Another Irish bonanza on cards as Mullins yard leads the charge

Date Published: {J}

John McIntyre

WE had never seen the likes of it before. The Irish raiding party has occasionally taken Cheltenham by storm in the past – notably, in 2006 when Brave Inca and War Of Attrition headed a record-breaking haul of ten winners – but 12 months ago, there was carnage altogether as Willie Mullins and company virtually swept all before them.

A staggering 13 Irish winners, including six of the seven races on the Wednesday card, shook Cheltenham to its foundations as the home defence of National Hunt’s most prestigious meeting was battered to an unprecedented level. Ironically, the only race not to have fallen the invader’s way on the second day of the festival was the Champion Bumper which has largely been an Irish benefit since first introduced in 1992.

Against that background, hopes are high of another Irish bonanza next week, particularly as Mullins, the festival’s top trainer 12 months ago, will be heading to Cheltenham with an even stronger looking team this year. His heavy artillery, which includes multiple contenders for the novice hurdles, will be spearheaded by Hurricane Fly and Quevega, with the progressive Quel Esprit holding an each way chance in the Gold Cup.

Mullins’ stable has never been in ruder health as evidenced by his increasing stranglehold of the Irish National Hunt scene – a reality reflected by the Co. Carlow based handler having turned out more winners and earned more prizemoney so far this season than the country’s next three most successful trainers, Noel Meade, Edward O’Grady and Jessica Harrington, put together. That is a staggering level of dominance and, frankly, probably isn’t good for the sport as a whole, but that’s an issue for another day.

Naturally, Irish punters will be investing heavily in Mullins’ raiding party, but the big question ahead of the festival is can the holders of the four most prestigious races at Cheltenham repeat last year’s exploits in the Cotswolds next week? Long Run, Big Buck’s, Hurricane Fly and Sizing Europe are all strong favourites to defend their crowns and though its never been done before – hasn’t even come close – there must be reasonable prospects of new ground being broken in 2012.

Bookmaker odds on this unprecedented feat occurring are only around 14/1 and while that looks a miserly offer at first glance, on the formbook alone Big Buck’s (World Hurdle), Hurricane Fly (Champion Hurdle), Sizing Europe (Champion Chase) and Long Run (Gold Cup) remain the horses to beat in the meeting’s flagship contests.

Given the traditional ultra-competitive nature of the festival, it’s unusual that the headline races have such a one-horse appeal about them and nervous bookmakers will be keeping their fingers crossed that a couple of the reigning big race champions are turned over next week, especially as the likes of Quevega (David Nicholson Mares Hurdle), Sprinter Sacre (Arkle Chase) and Grand Crus (RSA Chase) are also being rated banker material.

When Long Run became the first six-year-old to land the Gold Cup last year since Mill House in 1963, the French import was generally expected to have a long reign as the leading staying chaser in the British Isles, but a couple of early season reversals at the hands of the remarkable Kauto Star has forced some downgrading of those prospects, especially as his amateur rider, Sam Waley-Cohen, hasn’t been entirely convincing in the plate.

For all that, Waley-Cohen was faultless around Prestbury Park in 2011 and will head to the festival boosted by Long Run’s workmanlike win in the Betfair Chase at Newbury last month. Though runner-up and stable-mate, Burton Port, wasn’t subjected to a vigorous ride by Barry Geraghty, it’s clear that Nicky Henderson’s stable star is building towards a seasonal peak in Cheltenham where the horse’s proven stamina can prove decisive again.

Having looked a spent force when pulling up at the Punchestown festival last May, retirement was being mooted for Kauto Star, but the best chaser seen since Arkle has sensationally returned to something near his best form with emotional triumphs in the Betfair Chase at Haddock in early November and a record-breaking fifth King George, but he is now a 12 year-old and only two horses of that vintage, Silver Fame in 1951, and What A Myth in 1969, have landed the Gold Cup in the past.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.