Can Davy Russell ‘do a Lester Piggott’ at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival?

Okay, it wouldn’t be quite as dramatic as Lester Piggott at the 1990 Breeders’ Cup.

Davy Russell had only been retired 24 days when he announced his planned return to the saddle on Wednesday evening. That’s not enough time to go to prison.

“I have decided to come out of retirement and ride for the short period while Jack [Kennedy] is on the sidelines,” Russell said in his statement.

But, with Kennedy breaking his leg for a fifth time at Naas on Sunday, the Cheltenham Festival, just two months away, must be in the 43-year-old's thoughts.

He retired with 25 Festival winners to his name – the most successful active jockey at the meeting. Yet he missed the 2021 Festival and drew a blank last year from 12 rides, with the seconds on Three Stripe Life, Tiger Roll and Fil Dor meaning he was agonisingly close to one last taste of Cheltenham Festival glory.

As it is, that was Chosen Mate in the 2020 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual.

So could Russell, in this likely short return to the fold, add to his 25 winners at Prestbury Park in nine weeks’ time?

Here are five horses (and a scenario) from Gordon Elliott’s yard that could give him that final taste of Festival glory...

IRISH POINT (Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle)

Has been plying his trade in Grade 1 company since bolting up in a maiden hurdle at Cork in November. Ran Marine Nationale to a head in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse where he finished four lengths in front of Champ Kiely, who reversed the form in Sunday’s Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle. Irish Point ran well at Naas, though, where he was inconvenienced by the omission of four hurdles due to low sun, and he remains a contender for Ballymore honours at Cheltenham.

GERRI COLOMBE (Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase)

Another Robcour-owned horse, Gerri Colombe has quietly amassed a six from six record, culminating in the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick over Christmas. He’s a good jumper who doesn’t do an awful lot in front but his unbeaten record is an indication of his talents – as are prices as short as 6/1 for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. He could go for the National Hunt Chase, which would obviously rule Russell out of the ride, but if the ground is on the soft side the three miles of the Brown Advisory might just be perfect for him.

MIGHTY POTTER (Turners Novices’ Chase)

The Turners doesn’t seem to be in the conversation for Gerri Colombe and part of the reason for that is the presence of stablemate Mighty Potter at the head of the market. The Caldwell Construction-owned horse is two from two over fences and he has a Grade 1 win to his name by virtue of an impressive Drinmore win at Fairyhouse in December. That form has been franked by runner-up Gaillard Du Mesnil and this horse looks to have all the tools to be a big player at the Festival.

CONFLATED (Gold Cup / Ryanair Chase)

Conflated threw his hat into the Cheltenham Gold Cup ring at last year’s Dublin Racing Festival only to run in the Ryanair Chase and the same thing could happen again this time around. He took advantage in a Savills Chase lacking star quality at Christmas, after which Jack Kennedy said: “he’d stay the Gold Cup trip, there are no issues with stamina,” but the Ryanair looms as an option for the nine-year-old once again. Either way, he’s a dual Grade 1 winner who will demand more respect than he usually gets whichever race he’s aimed at.

FAVORI DE CHAMPDOU (Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle)

Favori De Champdou has had his issues as two long breaks of 626 days and 375 days indicate, but his performances this season suggest he’s well over whatever was ailing him. Elliott suggested after his maiden hurdle at Thurles in November that he’d go chasing after missing a year, but two more victories since then, including in the Grade 2 2m7f novices’ hurdle at Limerick over Christmas, suggest he’s on track for the Albert Bartlett before tackling fences next season. The Limerick race is a golden source of Festival winners and this horse did it very nicely indeed.

ELLIOTT/RUSSELL CORAL CUP SELECTED

After winning the Coral Cup three times from 13 goes, including two for Gordon Elliott with Carlito Brigante and Diamond King, Russell has made a habit of cruising through what should be one of the most hard-to-win races of the meeting. Unfortunately, he pulled-up Grand Roi on his last go at the race, but now he may get one last chance to lift his fourth Coral Cup and Elliott is sure to have plenty up his sleeve. Last year’s winner Commander Of Fleet, then ridden by Shane Fitzgerald, could go for the race again, while novice Jungle Prose, who struggled in the testing ground behind Favori De Champdou at Limerick, looks on the right sort of mark for a tilt, too. In addition, horses like Hollow Games and The Goffer would be interesting if reverting to hurdles from chasing.

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