Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MAGNIFICENT 7
Raiding party saddle up for opening day shootout
SEVEN Irish challengers will feature in a 17-strong field for tomorrow’s Unibet Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival. The raiding party will carry the hopes of six trainers, with Willie Mullins, bidding for a fifth Champion success, the only Irish handler doubly represented, with supplementary entry Cilaos Emery and Sharjah set to line-up.
The Irish contenders are: Cilaos Emery (Paul Townend), Coeur Sublime (Davy Russell), Darasso (Mark Walsh), Darver Star (Jonathan Moore), Petit Mouchoir (Rachael Blackmore), Sharjah (Patrick Mullins) and
Supasundae (Robbie Power).
On a day when 32 Irish trained horses will see Festival action, the clash of Henry de Bromhead’s Honeysuckle and the Mullins hope Benie Des Dieux (joined in the line-up by stable-companions Elfile and Stormy Ireland) in the Grade 1 Close Brothers Mares Hurdle will be another opening day highlight.
Ireland’s final meeting before the mass exodus to Gloucestershire in Naas yesterday saw the Noel Meade-trained Cap York
(11/1) land the €100,000
Mansionbet Leinster
National, giving talented
7lb claimer Eoin Walsh the biggest win of his career.
One of three winners on the day for Gigginstown House Stud, a timely precheltenham boost, Cap York was described by his trainer as “a horse with loads of ability, but a little bit quirky” and will now be aimed at the Boylesports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday.
The Gigginstown colours were also carried to victory by Gordon Elliott’s The Very Man, second leg of a double for Davy Russell, inset, in the maiden hurdle and the Joseph O’brien-trained, Aintree-bound Castra Vetera in the mares bumper, a second winner for rider Neil Bashford. Russell had sparked his brace on board the towering Cedarwood Road, in the colours of Chris Jones, in the listed Irish Racing Writers Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle.
The five-year-old, impressive at Leopardstown over Christmas, swooped late to deny favourite Beacon Edge, giving his trainer Gearoid O’loughlin his first listed success and rewarding connections for their patience in targeting this race rather than the Supreme in Cheltenham tomorrow. O’loughlin said: “He’s a work in progress, a future chaser. He has never been off the bridle until today. So this should bring him on. He mightn’t run again this season and, if he does, it’ll be at Punchestown.”