Bingham target for Atlantique
TONY BLOOM’S Ile Atlantique is “95 per cent sure” to line up in the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, after a weekend where more clues were on offer in the novice hurdling division.
The Brighton & Hove Albion supremo has seen his flagship horse Energumene land the Queen Mother Champion Chase the past two years, while Penhill is another to carry Bloom’s blue and white silks to success at Prestbury Park, in both 2017 and 2018.
Also trained by Willie Mullins, (inset) Ile Atlantique appeared a prime candidate to add to Bloom’s Festival tally when bolting up on his first start over hurdles at Gowran and lost little in defeat when headed by Readin Tommy Wrong in the Grade One Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle last month.
A muddling race saw the six-year-old having to cut out most of his own running in the hands of Paul Townend and with connections bypassing the option of running at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival, they are content to remain at an intermediate trip.
“I think the Baring Bingham is going to be his race at the Festival” said Bloom’s racing manager, Sean Graham.
“I did speak to Willie (on Tuesday) and even though he has an entry in the Supreme Novices’, I think we are 95 per cent sure we will go for the two-mile-five race which makes sense because that is the trip he wants anyway.”
He added: “His run at Naas was only his second run over hurdles and he was left doing the donkey work which wasn’t the plan.
“He’s had a long break and held an entry at the Dublin Racing Festival, but after Naas, Willie’s first reaction was we won’t run him again and go straight to Cheltenham.”