1.30pm - Grade 1 Turners Novices Chase
Trainer Record (Last 20 years)
- Willie Mullins - 27 runners, 4 winners and 4 places
- Gordon Elliott - 4 runners, 2 winners and 1 place
- Nicky Henderson - 14 runners, 1 winner and 4 places
- Paul Nicholls - 12 runners with 1 winner
- Philip Hobbs - 5 runners, 1 winner and 1 place
Jockey Record (Last 20 years)
- Nico De Boinville - 4 rides, 1 winner and 1 place
- Harry Cobden - 3 rides with 1 winner
- Jack Kennedy - 3 rides, 1 winner and 1 place
- Rachael Blackmore - 2 rides with 1 winner
- Daryl Jacob - 8 rides with 4 places
Last 10 winners of the Turners Novices Chase
- Taquin Du Seil - Jonjo O'Neill & AP McCoy (2014)
- Vautour - Willie Mullins & Ruby Walsh (2015)
- Black Hercules - Willie Mullins & Ruby Walsh (2016)
- Yorkhill - Willie Mullins & Ruby Walsh (2017)
- Shattered Love - Gordon Elliott & Jack Kennedy (2018)
- Defi Du Seuil - Philip Hobbs & Barry Geraghty (2019)
- Samcro - Gordon Elliott & Davy Russell (2020)
- Chantry House - Nicky Henderson & Nico De Boinville (2021)
- Bob Olinger - Henry De Bromhead & Rachael Blackmore (2022)
- Stage Star - Paul Nicholls & Harry Cobden (2023)
Britain vs Ireland
- Ireland - 9 winners and 8 places from 49 runners
- Britain - 4 winners and 15 places from 72 runners
Ante-post Turners Novices Chase selection:
This race does appear to lack its usual depth this season, and the fact that we have a pretty short-priced favourite already probably sums up the middle-distance novice chasers at the moment.
I have taken a look slightly further down the field, but I just can't see anything worth backing at a price, and that is down to either them not being good enough, or it is still up in the air as to whether they will actually go for this race or the Arkle/Brown Advisory.
Therefore my selection at this stage must remain Gaelic Warrior for Willie Mullins, who has looked the perfect chaser in just his two career runs over fences so far, winning both of his chase starts by a combined 21 lengths.
That includes a very good effort in the Grade 1 Faugheen Novices Chase at Limerick last time, where he beat stablemate Il Etait Temps by a little over 5 lengths. He put in an absolutely superb jumping display that day, making all to win eased down heading towards the line.
The form of that race in the long run could be a little questionable, but he won the race with absolute ease and has really stamped his authority on the middle-distance chases, and he is so versatile that he could probably step down to 2 miles or even step up to 3 miles if needed.
Looking at this field I think he could be one of the certainties for the Festival (if there can be such a thing!), and if he were to line up and win at the Dublin Racing Festival in over a week's time, he will most certainly go off at an even shorter price for this contest come March.
- Selection - Gaelic Warrior (11/8 Generally)
2.50pm - Grade 1 Ryanair Chase
Trainer Record (Last 20 years)
- Willie Mullins - 25 runners, 5 winners and 5 places
- Paul Nicholls - 20 runners, 3 winners and 3 places
- Nicky Henderson - 20 runners, 2 winners and 4 places
- Henry De Bromhead - 10 runners, 2 winners and 2 places
- Jonjo O'Neill - 7 runners, 2 winners and 1 place
Jockey Record (Last 20 years)
- Paul Townend - 8 rides, 2 winners and 1 place
- Rachael Blackmore - 4 rides, 2 winners and 1 place
- Paddy Brennan - 3 rides with 1 winner
- Bryony Frost - 2 rides with 1 winner
- Mark Walsh - 5 rides with 2 places
Last 10 winners of the Ryanair Chase
- Dynaste - David Pipe & Tom Scudamore (2014)
- Uxizandre - Alan King & AP McCoy (2015)
- Vautour - Willie Mullins & Ruby Walsh (2016)
- Un De Sceaux - Willie Mullins & Ruby Walsh (2017)
- Balko Des Flos - Henry De Bromhead & Davy Russell (2018)
- Frodon - Paul Nicholls & Bryony Frost (2019)
- Min - Willie Mullins & Paul Townend (2020)
- Allaho - Willie Mullins & Rachael Blackmore (2021)
- Allaho - Willie Mullins & Rachael Blackmore (2022)
- Envoi Allen - Henry De Bromhead & Rachael Blackmore (2023)
Britain vs Ireland
- Britain - 12 winners and 18 places from 120 runners
- Ireland - 7 winners and 17 places from 72 runners
Ante-post selection for the Ryanair Chase:
Like most of the contests at the Festival, Willie Mullins does have a very good recent record in this race, and he has Allaho who looks to bid to make it a record-breaking three wins in the Ryanair, and although he will no doubt go off the market leader, he does look a shade vulnerable this season.
