RACHAEL Blackmore has already made a big splash at Cheltenham this week and A Plus Tard can give her another festival winner in the Ryanair Chase this afternoon.
Henry de Bromhead’s charge propelled Blackmore into the big time at this meeting last year when giving her a first winner at the fixture.
In fact he was one of the most impressive winners of the whole week here 12 months ago when running away with the novice handicap chase.
After a promising comeback run this term he has stepped forward to prove his worth in Grade One company at Leopardstown and looks the rising star at this trip.
His defeat of Chacun Pour Soi came over two-milesone, short of his optimum, so it was a particularly noteworthy effort to account for such a high profile rival at that distance.
This extended two-and-a-half looks ideal as he didn’t quite appear to stay three miles at Punchestown last season. Ground is no issue for the French-bred as he scored in similar conditions here last year and he looks a worthy favourite for a race that has grown in stature over the last few years.
The trip is probably also right for Min who has shown his best form at two-and-a-half in recent years.
He was no match for Chacun Pour Soi at Leopardstown last time when that rival undoubtedly stepped forward from his seasonal debut. At his best Willie Mullins’ charge is a top-class performer and he could prove a big danger to A Plus Tard.
Last year’s winner Frodon leads the home team but this could turn out to be a stronger renewal with the aforementioned pair looking ideally suited by the trip. The Stayers’ Hurdle this year is all about one horse and it’s hard to look past Paisley Park. With Emma Lavelle’s charge set to go to post a short price, it may pay to look for eachway alternatives and City Island could prove the value.
He didn’t take to chasing at all this season and connections have decided to revert to the smaller obstacles after a couple of below par efforts. Looking back to last season he appeared to be a horse with a very bright future after his win in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle here 12 months ago. It’s interesting that he has had a wind operation since his last run and if he can get back to the promise he showed over timber he could be a big player in a field that looks average enough bar the hotpot.
There will be no more popular winner this week than Faugheen (left) if he manages to gain a third festival victory in the opening Marsh Novices’ Chase. Willie Mullins’s charge has had his share of issues since winning the Champion Hurdle five years ago but showed he still retains a big engine this season with a three from three record over fences.
He looked to get a bit tired in the closing stages when holding on to beat stable-mate Easy Game by half-a-length at the Dublin Racing festival last month.
It was a terrifically game performance and the old warrior could prove tough to pass up the hill here where he has tasted victory at the highest level before.
The handicaps are always notoriously difficult but Relegate surely has to have a leading chance in the Pertemps Final after a very eye-catching run on her return at Punchestown last month.
On her initial outing for Colm Murphy, and first start for over a year, she powered home to finish fourth in a qualifier and went into many notebooks for this race.
The Flemensfirth mare is a former winner of the champion bumper here, so has course form, and a fast run race over this trip, just shy of three miles, will suit her down to the ground as she stays all day
