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5 Irish horses at big prices for the Cheltenham Festival

irishracing.com news

irishracing.com news

13 12 24 Cork Relieved Of Duties and Jordan Gainford win a Maiden Hurdle 13 12 24 Cork Relieved Of Duties and Jordan Gainford win a Maiden Hurdle
© Photo Healy Racing

The Cheltenham Festival is the centrepiece in the National Hunt season, with four special days in March framing the calendar for the best jumpers in the lands.

In recent times, Irish domination has become one of the themes of The Festival at Cheltenham. The raiding party had 18 winners in 2024, compared to nine for British-based runners.

Since 2016, Ireland has enjoyed more Festival winners than Britain in eight of the nine years,with one tie. Here, we're looking at five Irish contenders that could be under the radar going to the Cotswolds.

Mistergif

Willie Mullins has the sheer strength and depth in almost every division to ensure some of his contenders fly well beneath the radar and perhaps Mistergif could be an outsider of note for the Arkle on day one, with odds of 33/1 being quoted.

Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Suede, the French import was pitched into the Supreme Novices' Hurdle off the back of a wide-margin Limerick maiden success last season, finishing fifth in the Cheltenham curtain-raiser.

He ran well in two further outings over timber and has made a successful chasing debut at Fairyhouse (2m1f, soft) in January, defeating his better fancied stablemates Tullyhill and Asian Master.

He's completely unexposed and connections demonstrated last March they won't be afraid to have a go at a big prize despite a lack of experience.

Relieved Of Duties

Gordon Elliott is another Irish handler with strength in numbers ensuring some of his contingent will go unchecked for a time. Relieved Of Duties runs in Robcour silks and bagged a Cork maiden hurdle (2m, yielding) in December by a wide margin.

He went to the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown (2m1f, soft) in January and finished third, beaten three lengths by Salvator Mundi, the Mullins-trained favourite for the Supreme.

Relieved Of Duties was right in the mix going between the final two flights but the winner had a turn of foot he simply couldn't match.

This 3m point winner likely won't be long in going up in trip and the 2m5f Turners Novices' Hurdle - for which he's priced at 50/1 - could be an optimal challenge.

Envoi Allen

Quotes of 25/1 about Envoi Allen in the Ryanair Chase may be underestimating Henry de Bromhead's runner, winner of the race in 2023 and second last time behind Protektorat.

He's 11 years young now, of course, but began the season by winning the Grade 1 Champion Chase over three miles at Down Royal for a second time.

He unseated in the King George when possibly starting to toil but Kempton probably isn't his track. He just about saw out three miles in that Down Royal race but the intermediate trip at Cheltenham is optimal for this strong traveller.

He's a three-time Festival winner, as well as being second in this race and third in a Champion Chase and he could have one more big run in the Cotswolds in him.

Wingmen

After winning his maiden at Navan (2m4f, good to yielding) in November, the Bective Stud-owned Wingmen has run well in defeat at Cheltenham (2m1f, good to soft) and Naas (2m4f, soft), latterly when third behind Gordon Elliott-trained stablemate The Yellow Clay in the Grade 1 Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle.

He is a three-mile winning pointer and the way in which he was beaten by Country Mile at Cheltenham in December and then The Yellow Clay since suggests he'll need a severe stamina test to be at his best.

The Albert Bartlett will provide that and is one of the two Grade 1 novice events he's entered in. Odds of 25/1 could tumble significantly before race day.

Monty's Star

At the other end of the spectrum for de Bromhead is Monty's Star, an outsider with some potential in the Gold Cup.

He hasn't got a lot of miles on the clock and has run well in second behind the likes of Fact To File, Spillane's Tower and Embassy Gardens since winning his beginners' chase at Punchestown on New Year's Eve in 2023.

An out-and-out stamina test is what the strapping son of Walk In The Park needs.

He was second in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at Cheltenham last season and the extra distance in the Gold Cup could suit him well for connections that won the race previously with Minella Indo.

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