Cheltenham Festival horses from Ireland's big three (Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Henry de Bromhead) who might be under the radar

In the last 10 years, Willie Mullins has been crowned Leading Trainer at the Cheltenham Festival eight times, and Gordon Elliott has been crowned Leading Trainer twice. No other trainer has won the award in the last decade.

Last year, Willie Mullins had a record 10 winners at the Festival, which took his total to 88, more than any other trainer ever. Gordon Elliott’s brace last year took his Cheltenham Festival tally to 34, and into joint fifth place with his old mentor Martin Pipe in the all-time list, and counting.

Henry de Bromhead won six races at the 2021 Festival, including the Champion Hurdle, the Champion Chase and the Gold Cup. No other trainer had ever won all three championship races in the same year, and he had the 1-2 in the Gold Cup for good measure. Last year, Henry de Bromhead won the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup again, and once more he had the 1-2 in the Gold Cup.

The degree to which these three trainers have dominated the Cheltenham Festival in recent years is unprecedented. All three inevitably have strong teams for the 2023 Festival, obvious chances, but here are three horses, one from each trainer, who might be a little under the radar.

Gentleman De Mee (Willie Mullins)

Energumene is obviously the Willie Mullins number one for the Champion Chase, the reigning Champion Chaser, but Gentleman De Mee beat a better-fancied stable companion in Blue Lord in the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown last time, and he could be a big player in the Champion Chase.

He was well beaten in each of his first three runs this season, but it appears that he is a much better horse in the spring, and on spring ground. Well beaten in each of his first two runs last season, both before Christmas, he won his beginners’ chase at Thurles last February by 34 lengths, and he won the Grade 3 Flyingbolt Chase at Navan next time by 16. Then he went to Aintree last April and he beat the Arkle winner Edwardstone in the Grade 1 Maghull Chase.

He is a freegoing individual, he made pretty much all the running in each of those three wins last spring, and we know that Editeur Du Gite likes to get on with things too. But JP McManus’ horse didn’t seem to mind taking a lead form Dunvegan until the fifth fence in the Dublin Chase last time. It may be that he is at his best on a flat track, but it may be that he is simply at his best in the spring, and, well beaten in Galopin Des Champs’ Martin Pipe Hurdle in 2021, when he was keener than ideal early on, the unknown about his ability to operate at Cheltenham is more than factored into his odds.

Magic Daze (Henry de Bromhead)

Magic Daze did really well to finish second behind her stable companion Telmesomethinggirl in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival. She went fast through the early stages of that race, as she usually does, she led from early, and the hold-up horses came to the fore. She had no answer to her stable companion’s finishing surge, but she kept on well up the hill to finish a clear second, in a race in which five of the other six mares who, with her, filled the first six places all raced in mid-division or worse early on.

A dual winner over fences last season, the Robcour mare probably put up the best performance of her career last month when she won the Listed Opera Hat Chase at Naas. Again, she led from early, she jumped well and she kept on strongly to come almost four lengths clear of a talented mare in Dinoblue, with last year’s Mares’ Chase winner Elimay well behind her in fourth place.

She still has the Grand Annual option but, if she does contest the Mares’ Chase, the step up to two and a half miles will be a step into the unknown. That said, for a free-going mare, she does see out her races well over two miles. She was coming away from Dinoblue again up the hill at Naas last time.

Also, she won her only point-to-point over three miles for Colin Bowe, and, from the family of Gold Cup and dual King George winner Kicking King, there is every chance that she will get the trip all right.

Conflated (Gordon Elliott)

This year’s Gold Cup is shaping up to be an intriguing contest, but Conflated could be the most under-rated horse in it.

The Gigginstown House horse sprang a surprise when he won the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last season, and he was very good again in winning the Savills Chase back at Leopardstown last month.

It appeared that he won with plenty in hand that day. He could have been called as the most likely winner from a long way out, he came clear of his rivals around the home turn and he just kept on over the last and up the run-in to win well.

He hasn’t run since then, but that was always Gordon Elliott’s plan for him. Go there fresh. He is proven at Cheltenham too. He ran a big race in the Ryanair Chase last year, he probably would have finished second to Allaho had he not come down at the second last fence. That was obviously over two miles and four and a half furlongs, a distance that is almost certainly short of his best. He should be happier over the Gold Cup trip this year.

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