Irish raiders are unlikely to equal success of last year’s festival
The biggest certainty this week is that we will not equal or better that figure. Mind you, Ireland will travel with an exceptionally strong team and is certain to enjoy plenty of success.
But the notion we can threaten a mind-boggling 13 winners again is hardly a runner.
Everything, literally, fell into place 12 months ago.
We are constantly told our horses are badly handicapped in Britain. Handicaps, by their very nature, are the hardest heats of all to win and yet we grabbed a quite remarkable five.
And, of course, the Wednesday of 2011 produced one of the most extraordinary outcomes in the history of the festival. Wins for Chicago Grey, First Lieutenant, Bostons Angel, Sizing Europe, Carlito Brigante and What A Charm saw Ireland take the first six races.
Only our failure in the Weatherbys’ Champion Bumper, a contest we have farmed over the years, prevented us from an unprecedented clean sweep.
Tomorrow is all about Willie Mullins’ Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle. The eight-year-old will be attempting to repeat last year’s win and confirm the widely held belief that he is the best timber-topper seen since mighty Istabraq.
Hurricane Fly has a terrific record since arriving from his native France to take up residence at Mullins’ Co Carlow base.
He has won his last seven and his overall record is 12 victories in 14 races.
Hurricane Fly is a horse who has had his problems in the past, but his shrewd handler has given him plenty of time to come right this season.
He will arrive on the back of just one outing, easily landing the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown, and anything less than an emphatic win will be disappointing.
Of course much of the build-up has centred on that well-publicised tumble Kauto Star took in an indoor school at Paul Nicholls’ base at Ditcheat.
He now appears to be on schedule to take part in Friday’s Gold Cup and that is a massive boost to racing and to Cheltenham.
Nicholls has nursed Kauto Star back to near his best this season and he has twice beaten Long Run, at Haydock and Kempton. We know Kauto is more than capable of defying logic, but surely he cannot win another Gold Cup as a 12-year-old?
He is the only horse to regain the Gold Cup and is now trying to achieve that feat for a second time.
Last year’s winner, Long Run, is five years his junior and has every chance of reversing Haydock and Kempton running, with that final punishing hill and a further two and a half furlongs to travel working in his favour.
Big Buck’s will be the star attraction in the Ladbrokes’ World Hurdle on Thursday. He has won 15 races in-a-row and regular pilot, Ruby Walsh, is on record as saying Paul Nicholls’ charge is capable of pushing it to 20.
The nine-year-old will be bidding to make history, to become the first horse to win this race four times.
Big Buck’s will go off a short-priced favourite, but the million dollar question is whether he will be able to resist up-and-coming rivals such as Oscar Whisky and So Young?
Besides Hurricane Fly, the other Irish bankers are Quevega in tomorrow’s Mares’ Hurdle and Sizing Europe in Wednesday’s Queen Mother two- mile Champion Chase.
Our champion trainer, Willie Mullins, has a powerful hand and a good week for him — he had four a year ago — will mean a good week for the majority of Irish punters.
