Cheltenham Festival 2022 Weights: Five Irish horses to watch
Ben Linfoot nominates five Irish handicappers to look out for at the Cheltenham Festival after the weights were released on Tuesday.
The Obvious One: FRONTAL ASSAULT – Gordon Elliott
Cheltenham Festival Handicap Mark: 145 | Handicap Entries: Ultima Handicap Chase, Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase
After three qualifying runs over intermediate trips in novice chases, FRONTAL ASSAULT looks the archetypal modern Festival handicapper for Gordon Elliott.
It was just a case of whether he’d be too good for the Kim Muir, but he’s scraped in off the ceiling mark of 145 and now looks certain to run in the amateur riders’ race with Jamie Codd doing the steering.
Steering could be the word. He’s a horse with Festival experience - having finished eighth in last year’s Martin Pipe to Galopin Des Champs - while he’s a former pointer who won over three miles over hurdles and looks sure to improve stepping up in trip.
He’s learning, too, with his last run, over 2m5f at Fairyhouse, his best, where he kept on after the last despite making a small mistake to dead-heat for second.
Elliott has won the Kim Muir a couple of times with Cause Of Causes and Milan Native, so it’s no wonder this horse is a strong favourite at a nibbled-in 9/2 following the confirmation of that 145 mark.
The Should Be Suited To A Handicap One: GRAND JURY – Henry De Bromhead
Cheltenham Festival Handicap Mark: 141 | Handicap Entries: Coral Cup, County Hurdle, Martin Pipe
Henry De Bromhead took last year’s Cheltenham Festival by storm and while he’ll do well to win the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and saddle the one-two in the Gold Cup again, he could have some well-handicapped horses on the back of a fairly quiet winter.
GRAND JURY appeals as a handicapper to follow off a mark of 141 as he has Grade 1 form to his name having finished second in the Lawlor’s Of Naas Novices’ Hurdle before he was sixth to Minella Cocooner at the DRF.
He didn't show his true form at the DRF, but his strong-travelling style and likely preference for better ground marks him out as an interesting prospect for a race like the Coral Cup, although he has several options at the Festival.
The Out Of The Ballpark One: FREEDOM TO DREAM – Peter Fahey
Cheltenham Festival Handicap Mark: 135 | Handicap Entries: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
Peter Fahey landed the County Hurdle last season with Belfast Banter and he has a potentially interesting horse for the Festival this year in FREEDOM TO DREAM.
The seven-year-old has the option of the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, as well, but Fahey’s head could be turned by a mark of 135 in the shorter 2m4f (and 56 yards) race.
Second in a bumper to Appreciate It in the December of 2019, he had a long time off the track after that due to a small foot injury but he’s been making up for lost time this campaign.
A winner of a Punchestown maiden hurdle in November after almost two years off the track, Fahey said there would be ‘loads of improvement’ to come and he has improved in defeat since, firstly when second in the uber-successful Grade 2 Limerick Novices’ Hurdle at Christmas, a race that regularly spawns Festival winners, and secondly when fourth in the Grade 1 2m6f novice at the Dublin Racing Festival.
He travelled nicely towards the inner that day, but was caught flat-footed from two out, suggesting that there’s a good horse in there but perhaps one that is more of a handicap project than a top-level plunderer.
A mark of 135 may well make Fahey’s mind up for him and at 66/1 with Sky Bet he’s one to consider.
The DRF Eyecatcher: FOXY JACKS – Mouse Morris
Cheltenham Festival Handicap Mark: 145 | Handicap Entries: Ultima Handicap Chase, Plate Handicap Chase
Last year the 2m5f and a bit handicap chase at the DRF had the Grand National Winner, Topham Chase winner and Cheltenham Paddy Power Plate runner-up amongst the beaten horses in the top five.
This year, run as the Bulmers Secret Orchard Leopardstown Handicap Chase, it could be a huge pointer to the big spring festivals once again and Mouse Morris’ FOXY JACKS is an experienced handicapper that looks to be improving the more he runs.
Second in the Bulmers race to Birchdale, he displayed all of his quirks that day as he was held up in the rear, had to be cajoled along, jumped to his right, but still finished strongly to ensure a one-and-a-quarter length second.
The jumping to his right thing is obviously a concern around Cheltenham, but this could be just the sort of track to keep him interested and the stiff finish looks sure to play to his strengths.
Rated 145, 6lb higher than his Irish mark, he’s not obviously well-treated in Britain but he’s trained by a shrewd handler with Festival pedigree and it’ll be interesting to see if he makes the trip for either the Plate or the Ultima.
The Must Have A Mullins One: ECHOES IN RAIN – Willie Mullins
Cheltenham Festival Handicap Mark: 150 | Handicap Entries: County Hurdle
Choosing between all of the Willie Mullins handicappers is a thankless task but we have to nominate one amongst a handful of interesting Irish horses and ECHOES IN RAIN is that horse in the County.
So highly-regarded she was 14/1 in the Champion Hurdle betting at the start of the campaign, things haven’t quite turned out how connections would’ve hoped but she has been running in small-field Grade 1 races that haven’t suited her style.
She has simply been too free in her assignments, but she was better in that regard at Leopardstown last time when beaten seven lengths by Honeysuckle in the Irish Champion Hurdle.
After two heavier defeats by her stablemate, Sharjah, this was a step forward and she looks sure to be suited by the hell-for-leather nature of a County which should help her settle and travel.
A mark of 150 should seal her place in the County, rather than taking her chance in the Mares’ race over half a mile further, as it’s a rating only 1lb higher than her Irish mark and the set-up of the race looks perfect for her.