Not since 1966 when Arkle won the Gold Cup at odds of 1/10 has there been greater Irish confidence in a racehorse than there is in Istabraq for today's Smurfit Champion Hurdle. The only bigger certainty is that thousands of Irish punters will need to be resuscitated on the very first day of the Cheltenham National Hunt festival if Istabraq is beaten.
The J.P. McManus-owned horse is forecast to start off a redhot 1/2 favourite against 13 opponents for the £240,000 big race. That could ignite a possible record-breaking Cheltenham for the hordes of Irish who make the three-day Cheltenham festival their annual pilgrimage.
A total of seven winners for 1966 and 1977 is the best the Irish have had at Cheltenham but Paddy Power bookmakers are offering just 10/1 on there being eight Irish winners this year and only 25/1 on the total hitting a remarkable 10. In contrast, it is 66/1 on the Irish returning home emptyhanded.
If the good times are to flow, then Istabraq will be expected to win the Champion Hurdle with as much authority as he did last year, when he won by 12 lengths with his rider Charlie Swan saluting the huge crowd in the stands.
However his trainer, Aidan O'Brien, was taking nothing for granted yesterday.
"There is no such thing as a certainty. Every horse can be beaten and will be beaten eventually. Up to now Istabraq has looked brilliant but this race will be the acid test," O'Brien, who is based at Cashel, Co Tipperary, said. Istabraq, however, has been beaten just twice in his career and is unbeaten this season.
More than 50,000 people will attend the first day of Cheltenham with a huge television audience helping to generate millions of pounds in betting turnover.
Istabraq's odds may be too short for him to become the ubiquitous housewives' choice but renowned gambler and businessman J.P. McManus also supplies the two favourites in the opening race, Joe Mac and Cardinal Hill. Joe Mac is named after the former Limerick hurler and great friend of McManus, Joe MacKenna.
Another popular Irish fancy in the second race, the Guinness Arkle Trophy, will be His Song who races in the colours of David Lloyd, the captain of England's Davis Cup tennis team. Istabraq, however, looks set to make it game, set and match for the Irish on the opening day.
