Punchestown Mystical Power and Mark Walsh win the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle© Photo Healy Racing
It’s just under four weeks to go to the Cheltenham festival so here’s a look at JP McManus’ top 5 contenders for the Cheltenham festival. Last year he secured a 73rd Festival success as an owner but this year’s team looks stronger than ever.
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Fact To File
Taking the ‘Florida Pearl route’ of bumpers to fences was never going to be easy but it just pointed toward the regard this seven-year-old is held in by connections. At the start of the season Willie Mullins mentioned him as the horse he was most looking forward to running, and after his demolition of Gaelic Warrior at the DRF, you can see why. JP’s charge has gone from strength to strength since making chasing debut in November and looks like the one they all have to fear, whether that is in the Turners or Brown Advisory Novice Chase. Recent quotes seem to suggest that the Brown Advisory is favoured at the moment for this emerging star.
Jonbon
It’s never easy to step out of your big brother's shadow, and when Jonbon was purchased for £570,000 he had big boots to fill, but JP’s money has been proven to be well spent as Jonbon is surely now a star in his own right. The five-time Grade 1 winner has his quirks, but as his 170 rating suggests, is brilliant on his day. Defeat last time in the Clarence House doesn’t seem the ideal prep for a rematch with his old rival El Fabiolo, but he still makes up half of a fascinating Champion Chase picture. Stepping up in trip has been mentioned in the past but there’s only one Champion Chase and it’s a race his trainer specialises in.
Mystical Power
It doesn’t seem too long ago that Annie Power was storming up the Cheltenham hill, and now, her son by the great Galileo is at the very top of the novice hurdle scene. When starting out his career in a Ballinrobe bumper last May, the prospects of a Cheltenham Novice Hurdle bid seemed unlikely, but like his mother, he has improved from run-to-run. As always the targets for the Mullins novices are ambiguous at this stage but last year’s Moscow Flyer winner did head to the Baring Bingham Novice Hurdle, and with JP having other hand’s to play in the Supreme maybe that’s the route they will take.
Jeriko Du Reponet
Whispers began early in the season with apparent strong vibes coming from Seven Barrows about this point-to-point winner before his stable debut in December. Like Mystical Power, the Henderson trained five-year-old is three from three on the track while at times looking quite green still. His last run was less convincing, but it still feels as if he hasn’t quite shown his best yet in public. I would have said he looks a more likely candidate for a Baring Bingham Novice Hurdle, but he has only been entered in the Supreme, and it would be hard to question that judgement from Nicky Henderson who has won the race with some modern greats.
Dinoblue
In the short existence of the Mares Chase, the green and gold have always held a strong hand, and this year looks no different with leading fancy Dinoblue. An extremely likeable mare, she has never been out of the first two since switching to fences. Second in last year's Grand Annual, we know that she acts at the track and seems to have found more improvement again this season. The trip is a slight unknown, after being campaigned mostly at the minimum distance, but still she looks a worthy short priced favourite for The Festival.
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