If your name is Mullins, you must look forward to the Cheltenham Festival like an excited child counting down the sleeps before Christmas morning.
The presents under the tree come in the form of equine superstars, which will not be delivered by Santa Claus but by the most successful trainer in Festival history.
Patrick and Danny Mullins, son and nephew of the all-conquering Willie, were among those good enough to give up their time and speak to the travelling media at The Lord Bagenal in County Carlow, a place of legendary status due to it being the family’s local, where parties start early and finish late.
Patrick said: “The Lord Bagenal is where we’ve always come. I had my 21st here and I imagine we’ll all get married and buried here!
“At my 21st, one fellow fell asleep in the bath two stories up and it dripped down and flooded about three rooms, so he had to pay for that – other than that, it’s just been the usual shenanigans.
“We have our Christmas parties here and it used to be a case of myself and Paul Townend would go straight from here to work, but now we’re out by midnight! Then, I think as you get older, you start staying later again, you can definitely see the passage of time there.
“Willie enjoys bringing people here and drinking them under the table, he has a lot of practice at that!”
Unlike Patrick, Danny is teetotal, but that has not stopped him enjoying a night out at the Bagenal.
He said: “There’s plenty of stories – if the walls could talk! There’s been a few good nights and it’s a good spot for a Mullins party.
“Everyone from near and far, if they’re coming for a day out in Willie’s or Red Mills day or Thyestes day in Gowran, the stopping point is always the Bagenal after that.
“Willie has got plenty of miles on the clock, but he’s still got a good engine!”
Record-breaking amateur Patrick arrived casually dressed in hoodie and jeans, while his younger cousin was suited and booted and sporting a head of hair some of us could only dream of.
The pair’s very public but brief fallout at Limerick in late December appears to be all but forgotten, although Patrick did joke when trading places with Danny on the allocated interview sofa that we were now getting the ‘cut price version’.
Patrick is a major cog in the Mullins machine these days, not only in a riding capacity but also in an assistant trainer role.
He is fully aware that expectations on the team have never been higher after a clean sweep in the eight Grade Ones at the Dublin Racing Festival, and he believes there is every chance his father will get the six winners he needs to reach a remarkable century of Cheltenham Festival winners next month.
“It’s funny, as expectations for us are different to everyone else, which is great,” he said.
“If you get the Champion Chase and the Gold Cup, it’s probably a good result, but if you come home with any less than five winners, you’ll probably be disappointed.
“I’ll never forget the year we had no winner on the Tuesday and no winner on the Wednesday and Douvan got injured. We were sat there on the Wednesday night thinking ‘what’s going on, we’re doing nothing different’, and you’re always worried one year they’re going to blowout.
“With the quantity and quality of the team we bring over, I don’t think six winners would be a funny thing to say.
“To get to 100 Festival winners is not even a dream, it’s not something that ever was possible. Cheltenham is different to what it was when it was three days, so this is a new era, but even with that, it’s one of those things that’s so outlandish it doesn’t feel real.”
One of the features of the new era has been the birth of training partnerships, particularly in Britain, between fathers and sons.
However, when one journalist began raising the possibility of a joint licence being applied for at Closutton, the question had not even been completed when Mullins junior intervened.
He said: “Not a chance – not for diamonds! It works very well as it is, but working with families is a tricky thing.
“Myself and Willie have our own way of working together, but Willie likes calling the shots, so I don’t think that he’d be giving away any power.”
Danny Mullins could hardly be flying higher ahead of his return to the Cotswolds after an opening-day Grade One treble at the Dublin Racing Festival.
None of the trio were the yard’s first string and he will once again be feeding off stable jockey Paul Townend’s scraps at Prestbury Park, but it is a good position to be in nonetheless.
“Knowing where I come from and the team that we’re with, things are definitely going to change. Paul will have his pick again,” he said.
“The Dublin Racing Festival has been very good for me. I suppose the novices are tricky at that time of the season for Paul to get a true read on and come Cheltenham, he normally doesn’t get it wrong, but hopefully we’ll find a way of making him get it wrong at some point!
“The whole team is just so strong and Willie is building year on year. All owners and jockeys know what can happen, Willie does his best with everything, they go to war and the best one comes out on top.
“I won’t know until Paul’s had his pick and Willie sees who he wants to put on the rest of them. Anything can happen, all of Willie’s are going there to do their best and fingers crossed Paul might get it wrong somewhere and I might be the beneficiary of that.”
The Mullins cousins might have contrasting fashion sense, but what they do share is a fervent hunger for more Festival success.
It would be a brave man who bets against one or even both getting to walk into the sport’s most famous winner’s enclosure next week.
Fergal O’Brien has been one of the most upwardly mobile trainers in recent years yet despite racking up the winners, there is one particular itch that he would love to scratch.
O’Brien, who trains locally to Cheltenham, has still to taste success at the four-day Festival and admits the fact he has yet to do so is beginning to annoy him.
However, he is sending his two stable stars to the meeting this year and is happy to take on the Irish battalion with Crambo in the Stayers’ Hurdle and Dysart Enos in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
Speaking on a press visit to his yard O’Brien said: “I woke up this morning and thought I’ve 25 or 30 people coming, I could do without this on a work day two weeks before Cheltenham, but actually it’s what we do it for.
“We’re really excited. The Cheltenham Festival has been part of my life for the last 30 years and it’s the best week.”
O’Brien has finished second with the likes of Barney Dwan, Cap Soleil, Imperial Alcazar and Alaphilippe, with a couple of those in agonising photographs. But the near-misses have made him even more determined to stand in the hallowed enclosure as a winner.
“We went there two years ago with Imperial Alcazar and Alaphilippe and we’ve had exactly the same prep. We came away from both of those races having finished second, so disappointed they didn’t win, but not disappointed because we’ve had a great run-up to the race and if they get beaten they get beaten.
