The Shunter (Jordan Gainford) winning at Cheltenham© Photo Healy Racing
The Shunter provided Emmet Mullins with a first Cheltenham Festival winner last March in the Paddy Power Plate and the progressive gelding holds a choice of entries at this year’s meeting.
The nine-year-old son of Stowaway, who collected a £100,000 bonus at Cheltenham last year having also landed the Morebattle Hurdle in the lead up at Kelso, holds entries in the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle and over fences in the Ultima and the Plate.
“He has a number of options and we’ll decide closer to the time,” said Mullins.
Noble Yeats has been bought recently by Robert Waley-Cohen with the Randox Grand National in mind and will be partnered by his son Sam in the Ultima Handicap Chase.
“It will be great for Sam to get a spin on him in the Ultima before the Grand National. Hopefully all roads will lead to the National after the Ultima,” said Mullins before adding, “It’s exciting to have a runner in the National and hopefully we can get him there in one piece.”
Another interesting contender for Mullins at Cheltenham is Winter Fog in the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle.
The lightly-raced eight-year-old was well backed on his first run for the yard in a 27-runner qualifier at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting when beating all bar Panda Boy.
“Winter Fog will go for the Pertemps. He had a nice run in Leopardstown at Christmas and hopefully he can build on it.”
Peter Fahey also tasted Cheltenham Festival success last year with Belfast Banter in the McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle, and the Monasterevin trainer is hopeful of adding to his tally this year with Royal Kahala.
The daughter of Flemensfirth was found to be lame when a disappointing favourite in the Parnell Properties Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle last March but has progressed really well this season winning a Grade 3 mares race at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting and following up in the Grade 2 John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park.
She holds entries in both the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle and the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and a decision will be left as late as possible.
“We’re going to sit on the fence a little bit longer and see what the ground is like,” said Fahey.
“If it’s soft we’ll strongly consider the Mares’ Hurdle and if not it will probably be the Stayers.
“She needs a trip and the softer the ground is it gives us a better chance over a shorter trip. She wouldn’t be the quickest in the world.”
Fahey has a number of entries in handicap hurdles but is bitterly disappointed with the mark given to Visionarian in the County Hurdle as he explained on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast.
“I thought he had a lovely profile for the County Hurdle but he got 8lb (more than his Irish rating) which is leaving us scratching our heads. I was shocked at his mark.
Freedom To Dream is entered in both the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle with the former the more likely if getting a run.
“Our plan is the Martin Pipe at the moment but he’s down the list a good bit and not sure to get in.”
Born Patriot, runner-up to Kansas City Chief in a Pertemps qualifier at Cheltenham back in October, looks sure to get into the Final of that series and Fahey is happy to put a line through his last trip to Sandown.
“Born Patriot had a nice run in the qualifier and looks like he will sneak in as one of the bottom horses (in the weights).
“The ground was plenty soft enough for him on his last run at Sandown. He definitely handles Cheltenham and is at the right end of the handicap. He should have a good chance if everything went right.
A dry lead up to Cheltenham would also boost the chance of Esperti in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
“He’s a horse that wants nice ground and if it happened to dry out he could take his chance. He’s very good on his day.
“You can rule out his last run as they hacked around and it turned into a pure sprint which didn’t suit us.
“He was very good the day he won in Listowel.”
