4 Irish outsiders to consider for 2019 Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is fast approaching and smart punters seeking ante post value are starting to get bets on for the four-day meeting at Prestbury Park which begins on Tuesday 12th March.

We know the irish trained runners have been cleaning up at the Festival in recent years so let’s take a close look at some of the less touted contenders from the Emerald Isle

Annamix [Supreme Novices’ Hurdle]

Willie Mullins and Rich Ricci team up with the lightly-raced Martaline gelding Annamix. Although the six-year-old grey disappointed on his long-awaited debut for connections in a Limerick maiden hurdle over Christmas, he is a horse that has been regularly talked up.

After 830 days off the track following his sole start in a three-year-old hurdle in France, Annamix is entitled to come on for the run when giving 5lb to the Jessica Harrington trained Press Conference. He was only beaten 2 3/4 lengths and, if stripping fitter for his next outing, looks too big at current Cheltenham betting odds of 20/1 with 888sport for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Hardline [Arkle or JLT Novices’ Chase]

Gordon Elliott and major backers Gigginstown House Stud will send a large team to the Festival but, while the likes of Samcro and Blow By Blow have been disappointing, Hardline has really come into his own since tackling fences. The seven-year-old son of Arcadio is three out of four over the larger obstacles (four out of five if you include his point-to-point victory as a four-year-old) and has demonstrated progressive form.

Hardline reversed previous hurdles form with Willie Mullins’ highly-regarded Getabird in a Grade 1 at Limerick over the Christmas festive period, yet bookmakers may be underestimating the guts and determination he showed to tough it out and prevail by half-a-length. Whether he remains at an intermediate trip and tackles the JLT at Cheltenham, or drops down in distance for the Arkle, odds of 20/1 are big each-way value on this horse. He has entries for all four Novice Chases at Cheltenham so it may pay to wait until his plans are firmed up and/or non-runner no bet is enacted by the bookmakers.

Espoir D’Allen [Champion Hurdle]

No piece on Irish jumps racing would be complete without mentioning leading owner and legendary gambler JP McManus. His green and gold hooped silks are synonymous with Champion Hurdle success thanks to Istabraq, Binocular and now Buveur D’Air. Another French bred that has done him proud is the five-year-old Gavin Cromwell inmate Espoir D’Allen and the youngster could be an intriguing second string for the owner this year.

This son of Voix Du Nord is seven wins from eight hurdles starts for connections following his recent Grade 3 success in the Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas.

He has all the makings of Cromwell’s next stable star with Welsh Grand National hero Raz De Maree now in the twilight of his career. In a 2m hurdling division that lacks strength-in-depth, odds of 25/1 for Espoir D’Allen are big each-way value if connections do take aim at the Champion Hurdle.

Easy Game [Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle]

Barastraight gelding Easy Game has really come on for being beaten 10 lengths on his first start in graded company by his Mullins stablemate Quick Grabim. The five-year-old has since scored twice at Navan, landing Grade 3 and Grade 2 contests over two-and-a-half miles at that left-handed, undulating and galloping track.

Whether those similarities stand Easy Game in good stead for tackling Cheltenham remain to be seen, but he is already attracting some support for the Ballymore which takes place on the second day of Cheltenham. If he does run over an intermediate trip there, then an ante post quote of 20/1 will look very big come the day.