“All I know is if Crambo and Dysart Enos turn up in the form that they’ve been in since we’ve had them, whatever beats them is going to be a good horse and they deserve to win, so that’s where we are.
“We’ve had four Festival seconds, but I’d rather be finishing second than finishing nowhere. Hopefully we can put it right this year.
“It’s definitely a box that we have to tick and something that we need to do. Hopefully this year will be our year and if it’s not hopefully it will be next year – we’ll keep going.
“We’ve got great facilities, great staff and fantastic owners. I was with Nigel Twiston-Davies for 18 years and I’ve been in the game long enough to know that we’ve got all the ingredients here, we just need the right horse on the right day and hopefully it will be this year on Thursday, March 14!”
O’Brien has had a great ally since starting out on his own in Paddy Brennan, his old mucker from the Twiston-Davies days.
“It would be great for Paddy to ride our first Festival winner, but I think Crambo (who will be ridden by Jonathan Burke) is first and I don’t care which one of them wins!” he said.
“I’d be delighted for Paddy if we could get him a Festival winner, that would actually mean the world to us, to everyone here, he’s been such a big part of Ravenswell growing.
“He’s been a huge part of all of this here and hopefully whenever he decides to retire, I’m hoping he’ll still be a big part of Ravenswell Farm. He’s got a great eye for a horse, he’s an unbelievable race planner and is great with the other jockeys, so fingers crossed there’ll be a role there for him somewhere.”
O’Brien’s has not always been the sole name on the licence, for a short spell he joined forces with fellow trainer Graeme McPherson and the winners flowed. McPherson then went back on his own following an amicable split.
“We had a great time for a couple of years with Graeme and the numbers were there to show it – we had 141 winners last season, but spread over two sites it was very difficult, so it is much better,” said O’Brien.
“We’ve got a new barn here now and it’s fantastic. It works well, we’ve got some great staff and it’s just much easier having it all in the same place.
“When we came here we thought we might have 50 or 60 horses and tip away, but it’s gone well, it’s a great place to train. It’s a very simple routine and it works for us. Fingers crossed long may that last.”
As ever, much of the build-up to the Cheltenham Festival has surrounded the dominant position of Irish trainers compared to their British counterparts. But despite the huge hole left by the absence of Constitution Hill, all might not be as bad as it seems for the home team, who appear to have some pretty solid chances.
Here, we take a look at some of the best of them:
Grey Dawning (Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, Wednesday/Turners Novices’ Chase, Thursday)
A useful novice hurdler last season, he won a Grade Two at Warwick but later fell in Grade One company at Aintree, so we never got to see how he compared to the best. As a result, he began this season a little under the radar but shaped nicely first time out when a close third to Stay Away Fay at Exeter. He then won easily at Haydock and should have beaten Ginny’s Destiny at Cheltenham but for an almighty blunder two out. His performance in easily beating Apple Away and Broadway Boy at Warwick marked him out as a real contender to take on Fact To File in the Brown Advisory, or Dan Skelton could still switch to the Turners to avoid that hot favourite.
Ginny’s Destiny (Turners Novices’ Chase, Thursday)
Quite incredibly, Stage Star’s win in the corresponding race last season was champion trainer Paul Nicholls’ first at the meeting for three years and Ginny’s Destiny could repeat the dose. He has followed a very similar route to the race and, just like Stage Star, the theme of his performances has been putting his rivals under pressure with accurate jumping. Whatever beats him will have to put in a near-perfect round of fencing to get him out of rhythm.
Crambo (Stayers’ Hurdle, Thursday)
Could this be the year that Fergal O’Brien finally breaks his Festival duck? He has come close on numerous occasions, albeit mostly in handicaps. But this season he is heading there with some top-class prospects. Crambo is already a Grade One winner, seeing off the veteran Paisley Park in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, after which he was put away to ensure he arrives at his local track at the peak of his powers. In a wide-open year, Crambo has plenty going for him.
Dysart Enos (Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, Thursday)
If Crambo is unable to provide O’Brien with a first winner at the Festival, then maybe it will be Dysart Enos. The mare sprang to prominence when she lowered the colours of Queens Gamble in a Market Rasen bumper, where the consensus was the favourite had under performed. The way Dysart Enos then bolted up at the Grand National meeting proved that was not the case. Cleverly campaigned this season to avoid picking up a penalty, she might just have a bit too much speed for the Irish mares, who have been winning in heavy ground all season.
Sir Gino (Triumph Hurdle, Friday)
You could not find a horse who looks less like a juvenile hurdler than this fellow – but he can really motor. While he may look more like a three-mile chaser than a sharp two-mile hurdler, he made a Royal Ascot winner in Burdett Road look rather pedestrian on Trials day, sprinting clear after the last. In most of the last few Triumph Hurdles, Willie Mullins has held the nap hand. This year, however, Sir Gino is set to be a red-hot favourite and there will be long faces at the Seven Barrows yard of Nicky Henderson if he is beaten.
Shishkin (Gold Cup, Friday)
Given the manner of Shishkin’s last two victories, at Aintree in April and Newbury last month, grinding out wins over three miles, it is hard to fathom how he had the speed to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and an Arkle in his youth. What happened in between those races also casts aspersions on his character, as he refused to race at Ascot and looked a little recalcitrant at the start of the King George. However, when he did hit top stride at Kempton, he showed the size of his engine remains intact when still in front two out – before unfortunately tripping up on landing. He rattled home when second in the Ryanair last year but did not look happy throughout and a year earlier he was pulled up early in the Queen Mother, so it is to be hoped there are no mental scars of Cheltenham.
J J Slevin is doing his best to keep his feet on the ground as he prepares to shoot for Cheltenham Gold Cup glory aboard Fastorslow.
The County Wexford-born rider already has a couple of Festival victories on his CV, breaking his duck aboard Champagne Classic in the 2017 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle before doubling his tally two years later after steering Band Of Outlaws to success in the Boodles.
