annual triumph.

“It was quite an emotional day and we didn’t end up celebrating like we probably should. Firstly, we were shattered, and secondly, I had a meeting the following day which I couldn’t attend with a hangover, but I will never forget it.

“We had the nerves in the morning, then concerns about the ground and thinking we might not run, and then you are watching the race and you are in disbelief.

“I said to Jane, he’s going really well and when he came round the home bend he wasn’t off the bridle – and then you end up just shrieking and making an idiot of yourself.”

Now, the Megsons are eyeing another day to remember and head to Prestbury Park with some trump cards to play at a time their handler can do no wrong.

They will have a runner in the very first race of the meeting, where the highly-regarded Tellherthename could get the week off to a flying start, seeking to justify connections’ immense belief, as he takes on the might of Ireland in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Megson said: “Tellherthename would be the most exciting horse we’ve owned. We’ve always thought he was very special from the start.

“He did nothing at Aintree on Boxing Day but the ground was bottomless and he just couldn’t get through it, but we love him and he’s done everything we want – this will be his big test, the biggest test.

“The chances of getting a horse good enough to be competitive in the Supreme are low and we are very excited. God knows what the emotions will be like on Tuesday morning. When you have a runner in Cheltenham, it is all you think about.”

On day two at Prestbury Park, it would be fitting if lovable rogue Harper’s Brook could follow in the footsteps of Global Citizen and give trainer, jockey and owner a second Grand Annual in three years.

Meanwhile, in the Wetherbys Champion Bumper, taking Sandown victor Sixmilebridge will also represent the owners and is getting his connections excited ahead of his crack at Wednesday’s finale.

“We love Harper’s Brook and we’ve gone past getting frustrated with him because he has the unique ability of throwing away a race that looks impossible to lose,” added Megson.

“He’s pulled himself up two or three times and you just think ‘well why have you done that’.

“He’s getting quite a name now, but he has no idea what he’s doing and if he runs to his full potential, then he is a great horse.

“He is just as likely to win with his head in his chest as he is to pull himself up going down the hill. We just hope he remembers what winning was like at Sandown and he’s ready to do it again.”

On Sixmilebridge, he went on: “Ben and Kielan love this horse and we’ve all loved this horse from day one.

“He’s always had a bit of a bug and his trach wash has never been clean and when he ran at Sandown, Ben said his trach wash was still not perfect. But it was either run him and give him a try or we just put him away and hope things get better next season.

“He was backed off the boards and won pretty well, which we were thrilled about. It has blown the cobwebs out and his trach wash is now clean, so we’re pretty excited about him.”