Hubrisko and Paul Townend© Photo Healy Racing
The three-day November meeting gets underway at Cheltenham this afternoon and there is plenty of Irish interest with 20 runners from 16 different yards on the six-race card beginning at 1.10pm.
The opening Markel Insurance Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle and concluding Valda Energy Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (at 4pm) contain the vast majority of the Irish-trained runners with seven and eight respectively.
The betting suggests Gordon Elliott’s Enki Flacke, successful three times at Perth earlier this year, holds the best chance of the Irish septet in the first race while the Tom Mullins-trained Hey Johnny has attracted support in the finale.
The five-year-old gelding won recently at Clonmel and Mullins’ son Charlie is again in the saddle for this 20-runner affair.
Willie Mullins just sends over Hubrisko for the featured Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and the Galway maiden hurdle winner looks set to go off favourite for this Grade 2 with Paul Townend aboard.