He has enjoyed Grade One success on home soil both before and since those Cheltenham triumphs, as well as securing an Irish Grand National verdict, but could take his career to new heights if he can strike blue riband gold on his return to the Cotswolds.
It could all have been so different for Slevin, who earned himself a degree in journalism before the pulling power of riding horses proved all too much. One fancies he made the right call.
“It was a back-up really, I knew how hard riding horses was and how hard it was to make a living out of it,” said Slevin.
“History and English were my best subjects in school and I thought I’d go for journalism. I suppose to say I really loved it would be stretching it, but I got through it.”
In the past 12 months, Slevin appears to have come across his horse of a lifetime, with Fastorslow elevating himself from high-class handicapper to a major contender for the sport’s highest honours.
Even his rider admits to having been surprised by his rise through the ranks, saying: “He always felt like a nice horse, but the unfortunate thing is there’s loads of horses that feel like a nice horse but don’t get there.
“It would have been hard to envisage he’d get to where he’s got to, in all honesty.”
Fastorslow has twice been narrowly denied a Cheltenham Festival win, going down by just a short head to Commander Of Fleet in the 2022 Coral Cup and pushing subsequent Grand National hero Corach Rambler to a neck in last season’s Ultima Handicap Chase.
It was after that second effort at Prestbury Park that he really found another gear, as he inflicted a shock defeat upon the Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs in the Punchestown Gold Cup – and he proved that was no fluke by beating the same horse again on his comeback in the John Durkan at the same venue.
Galopin Des Champs comprehensively turned the tables when they clashed again in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown, but Slevin is optimistic his mount can make more of a race of it at Cheltenham.
“It was a good run (at Leopardstown), hopefully we’ll have a different scenario in the Gold Cup and hopefully we can turn the tables on him. It won’t be easy, but we’ll see,” he said.
“I got upsides him and made him work and I was hoping he might not pick up, but he did. For a minute, I thought it might be on, but your man found another gear and he’s a very good horse, isn’t he?
“Galopin probably likes a bit softer ground and our lad is versatile enough. I’d say Leopardstown really suits Galopin as well, any track suits him, but he really likes Leopardstown.
“I think a different scenario of the race is probably going to be a big thing, I’d imagine it’ll unfold a good bit different to Leopardstown, with a bigger field and flowing along, with a few more going forward – and we can use his jumping and use his travelling.”
It is this perceived mixture of speed and stamina that Slevin views as key to Fastorslow’s chances of charging up the famous Cheltenham hill in front, a scenario he is keen to put to the back of his mind until the moment of truth arrives.
“Very few horses would give you a feel like him, he’s pure class, all quality and a real athlete,” he added.
“He’s loads of speed and Galopin is the same. Those Gold Cup horses, they could turn up against the top two milers and probably give them a race, that’s the sort of horse you need. They’re the best beasts over fences in these isles at the moment.
“It would be massive to win a Gold Cup, you don’t even dream about it really, it’s that sort of stuff.
“I don’t even let myself think about it at the moment, to be second-favourite for a Gold Cup. We just take it day by day.”
It is certainly not a one-horse show as far as Slevin is concerned, with Ryanair Chase favourite Banbridge, Triumph Hurdle hopeful Nurburgring and Stayers’ Hurdle outsider Home By The Lee also among his likely rides.
To be heading to the sport’s showpiece meeting with a handful of live chances is not something the jockey takes for granted.
He said: “You did dream growing up and then as you get older, you think it’s never going to happen, so I’m looking forward to it.
“It’s been a while since my last Cheltenham winner, they’re hard to come by and another one would definitely be nice.”
Winning the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup remains right at the top of Nicky Henderson’s priorities as he prepares to saddle Shishkin in the latest instalment of the Cheltenham Festival’s marquee event.
Henderson is no stranger to staring on the opening day of the Festival, winning day one’s feature Champion Hurdle a record nine times. But the Gold Cup has proved a tougher beast to tame for the Seven Barrows handler throughout his long and decorated career.
Nevertheless the Gold Cup has managed to find its way to Henderson’s Lambourn base twice in the race’s 100-year history, with the quest for a third success in the blue riband still paramount in his thoughts each passing season.
“As we’ve given up on the Grand National we may as well concentrate on the Gold Cup,” said Henderson.
“The Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup are the most important races as far as I’m concerned because it means you have the best horse and that’s what a race is about.
“After I’ve had a horse a week I have owners asking which race I’m going to run it in at Cheltenham.”
It was not until 2011 that Henderson broke his duck in the Gold Cup when the heir apparent of the staying division, Long Run, slayed the mighty Ditcheat stalwarts Kauto Star and Denman and the baton of power was handed over to the keeper of Seven Barrows and his then multiple Grade One-winning six-year-old.
Long Run would fail to defend his title 12 months later, but Henderson had another Gold Cup winner steadily brimming away, and two years after a first victory in the final-day showpiece, Bobs Worth would prove to be the ultimate model of a staying chaser as he stormed up the Cheltenham hill in the hands of Barry Geraghty.
Those two treasured champions will always hold a special place in Henderson’s affections and are the gold-standard to which future Gold Cup candidates will be measured – with this year’s contender meeting his guvnor’s approval ahead of his date with destiny.
Henderson said: “I think Shishkin compares very favourably to Long Run and Bobs Worth and if you are only judging them on home work, well Bobs Worth was just an amazing character because he showed you nothing and was as laid back as Constitution Hill – he was just the nicest horse.
“On the racecourse he would just gallop and gallop and gallop until he could gallop no more.
“Long Run was a very classy horse, a very talented horse. Bobs Worth though was a trojan, a proper horse. Just a trier and what he lacked in ability he made up for in just heart.”
Like his handler, Shishkin himself has plenty of Cheltenham T-shirts hanging in the wardrobe and from four Festival starts has two victories and a silver medal to his name.
