Rivals have to improve to thwart Hurricane
I start with a particularly strong book of rides and, if I leave
empty-handed today, it will be
nothing short of a disastrous start to a Festival that promises so much for Willie Mullins and myself.
The focus of attention, of course, has to be very much on one my favourite horses of all time, Hurricane Fly, in the Champion Hurdle.
I won’t hear a word said against him, he has repeatedly done it at the very highest level and beaten smashing horses over the years like
Solwhit, Peddlers Cross and Rock On Ruby.
The first thing I can confirm is that Hurricane Fly travelled really well to Cheltenham and has settled in fine. His work over the last few weeks has been especially good, and much better than it was prior to the Irish Champion Hurdle.
Paul Townend rides him in all his work and both Paul and Willie Mullins are very happy with the horse. When they’re happy, I’m
happy.
Time and again, Hurricane Fly has answered every call. His record speaks for itself. The more I think about it, the more I’m inclined to the view that the notion he never runs his best at Cheltenham is waffle.
Arguably, his best performance ever was when winning his first Champion Hurdle. I know this is a top-class renewal, but they all have to improve at least a little to beat us.
Captain Cee Bee was supplemented into the contest and that, in theory, should make it more straightforward.
Presumably he will make the running, but you can’t be sure what’s going to happen, and I’ll be prepared for whatever tactics are adopted.
The New One was impressive
winning the Neptune last year.
Our Conor will have improved for chasing home Hurricane Fly at Leopardstown and if this is not his time, he may well be the horse to beat next year. He’s bound to
continue improving with age and trainer Dessie Hughes is a shrewd operator.
My Tent Or Yours beat The New One at Kempton, while Jezki shapes like a stayer to my eyes and shouldn’t beat My Tent Or Yours, on their running behind Champagne Fever here last year.
I’m hopeful of getting off to the perfect start on Vautour in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
I’ve remained loyal to him
because he reminds one of the three horses that scored for me in the past, Noland, Al Ferof and Champagne Fever.
There were faster horses than mine in all of those races, but when push came to shove, none of them were good enough.
Vautour is certainly not the fastest in this field and is a chaser for the future. But what I do know about him is that he will knuckle down when the need is greatest. Willie’s Wicklow Brave and Paul Nicholls’ Irving are definitely faster than Vautour, but the question is can they get past me?
Don’t underestimate Willie’s third runner, Valseur Lido, who is the forgotten horse. I think Willie will win this and I just pray I’m on the right one.
I’m aware Champagne Fever has to leave a disappointing enough
effort at Leopardstown behind, in the Arkle, but am reasonably
confident that he will. He has had only two outings over fences, not ideal, but has been around Punchestown twice and once around Leopardstown.
Champagne doesn’t need to make the running, but if something wants to go faster than him today, then they will be travelling at a fair lick. He is not a fast horse, but possesses a high cruising speed and is more than capable of going hard for a very long time.
Trifolium has to be on the short list. His form is very solid and this horse is a brilliant jumper.
I have the utmost respect for Rock On Ruby. I thought he jumped well at Doncaster and is a former
winner of the Champion Hurdle.
My opening day ends aboard the delightful Quevega in the Mares’ Hurdle. She is a credit to Willie and to the lads in the yard who look after her. Mares, by their very nature, are more temperamental than geldings and to bring her to the Festival in an effort to create history by winning this race for a record sixth time is nothing short of extraordinary.
Quevega is in great shape and fitter than last year. Plenty went wrong for her in the race a year ago and she was still able to deliver. I don’t ask to be lucky this time, or for everything to fall into place through the contest. All I want is average luck and I have no doubt Quevega will do the rest.
After she has won, hopefully, I will then have to suffer the torment of watching my dad’s Foxrock, who will be ridden by my sister, Katie, in the four-mile National Hunt Chase.
The truth, of course, is that I will only see about half of the race, I probably won’t be able to watch any more than that.
I’ll be chewing the fingers off myself and desperate for everything to go right for both of them.
I just want Foxrock to have as trouble-free a run as possible and to arrive with his chance off the home turn. That’s all you can ask at this meeting, anything else is a bonus.
I’d imagine if Ken Whelan is at the meeting, he will stay away from me while the race is on. When Katie won this before on Poker De Sivola, Ken was almost tempted to sue me for assault, so many times did I hit him across the back.
