There are a trio of Grade One races up for grabs at Cheltenham on Thursday, but it is a three-way clash for the Grade Two Ryanair Mares’ Novice Hurdle that’s perhaps the most intriguing prospect.
It is the ninth renewal race that began as something of a Willie Mullins benefit and has had persistent flak circling it as being some superfluous exercise in fleshing out the festival programme.
Cold reputational rehabilitation rarely comes as comprehensive as this, though.
The trio of Brighterdayshead, Jade de Grugy, and Dysart Enos are unbeaten and boast supreme confidence from each set of connections that they’ll still be so come 5.0 on Thursday. Just to add a little more mixture to the pot, some believe Golden Ace might surprise the lot of them.
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At a festival plagued by competition fears, it makes for a race to relish, maybe particularly so for the Brighterdaysahead team.
Gordon Elliott has learned over the years to temper some of his enthusiasm for horses, finding out the hard way how it can be a hostage to fortune. But he doesn’t bother to do so about Brighterdaysahead. The sky really does look to be the limit with a beautifully bred five-year-old who hasn’t been threatened in five starts to date.
[ Teahupoo team hope it will be successful ‘Take Two’ in Stayers HurdleOpens in new window ]
There’s no shortage of confidence either behind Mullins’s Jade de Grugy after winning both her starts for the champion trainer, who won the first five renewals of this race.
It has been lighter pickings since, with the home team on top for the last two years. This time, both Irish stars must concede 5lbs to the main cross-channel hope Dysart Enos, who statistically trumps the lot with a pristine six from six racecourse record.
Fergal O’Brien’s hope can boast course and distance form into the bargain and might prove the quickest of the lot if it comes down to a final burst. That might have been the case around the “Old” course. But Cheltenham’s “New” track in use for the final two days is more of a stamina test.
Both Brighterdaysahead and Jade de Grugy have won over 2½ miles and if it comes down to a head-to-head between them, marginal preference is for the Elliott runner.
In comparison, the Grade One Ryanair Chase’s intermediate status has rarely looked more halfway than it does this time.
Last year’s winner Envoi Allen is back to add lustre to a contest that represents an almighty puzzle from a punting perspective, with sizeable question marks over most of the field.
The biggest one of all might revolve around the ground for Banbridge. Normal spring conditions would have encouraged widespread confidence about Joseph O’Brien’s star presenting the sort of upwardly mobile profile ideal for Thursday’s most valuable contest.
An unsettled weather outlook suggests the going will be softer than ideal for Banbridge. However, the same applied to the stable’s Lark In The Mornin on Tuesday and pluck got its reward there.
Capodanno mightn’t be as obviously progressive as Banbridge but may still have his best in front of him judged by a victory here in January. The temptation to supplement him for the Gold Cup was resisted and on soft ground Capodanno is a potential solution.
Paul Townend needs only the opening Turners Novice Chase to complete his set of Cheltenham Grade Ones. The champion jockey endured a memorable spill at the last two years ago on Galopin Des Champs and tries again now on Facile Vega.
The horse that looked to have the racing world at his feet when successful in the 2022 Champion Bumper on a bog has mostly cut an enigmatic figure since, high class but hardly the superstar Mullins anticipated he would be.
A switch to fences began in style at Navan but Facile Vega flopped at Christmas and again didn’t convince with his jumping at last month’s Dublin Racing Festival.
It is very far from his illustrious dam Quevega in terms of consistency, although the Mullins team appear convinced an exceptional engine is still in there. Perhaps a step up in trip to 2½ miles for the first time will work the oracle.
Day Three looks like being pivotal to Elliott’s festival with plenty of leading chances besides Brighterdaysahead and the Stayers’ favourite Teahupoo.
Topweight Farouk d’Alene is no back number for the Pertemps with Rob James taking 7lbs off his back, although it is stable companion Cleatus Poolaw that could emerge best off more than a stone less.
Elliott has three in the concluding Kim Muir and the more testing the ground the better for Where it All Began, who ultimately bolted up in Punchestown’s Grand National Trial last time.
Brian O’Connor’s Cheltenham tips – Day 3
1.30: Facile Vega; 2.10: Cleatus Poolaw; 2.50: Capodanno; 3.30: Home By The Lee; 4.10: In Excelsis Deo; 4.50: Brighterdaysahead (Nap); 5.30: Where It All Began
Nap and Double: Brighterdaysahead & Cleatus Poolaw
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