However, the one-time shining star of the speedy two-mile divisions now sees himself staring in the stamina-sapping three-and-a-quarter-mile Gold Cup endurance test.
Henderson, though, is not surprised he has ended up plying his trade in the staying ranks and said: “I think lots of horses have done the same, if you take Desert Orchid for example, he looked a two-miler to start with and plenty of them have done it and gone up in trip.
“You could say why didn’t we realise it earlier, but I think we did and Altior was the same – he got pigeon-holed as a two-miler and was the best, so we left him there.”
Shishkin’s journey to leading British Gold Cup hope has been far from straightforward since the days of his youth when Supreme Novices’ Hurdles and Arkles were a mere formality.
Always one to keep his handler on his toes – as shown when refusing to race at Ascot in his disastrous seasonal return – it seems Henderson has had to utilise all his years of experience to hack into the mindset of the 10-year-old.
That includes the King and Queen’s primary jumps trainer calling on a member of the royal family for assistance, with Shishkin spending his summer with Zara Tindall, blowing away some cobwebs before the serious business on the Lambourn schooling grounds begins.
Henderson explained: “He can be a bit of a ‘boyo’ and we actually sent him away to Zara Tindall for the first month to get him going and get his mind on the job instead of doing some easy trotting and build-up work here, because that is when he can be a bit silly.
“Once you get a run under his belt he is probably in our hands, while before that we are probably in his. That’s what he was like at Ascot but after that he’s been as good as gold. He’s always been like that.”
There has been no repeat of his Ascot misdemeanours in both of Shishkin’s outing since as he enhanced his Gold Cup claims firstly when unseating from a winning position in the King George VI Chase and then getting a confidence-boosting success under his belt in the Denman Chase.
Few would argue he would be even shorter in the betting lists if not for unseating Nico de Boinville shortly after the second-last at Kempton and Henderson has full confidence he will last the distance in his toughest assignment to date.
“He’s come out of Newbury really really well,” added Henderson.
“I think we are confident he will stay and Nico was happy enough in the King George to say ‘we’re not going quick enough, I’m going on’ and that was against proven stayers, so he was pretty confident he was going to stay.
“I think it’s an open Gold Cup and open enough to be in it. He deserves to be in it. He would have been first or second in the King George and I honestly think he would have won and that was a hell of a performance for his first run of the year, even if he finished second that is one hell of a trial.”
If anybody had said in the year 2000 that approaching the 2024 Cheltenham Festival a single trainer would be on the verge of saddling 100 winners at the meeting, it would have been seen as preposterous.
Nicky Henderson already had 20 to his credit and he now sits on a very respectable 73, but back then Willie Mullins only had six – and four of those had come in the Champion Bumper.
It is quite remarkable, then, that this year Mullins is expected to bring up his century, needing six to hit the magic number.
Since the millennium, he has averaged close to four winners at each Festival, with his best being an incredible 10 in 2022. Last year’s six was seen simply as par for the course.
Should he repeat that number this time around, Mullins will be a long way towards setting a marker that will surely never be beaten.
Here, we take a look at 10 of the very best horses that appear on Mullins’ Cheltenham roll of honour:
Tourist Attraction (1995 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle)
The very first Cheltenham Festival winner for Mullins. At a time when he was still an amateur rider himself, he entrusted Mark Dwyer with the mount on the mare who went off a 25-1 outsider. In beating subsequent Arkle winner Ventana Canyon, Mullins proved he was capable of mixing it with the very best. She only ran once more herself but went on to produce Pete The Feat, a prolific winner for Charlie Longsdon who went on to race until he was 15.
Cousin Vinny (2008 Champion Bumper)
By 2008, Mullins was a major player at the Festival and had begun to farm the Champion Bumper having won it five times in all. However, there is no doubt if you were to ask him which was his most memorable success in the race, he would nominate Cousin Vinny, as it was a first Festival winner for his then 18-year-old son, Patrick, who has gone on to break all records as an amateur jockey.
Quevega (Mares’ Hurdle 2009-2014)
There was not much to the diminutive mare who arrived from France in 2007 but once Mullins worked out the key to her, she created her own piece of Cheltenham history. While some disagreed with the way she was campaigned, as from 2010 onwards she made her seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham, there could be no doubting the execution of the plan. The extra races have undoubtedly helped Mullins rack up his incredible numbers and many would have preferred to have seen Quevega try her luck in the Champion Hurdle or more likely the Stayers’ given she won the Punchestown equivalent four times. Either way, just running in the same race six times is a notable achievement, never mind winning it.
Hurricane Fly (Champion Hurdle 2011 and 2013)
Another who created his own piece of history. Hurricane Fly, who came with a tall reputation as a Listed winner on the Flat in France, became the first horse to win the Champion Hurdle, lose it and then regain the crown. Injury meant he missed the first two Cheltenham Festivals he was eligible for, and given he beat that year’s Supreme winner, Go Native, by 10 lengths at Leopardstown in the Christmas of his novice season, you would have to think that is one that got away, and the year after that he came back from injury to win at Punchestown. His defeat in the 2012 Champion came on the fastest ground he encountered and the winner of 24 of 32 hurdle races certainly loved the mud.
Vautour (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 2014, JLT Novices’ Chase 2015, Ryanair Chase 2016)
In terms of pure natural ability, Vautour has to be among the best Mullins has ever trained. The day he won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle by six lengths he looked impregnable and he would have taken all the beating in the Champion itself. Sent straight over fences, he recovered from a blip at Leopardstown to bolt up by 16 lengths in what is now the Turners. A horse who certainly saved his best for Cheltenham, he won the Ryanair with a display that took the breath away, even if it met a muted reception due to owner Rich Ricci stating at a Cheltenham preview evening the horse would run in the Gold Cup.