Saying that, he has still had a very productive season, winning twice and coming third in the King George, so he might just be the best horse in the race. However at the slightly skinny price at this stage, and still to really prove he holds the 170+ rated ability, I am looking at one at a decent enough price.
Paul Nicholls has had an on-and-off record at Prestbury Park in recent years, but his Festival winner Stage Star was an impressive winner of the Turners Novices Chase over 2m4f last season, really improving with each passing run.
The one slightly concern with Stage Star is that he is prone to putting in the odd poor effort, like when he came last of five in the Manifesto Novices Chase at Aintree for his last run of last season after his Turner Chase win had installed him as the short priced favourite.
He made it the perfect winning start to this season, however, when carrying loads of weight around Cheltenham, and surviving a last-fence scare to win going away, doing superbly well given the last fence circumstances. He did disappoint last time when running at Cheltenham, but he had to carry a boat load of weight around Cheltenham in very, very testing ground.
Nicholls did state beforehand that the ground might be the only reason to stop him winning then, and it turns out he was right. He was pulled up in the end and was reported to be a little stiff post-race, but Nicholls has stated he will now go straight to the Ryanair come March.
Given his absolutely brilliant record at Cheltenham of 3 wins in 5 runs at the track, and now factoring in that he will carry level weights with the rest of the runners, I think he will do very well in the Ryanair as he will be trained perfectly for the contest.
He goes well fresh, and had a little break before winning the Turners last season, so at the prices he is the one I am siding with, and hoping this little break away from the track will set him up perfectly for March.
- Selection - Stage Star (7/1 Generally)
3.30pm - Grade 1 Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle
Trainer Record (Last 20 years)
- Paul Nicholls - 18 runners, 4 winners and 3 places
- Willie Mullins - 34 runners, 2 winners and 5 places
- Jonjo O'Neill - 11 runners and 2 winners
- Gavin Cromwell - 3 runners with 2 winners
- Alan King - 15 runners, 1 winner and 4 places
Jockey Record (Last 20 years)
- Danny Mullins - 4 rides with 2 winners
- Paul Townend - 13 rides, 1 winner and 1 place
- Aidan Coleman - 6 rides, 1 winner and 3 places
- Paddy Brennan - 5 rides with 1 winner
- Gavin Sheehan - 4 rides with 1 winner
Last 10 winners of the Stayers Hurdle
- More Of That - Jonjo O'Neill & Barry Geraghty (2014)
- Cole Harden - Warren Greatrex & Gavin Sheehan (2015)
- Thistlecrack - Collin Tizzard & Tom Scudamore (2016)
- Nichols Canyon - Willie Mullins & Ruby Walsh (2017)
- Penhill - Willie Mullins & Paul Townend (2018)
- Paisley Park - Emma Lavelle & Aidan Coleman (2019)
- Lisnagar Oscar - Rebecca Curtis & Adam Wedge (2020)
- Flooring Porter - Gavin Cromwell & Danny Mullins (2021)
- Flooring Porter - Gavin Cromwell & Danny Mullins (2022)
- Sire Du Berlais - Gordon Elliott & Mark Walsh (2023)
Britain vs Ireland
- Britain - 14 winners and 22 places from 172 runners
- Ireland - 6 winners and 15 places from 89 runners
Ante-post selection for the Stayers Hurdle:
This does have the potential to be a very good race all being well and most of the entered runners turn up. Gordon Elliott carried a strong hand at the head of the market with Irish Point and Teahupoo, and both should give the yard very good chances of landing back-to-back Stayers Hurdles.
However, I just can't desert the old boy Paisley Park, who, although yet to win this season, has run two absolutely cracking races to come runner-up, still looking like he has that fire in his belly. The winner of this race back in the Golden Hour in 2019, he has run in every Stayers Hurdle since, coming 3rd on two separate occasions.
I did have my reservations about him this season, thinking he might not still retain his ability, and although he isn't as good as he was when winning this race back in 2019, he is still mixing it up at Grade 1 level currently, which just goes to show these trainers know a lot more about their horses than us fans.
