Mark Howard is adding a Willie Mullins juvenile hurdler to his portfolio as he thinks he could develop into one of the gambles of the week.
Racing betting tips: Chetenham Festival ante-post
1pt win Gaelic Warrior in Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at 6/1 (Coral & Ladbrokes)
It’s fair to say the Festival portfolio isn’t going to plan at present. Although Capodanno looks one of the best staying novice chasers in Ireland this season, it looks increasingly likely that the J.P.McManus owned gelding is considered too good for the National Hunt Chase. Unless he contests a three miles novice chase and finishes in the first four, the six year old won’t even qualify for it.
Compatriot Eklat De Rire blundered away any chance he had in last week’s Thyestes Chase eventually finishing tenth. Henry De Bromhead’s charge is much better than he has shown in his last two starts but they don’t even warrant him leaving his box let alone sailing across the Irish Sea next month. If there was one crumb of comfort over the last few days, Walking On Air received a minor form boost when his nearest rival at Newbury hosed up at Plumpton on Monday.
Willie Mullins was crowned leading trainer at the Cheltenham Festival for an eighth time last spring with 6 more winners taking his overall tally to 78. The most successful trainer of all time at the meeting, the Queen Mother Champion Chase is not the only event which has thus far eluded the Closutton team.
Ireland’s champion trainer came close to landing the Boodles Juvenile Hurdle last year when Saint Sam (rated 139) chased home the subsequent Grade 1 winner Jeff Kidder. Six years ago, Voix De Reve was still very much in contention when crashing out at the final flight on only his second run for Mullins in a race won by another ex-French gelding Diego Du Charmil. The Graham Wylie owned four year old was also rated 139. Then in 2019, the Ruby Walsh ridden Ciel De Neige was making his debut for the yard having raced three times for Guy Cherel across the English Channel. Running off an opening mark of 132, the Authorized gelding was beaten less than four lengths in third behind Band of Outlaws.
There is a theme developing here and it is set to continue in March with the wraps set to be taken off the thrice raced GAELIC WARRIOR. A German bred son of Maxios, the same sire as Festival winners Aramax, who won this event in 2020, and last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner Quilixios, he raced three times for the De Lageneste / Macaire combination in his home country. The latter has supplied owners Rich and Susannah Ricci with the likes Burrows Saint, Let’s Dance and the brilliant Vautour over the years.
Bred by the Niarchos Family, all three starts came at Auteuil where he was partnered on each occasion by James Reveley, who was recently crowned champion jockey in France for a second time. Sixth on his debut at the Parisian track in a Listed event in April, he stepped forward on his next start filling third position behind Imprenable. Beaten a length, the winner scored again next time before finishing second in a Grade 2 and then fourth in a Grade 1 event at the same track. Gaelic Warrior completed his education in France when six and a half lengths third in early June.
Once again, the form has a strong look to it. The winner followed up in a Grade 3 hurdle before finishing third in a Grade 2 at the same venue, while the runner-up won his next two starts, including a Grade 2 hurdle at Auteuil, and then was second in a Grade 1 hurdle. The fourth, Kyrov, who finished a length and three quarters behind the Ricci’s new recruit, has won his next three races, including by nine lengths in a Grade 1 hurdle at Auteuil in November.
With that in mind, the four year old could be ‘thrown in’ off his recently acquired mark of 129. Given the fact last year’s winner Jeff Kidder scored off 125, Gaelic Warrior shouldn’t have any trouble making the cut. Entered in the Triumph Hurdle as well, the intention is to go down the handicap route. Available at 6/1 (Coral), he could be one of the gambles of the Festival, especially if Team Mullins have already bagged the Sky Bet Supreme, Arkle and mares’ hurdle earlier in the afternoon.
Preview posted at 0845 GMT on 01/02/2021
Also in the series:
Part Four: Walking On Air in Ballymore
Part Three: Going for Gold with De Bromhead ace
Part Two: 16/1 chance booked for Turners prize
Part One: 12/1 National Hunt Chase fancy
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