Faugheen (Neptune Novices’ Hurdle 2014, Champion Hurdle 2015)
One of Mullins’ most popular trainees, on his day he looked nigh on unbeatable. A very easy winner of what is now the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle, the following season he endured a very un-Mullins-like preparation for the Champion Hurdle by running at Ascot and Kempton first. His only run in Ireland that season came after he had already won the Champion, when he went to Punchestown and was even more impressive. Sadly, injury curtailed him after that and he did not run between January 2016 and November 2017. Never quite the same, he did win a Grade One novice chase at Limerick and it was to his credit that his final start came at Cheltenham when third in the 2020 edition of the Marsh (Turners) Novices’ Chase.
Douvan (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 2015, Arkle 2016)
Oh what might have been. Super talented but also, ultimately, incredibly fragile. There were no signs of the heartache to come as he waltzed through his novice hurdle season unbeaten, or when he won all six of his novice chases the year after. That he had a subsequent Gold Cup winner in Sizing John seven lengths behind him in the Arkle spoke volumes. However, when 2-9 favourite for the Champion Chase the year after, he made mistakes and trailed in seventh, finishing lame. He had a year off but returned for the same race only to fall four out when leading the field a merry dance.
Al Boum Photo (Gold Cup 2019 and 2020)
Despite dominating the Festival by now, Mullins had yet to win the blue riband, coming close on several occasions. Step forward the unglamourous Al Boum Photo. No star over hurdles, he would have gone close in the 2018 RSA Novices’ Chase when falling two out, breaking Ruby Walsh’s leg in the process. The following season he ran once before the Gold Cup, winning a minor race at Tramore, and his 12-1 success at Cheltenham caught a few out. But he repeated the trick 12 months later, with Mullins sticking to the same routine. He finished a five-length third to Minella Indo when bidding to emulate Best Mate.
Allaho (Ryanair Chase 2021 and 2022)
If ever a race and a horse were a match made in heaven it was surely Allaho and the Ryanair Chase. Viewed as a stayer in his younger days, when he was third in the Albert Bartlett and RSA in his novice hurdle and chase seasons, it was not until the intermediate trip was settled upon that he was seen to his best. Eschewed by Paul Townend in favour of Min in 2021, Rachael Blackmore made no mistake and the punters sent them off favourite, suggesting Townend had made the wrong call pre-race and so it proved, with Allaho winning by 12 lengths. Townend did not make the same mistake again, with a 14-length success a year later. Unfortunately injury has ruled him out of the past two Festivals.
Galopin Des Champs (Martin Pipe 2021 and Gold Cup 2023)
Unfortunate not to be going for a fourth successive win at the meeting given he tipped up when miles clear as a novice in 2022, he must have been some certainty in the Martin Pipe the year before off 142. Mullins has got him right back to his best mid-season after two defeats and he looks to hold massive claims of emulating his former stablemate Al Boum Photo and you would not put it past him to go one better.
Alan King is keen to let Edwardstone “do the talking” as he prepares to take on old foe Jonbon and red-hot favourite El Fabiolo in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on Wednesday.
Having saddled the currently sidelined Energumene to claim back-to-back victories in the day two feature, Willie Mullins will have high hopes of making it a hat-trick with El Fabiolo, who won the Arkle at last season’s Festival and is six from six over fences overall.
The horse rated his biggest threat is Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon, who has won four of his five starts since finishing best of the rest behind El Fabiolo 12 months ago, but was turned over at prohibitive odds by Elixir De Nutz in the rescheduled Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham in late January.
Edwardstone, winner of the 2022 Arkle for Alan King, was no match for Jonbon in either the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham or when defending his crown in the Tingle Creek at Sandown earlier in the season, but bounced back to winning ways with a brilliant display in last month’s Game Spirit Chase at Newbury.
While respectful of the opposition, King, who won the 2007 Champion Chase with Voy Por Ustedes, feels his charge is as good as he ever was at the age of 10 and is looking forward to the challenge.
“He’s absolutely fine, he did his last bit of strong work yesterday and schooled this morning, all seems well,” said the Barbury Castle handler.
“Most of the hard work is done, he’ll have a little breeze at the weekend but nothing too strenuous.
“Touch wood we’ve had a beautiful, clear preparation. He’s not been overly raced and he’s certainly working as well as he’s ever done, so we’re happy.
“No disrespect to the horses we beat at Newbury, but this is a different ballgame. I have great respect for the two favourites and we’ll just let Edwardstone do the talking.”
El Fabiolo, Jonbon and Edwardstone are three of eight horses still in contention for the Champion Chase following the confirmation stage.
Mullins is also set to saddle Gentleman De Mee, with Henry de Bromhead’s Captain Guinness – runner-up to Energumene in last year’s renewal – also set to make the trip from Ireland.
Jonbon’s Clarence House conqueror Elixir De Nutz (Joe Tizzard), Boothill (Harry Fry) and Funambule Sivola (Venetia Williams) complete the octet.
The prospect of soft underfoot conditions at the Cheltenham Festival has Sophie Leech leaning towards a shot at the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup with her Dublin Racing Festival hero Madara.
The ever-improving five-year-old holds entries for both Wednesday’s two-mile event and the TrustATrader Plate over half a mile further the following day.
However, with Madara’s wins at both Cheltenham itself in December and on his successful raiding mission to Ireland coming over an extended two miles, Leech is inclined to stick to what is known for the gelding’s hat-trick bid.
Madara was partnered by former French champion jockey James Reveley when winning in the Irish capital and Leech is hopeful he will be aboard once again at Prestbury Park, with the progressive performer a best price of 10-1 to taste Grand Annual glory.
Leech said: “We’re definitely leaning towards the Grand Annual and I think the ground will potentially be on the softer side, so I think as long as the ground stays that way – which I think it will – that is the most likely option.
“He seems to be just thriving and really enjoying his racing and gaining confidence all the time which is great.