His last run in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot was just a real joy to watch, as he ran a phenomenal race to come 2nd in the end, only beaten by a short head by Crambo , who is the new potential star stayer in the making for the UK, and it was almost a passing of the torch from the old guard to the new.
However Paisley didn't want to hand that torch over easily, and given that he was practically double the age of Crambo, he did look the most likely to get his head in front that day when he edged ahead as they closed to the line, only to be narrowly outbattled by the younger legs in what was an absolutely brilliant race to watch.
I don't know what Emma Lavelle has been doing with him at home, but in his two runs this season he hasn't hit that customary flat spot that we associate Paisley Park to have during his races, which is another example of why he might still have plenty of fire left in the belly to go once again and try to win another Stayers Hurdle, 5 years after his first.
When you put that into perspective that really would be a phenomenal feat if he were to accomplish it at the ripe old age of 12. The fact he was only beaten a head and a short head this season shows he retains a very good level of ability, and should he line up and win the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham this weekend (and let's be honest, every racing fan will most likely be cheering him on) it would be great for the stayers’ hurdle division.
This selection might be a little heart-over-head pick, but he has shown the ability is still there, and what a story it would be should he run well or even win the Stayers’ Hurdle once again, five years on.
- Selection - Paisley Park (20/1 Generally)
4.50pm - Grade 2 Ryanair Mares Novices Hurdle
Trainer Record (Last 20 years)
- Willie Mullins - 31 runners, 5 winners and 3 places
- Henry De Bromhead - 12 runners, 1 winner and 2 places
- Harry Fry - 2 runners with 1 winner
- Jamie Snowden - 1 runner with 1 winner
- Nicky Henderson - 14 runners with 2 places
Jockey Record (Last 20 years)
- Paul Townend - 7 rides, 1 winner and 1 place
- Rachael Blackmore - 6 rides with 1 winner
- Gavin Sheehan - 4 rides with 1 winner
- Jonathan Burke - 2 rides with 1 winner
- Daryl Jacob - 2 rides with 1 winner
Last 8 winners of the Mares Novices Hurdle
- Limini - Willie Mullins & Ruby Walsh (2016)
- Lets Dance - Willie Mullins & Ruby Walsh (2017)
- Laurina - Willie Mullins & Paul Townend (2018)
- Eglantine Du Seuil - Willie Mullins & Noel Fehily (2019)
- Concertista - Willie Mullins & Daryl Jacob (2020)
- Telmesomethinggirl - Henry De Bromhead & Rachael Blackmore (2021)
- Love Envoi - Harry Fry & Jonathan Burke (2022)
- You Wear It Well - Jamie Snowden & Gavin Sheehan (2023)
Britain vs Ireland
- Ireland - 6 winners and 10 places from 79 runners
- Britain - 2 winners and 6 places from 63 runners
Ante-post selection for the Mares’ Novices Hurdle:
When this race was first introduced back in 2016, it was dominated for years by Willie Mullins, and he usually targets a very nice mare for this contest, and although he has a few entries here, it is the Gordon Elliott-trained Brighterdaysahead who currently leads the market.
However one very good trend over recent renewals is the last two races have been won by novices trained in the UK, and I firmly feel we will make it three in a row here with Dysart Enos.
Fergal O'Brien really holds her in such high regard, and given how well she won the Grade 2 bumper at Aintree for her final start of last season, I can see why. The form in behind her that day has been franked on multiple occasions, with nine of the horses in behind her that day winning since, a few of them on multiple occasions.
The form of that race is red-hot and arguably the best piece of novice form heading into the Festival this season, and although none of them might be world beaters, she still absolutely trounced them by 9 lengths in the end.
She has made it the perfect start over hurdles this season, winning by 7 and a half lengths on hurdle debut at Huntingdon, before going on to back that performance up with a cracking winning display at Cheltenham in quite a nice looking novice contest.
She was a little keen that day, so would need that to be removed from her game, but that could just be her and how she runs. Fergal has entered her up for another novice hurdle run at Doncaster this weekend, where although she has won her last two races, she doesn't have to carry any more weight than the rest, in fact she carries less due to the mares’ allowance.
That could be an excellent bit of plotting from Fergal as he will just be looking to tick her over before running her at Cheltenham in March. She is by far the best mare in the novice hurdling ranks this season, and if she were to hack up this weekend, I could easily see her moving to favouritism for the Mares’ Novices Hurdle come March.
I think she will take a whole world of beating no matter what, she is a Grade 2 bumper winner and a classy winner at that.
- Selection - Dysart Enos (4/1 Generally)
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