“Touching all available wood, everything has gone to plan since Ireland and he seems to be in great form, so I’m delighted with him.”
“I’m pretty sure James will ride, I’m pretty sure that is the plan. He’s top-class and we would be very happy to have him”
The air at the National Stadium in Kingston was thick with anticipation as the 2024 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships approaches. However, there was a sombre note underlying the excitement—the absence of the revered journalist, analyst, and author, Hubert Lawrence, whose insights and analyses had become synonymous with the prestigious high school track and field meet.
Lawrence, who had spent decades unraveling the intricacies of track and field, providing context and depth to the exhilarating performances witnessed at the championships, passed away at his St. Catherine home on the evening of February 23, 2024. As the sporting community mourns the loss of this Jamaican legend, the organizers of the event are planning a fitting tribute to honour Lawrence's indelible contributions.
The announcement of this pending tribute was made by Don Webhy, CEO of the GraceKennedy Group, during the launch of the 2024 ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships. Addressing the gathering on Wednesday night, Webhy spoke of the void left by Lawrence's recent passing and the unique presence he brought to the world of athletics.
"This morning (Wednesday) I had a discussion with the ISSA (Inter-Secondary School Sports Association) President Keith Wellington, and I (told) Keith that GraceKennedy would like to honour Hubert at Champs. He assured me that he would engage Hubert’s family and my GraceKennedy team to develop a fitting tribute to Hubert Lawrence. I am confident Keith and my colleagues that an announcement will be made very shortly in terms of how we can honour his memory," expressed Webby.
The sentiment of honouring Lawrence's legacy echoed throughout the evening, with ISSA President Wellington and Olympian Vilma Charlton, speaking on behalf of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) president Garth Gayle all paying tribute to the late journalist.
The most poignant tribute came from Dr. Claire Clarke-Grant, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Broadcast and Content Services at the RJR Group. For the past decade, the RJR Group had been broadcasting the Championships across all their platforms, with Lawrence's analyses enriching their coverage.
“Lawrence’s analysis and unique perspective enriched our broadcasts and touched the lives of countless viewers and listeners. It’s probably not measurable, but I would like us all to think about the broadcasts that we have watched and listened to Hubert, how much he has taught the Jamaican audience what track and field is about, what track and field means to schools, to communities, to families,” shared Dr. Clarke-Grant, who had also been Lawrence's schoolmate at St Jago High School.
As the specter of Lawrence's absence looms over the upcoming Championships, Dr. Clarke-Grant emphasized the significant impact he had made, leaving an everlasting legacy that would guide and illuminate the world of track and field for years to come.
“We will miss his presence dearly, and his legacy will forever remain a guiding light for all of us at Television Jamaica, but for all of us who are connoisseurs of track and field who love the sport, who will remember the experiences that we had as we heard his voice doing commentary and analysis,” she concluded, reflecting the collective sentiment of a community mourning the loss of a true icon.
Owner Andrew Megson is excited to see if ante-post favourite Jipcot can continue trainer Ben Pauling’s blistering run of form in Saturday’s Betfair Imperial Cup.
The Naunton Downs handler has enjoyed a stellar campaign with his thriving string and Yorkshireman Megson, as one of Pauling’s biggest benefactors, is one of the owners who has reaped the rewards.
Both Pauling and Megson possess strong chances at next week’s Cheltenham Festival – including Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hope Tellherthename.
However, before attentions turn to Prestbury Park, the owner and trainer will team up in search of Sandown’s £100,000 feature at the weekend with a French recruit finally beginning to find his feet on UK shores and Jipcot will attempt to rapidly back up an impressive success at Huntingdon last Sunday.
“The minute we got him to the winner’s enclosure at Huntingdon Ben said ‘right, if he’s OK tomorrow we will go for the Imperial Cup’,” said Megson.
“He absolutely bolted up and the way he accelerated on dead ground was astonishing.
“Ben told us he will go up 10lb for that so will be well in under a 7lb penalty, but also it doesn’t matter anyway and he will be well in simply because he is a talented horse.
“He’s bounced out of Huntingdon like he didn’t have a race and we are hopeful of a big run. He goes on any ground and now Ben has managed to calm him down and settle we would hope he runs very well, we’re very excited.
“I don’t want to jinx him and I haven’t backed him because I don’t want to put pressure on him, but we are hopeful of a big run.”
Twice a winner at Pau – including at Listed level – before switching to Pauling, Jipcot has always been held in the highest regard by connections and began life for the Cotswolds-based training team in the Triumph Hurdle at last season’s Cheltenham Festival.
That ultimately proved too stiff an assignment for the precocious import, who after struggling over fences at the beginning of the current season, finally broke his UK duck when reverting to timber last weekend.
Megson is full of praise for Pauling’s perseverance with the talented five-year-old, who now finds himself as short as 7-2 with Sky Bet and 4-1 with sponsors Betfair ahead of his next assignment – where he will bid to send both trainer and owner on to Cheltenham on a high.
“We think he is really smart he has just taken a while to settle in the UK, we bought him out of France,” continued Megson.
“He had an entry in the Triumph when we brought him over and he appeared to settle well, so when we had a chat with Ben we decided we would run him.
“He had won a Listed race at Pau, but as it turned out, 70,000 people on Gold Cup day at Cheltenham was a bit much for him and what happened next was we tried him over fences but he just didn’t settle.
“Ben said why don’t we go back over hurdles, just to settle him down and go back to what he’s used to – lets not force him. He’s a nice horse and lets give him a few months off.
“He did that and rather than train him with the other horses on the gallops at home he was doing things on his own on the round gallop with the intention of just calming everything down.
“We put a tongue-tie and a hood on him and it all just clicked and the horse we thought we had bought was the one that turned up at Huntingdon. There was only five horses in the race, but it was quite hot and he was carrying 12st 2lb – that was 11lb more than the second.”
In an unexpected twist at the Slingerz FC training ground this week, popular Jamaican dancehall entertainer Jahshii took to the football field to engage in a spirited training session with the club's players, leaving an indelible mark on both the team and coaching staff.
The collaboration took place on Monday as part of Jashii's extended stay in Guyana to support the football team during their KFC Elite League match against Fruta Conquerors on Tuesday night. Slingerz defeated Fruta Conquerors 4-1 in another dominant performance under Coach Alex Thomas with Jahshii looking on from the sidelines.
Jahshii, who had previously performed alongside fellow entertainers Masicka and Guyana's Bnick at the Slingerz Westside Mashramani Weekend Celebration at the Leonora Stadium on Saturday, decided to prolong his stay to witness the football team in action.
Under the watchful eye of their newly appointed head coach, the dancehall artist actively participated in the training session and engaged the players in conversation, leaving a lasting impression on everyone involved.
Javed Ali, the President of Slingerz FC, expressed his elation at having Jahshii join their training session, highlighting the positive impact on the players and the club's connection to the reggae and dancehall culture.
"We were elated to have Jahshii train with our club. The intensity of the training session showed that the players enjoyed him being there and they were impressed by his footballing abilities," said Ali. "Having such a popular and trending artiste visit the club helps motivate the players, so they understand that they can make it to the very top if they believe in themselves and show the required commitment to their craft."
Ali emphasized the importance of Jahshii's presence in inspiring the players and fostering a connection between music and football within the Slingerz FC community. "Jahshii helped us tremendously in this regard since his music is popular in our dressing room. He was willing to come train and speak to the players, and it was important for us," Ali added.
Coach Alex Thomas echoed Ali's sentiments, describing Jahshii's involvement as a significant boost for both himself and the players. "To see this icon from Jamaica helps a lot. It was a big boost in the little time he was there, and we encourage more of this," remarked Thomas. He emphasized the positive impact on the mental aspects of the players' game, boosting their confidence by witnessing Jahshii up close and personal during the training session.
"For me, when Jahshii joined the practice, that was a big boost, not only for me but also the players and the club. The players accepted him with a warm welcome," Thomas added. "Jahshii training with the club helps boost the mental aspects of their game, their confidence. To see this person, close up and personal training with us; someone they only see on stage or on TV, was a great boost for us."
A furious Kieran O’Neill was given the all-clear to resume riding on Wednesday, having been prevented from taking his rides at Southwell on Tuesday in an incident which has put the British Horseracing Authority’s trial of saliva and sweat testing in the spotlight.
O’Neill had three mounts booked at the Nottinghamshire track’s evening meeting, but was unable to take part after being stood down by the BHA following a failed saliva test.
And while a subsequent urine test returned a negative result, O’Neill – who swiftly took to social media to speak of his anger, saying he was “fuming” – was not permitted to ride before passing another test ahead of racing at Kempton and feels his reputation has been unfairly tarnished.
He told Sky Sports Racing: “I was the one to comment, to put my tweet out that I have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide. I wanted to be the one when I got home to write a tweet and let everyone know. I have nothing to hide, I have not done anything wrong here and something needs to be done very quickly.
“It is very embarrassing for me to have to leave the racecourse yesterday and everyone is there looking at you. The first person I bumped into was Scott Dixon and I have to go and explain myself why I can’t ride for him.
“I was so embarrassed speaking to my partner on the phone last night, speaking to my mum, this has now happened and even when I’m cleared from this urine sample and things are back to normal, my name is still out there, I have failed this swab test twice yesterday.
“It’s something that for a young kid coming into the game of 17 or 18, he could fail a swab test and his career is over straight away before it starts.
“My urine test will come back clear, I have no doubts about that in my mind. I rarely drink, never mind take drugs. Everyone who knows me and knows my character knows I’m the first person to be anti-drugs.
“I really cannot see how this has happened. Is there something wrong with the salivas again? For me yes, because I have done nothing wrong, I have never taken a drug in my life and I am clear.”
A saliva test pilot was paused by the BHA in September 2022 after Sean Levey returned a false positive that saw him sidelined for eight days and miss out on a potential £20,000 bonus as leading rider during the Racing League.
O’Neill added: “Sean said if this doesn’t go then someone else is going to get done, but never in a million years did I think it would be me. Sean Levey got it right, it’s come back and it’s me. Have the BHA got it wrong again? I don’t know.
“But I agree with Sean Levey and for me something has gone amiss. I have no problem doing any test, they can take hair, another urine from me, that is no problem. I have been tested in France and probably 20 times last year and nothing has ever been found, but now all of a sudden since the swab tests have come back, something was found.”
Posting an update on X, he said: “Just been to Kempton to have another swab test after last night’s embarrassment. Given the all-clear as expected. Thankfully the current testing system has now been paused until they get to the bottom of this.”
Professional Jockeys Association chief executive Paul Struthers said the body was “unaware” a new trial had been introduced until Tuesday evening and immediately requested the procedure be put on hold pending further investigation.
He said: “We have been discussing with the BHA a pilot of trialling a new saliva and sweat testing kit since January, following the two previous trials of different testing kits. However, no dates for the pilot had been agreed and we were told what the protocol would be in the event of a non-negative test, which is very different to agreeing it.
“Issues that arose during the previous two pilot schemes meant that the PJA and its members had legitimate concerns about the testing kits and the process.
“At our last meeting with the BHA on February 23, we stressed these concerns and explained how important communications would be in advance of any pilot. What was agreed at that meeting was that the BHA would draft some initial communications materials which would be shared with the PJA for further comment.
“This never happened and we were therefore unaware until last night that the pilot had even commenced.
“Following events of last night, this morning we wrote to the BHA requesting an immediate suspension of the pilot scheme. The BHA has subsequently confirmed that no further testing with the swab and saliva kits will take place until the situation with Kieran O’Neill has been resolved and understood.
“This is a sensible decision in the best interests of fair regulation, a decision we obviously support and welcome. The rest of the testing regime will continue as normal.”
The BHA insists the procedure is sound, with rider safety “a priority” for racing’s regulator, and that the process for handling non-negative samples had been agreed with the PJA.
A statement said: “The process for handling non-negative samples on raceday as part of the ongoing pilot of sweat/saliva sampling was agreed between the BHA and PJA.
“As part of the agreed process, which utilises a Home Office-approved testing kit used by police forces globally, should a rider return a non-negative sample then they will be tested a second time.
“Should the second sample also return non-negative then, in the interests of safety for horses and riders, the jockey should be stood down for the day.
“Mr O’Neill was stood down on the day having provided two non-negative samples. Sixteen jockeys were tested yesterday and 16 on Monday with only Mr O’Neill returning these two non-negative samples.
“As part of the process a urine sample screening is also be taken on the day. This is for indicative processes only as part of the trial. It operates to different thresholds, and does not form part of the immediate regulatory process. Mr O’Neill’s urine sample returned a negative result on-course but is not relevant to his being able to ride today and beyond.
“This same urine sample is also sent away for analysis at the official testing laboratory. Mr O’Neill will be permitted to ride today and beyond, pending the return of this urine result, provided he returns a negative sweat/saliva sample prior to weighing out. A hair sample will also be taken.
“Ensuring the safety of jockeys competing in our sport is a priority for the BHA. We appreciate the strength of feeling from Mr O’Neill but this alone is not enough to make judgement about the testing process, or its ability to detect the intentional or sometimes inadvertent presence of substances in a rider’s system. The proper process must be allowed to take its course.”
British Horseracing Authority chief executive Julie Harrington will not be pushing the panic button just yet should Ireland once again dominate at next week’s Cheltenham Festival.
Following a nightmare Festival for the home side in 2021 which saw just five winners for British trainers, the BHA set up the Quality Jump Racing Review Group, with a stated aim “to strengthen the performance of British jump racing at the top end of the pyramid”.
A series of recommendations was then unveiled at the start of 2022, with further tweaks to the fixture list this term in an attempt to improve the upper tier of British National Hunt racing.
Harrington says it is too early to really see those initiatives come to fruition, but with Triumph Hurdle favourite Sir Gino the only British-trained ante-post Grade One market leader throughout next week, with Willie Mullins holding a tremendously strong hand on all four days, the issue remains a high-profile one.
She said: “We’re well aware of the number of Irish favourites across all the days. It is early days and there’s interventions all the way through breeding in terms of incentives for British-bred, retaining your horse here in training, but we’re not naive.
“We know the decision of many owners to place their horses with what they would consider in-form trainers. When you speak to the top British-based trainers, they do understand it is often cyclical which is why the fact it’s early days, you do need to let some of the interventions play out a bit more.
“Is it something we continue to be concerned about and continue to have a watching brief on? Of course. It’s been well debated some of the interventions or potential interventions that we’ve consulted on, but we will continue to do so.”
Talks are currently ongoing between the BHA and bookmakers on levy reform and Greg Swift, director of communications and corporate affairs, believes the issue of competitiveness is ultimately linked to the levy.
“It’s a valid point. It brings us back to the need for levy reform,” he said.
“One of the cases that we have made to DCMS throughout the entire process around the need for levy reform is around the competitive issue and making sure that we have enough money flowing into the sport to maintain Britain’s competitiveness and our position at the top table.
“That is one of the things we will continue to press.”
Leading point-to-point handler Tom Ellis has decided to take out a full licence to enable him to saddle Latenightpass in the Randox Grand National at Aintree next month.
Owned and bred by the trainer’s mother Pippa Ellis, the 11-year-old has been a prolific winner between the flags and has also proved his worth in the hunter chase sphere, most notably winning the 2022 Foxhunters’ Chase over the Grand National fences under Ellis’ wife, Gina Andrews.
This season Latenightpass has switched to the care of Dan Skelton, the brother-in-law of Andrews’ sister Bridget, and has enjoyed a fine campaign – but Ellis views the prospect of running a horse so close to his heart in the world’s most famous steeplechase as a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“I suppose taking out a full licence is something we’ve been considering for some time and when the opportunity arose to potentially have a Grand National runner, we thought we probably should try and get that done,” he said.
“I felt that however long I trained for, we will never have a Grand National runner bred by mother and ridden by my wife, so it made sense to try and get it done in time if we could.”
Latenightpass made a highly encouraging first start for Skelton when second on his cross-country debut at Cheltenham in November and returned to the Cotswolds to go one better the following month.
Ellis revealed it was after that success in the Cotswolds that his Grand National dream came into sharper focus.
He added: “We sent him to Dan because Gina has been desperate to have a ride in that cross-country race at Cheltenham for years and we just felt like the course would suit the horse, so he went to Dan to do that as we weren’t able to run him in it.
“It wasn’t until that he won at the second Cheltenham meeting that we had a realistic opportunity to go for a National and once he had gone up in the weights to hopefully get in, we thought we should give it a go really.”
Since his Cheltenham win pre-Christmas, the veteran has finished down the field in the Grade Two Prestige Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock, but Ellis is not overly concerned.
“The weather Gods were against us at Haydock, he has won in heavy ground before but it was biblical up there and it was definitely a stepping-stone towards Aintree as opposed to being a big target,” he said.
“He is the gift that keeps on giving – he’s been a phenomenal little horse for us. He’s been placed three times from three runs over the National fences, albeit in the Foxhunters’, and he was fourth in the hunter chase at the Cheltenham Festival when ridden by Bridget in the Covid year because amateurs couldn’t ride.
“He’s been fairly lightly raced, which is why I think he’s still running right up to the best of his ability at the age of 11.”
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