CHAC THE LAD A CLASS APART

WILLIE MULLINS was ‘astounded’ when he read he had so many favourites for Cheltenham 2021.

The rest of us weren’t the least bit surprised. Even by his own standards, Ireland’s champion trainer, with a record 72 Festival winners to his name, sends over an awesome squad

Al Boum Photo bids to become the fifth horse in history to land three Gold Cups, while Chacun Pour Soi is a hot favourite to give Mullins a first Queen Mother Champion Chase.

AL BOUM PHOTO WellChild Gold Cup Friday (3.05)

USED Tramore as the launchpad to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory for the past two years and, not surprisingly, connections have chosen to stick with a winning formula this winter.

Having his first start since last year’s neck victory over Santini at Cheltenham, Paul Townend’s mount went off at 2-9 against four rivals for the Co Waterford course’s New Year’s Day Chase, including stablemates Brahma Bull, who unseated his rider at the second fence, and Acapella Bourgeois.

Shaken up to lead on the run to the penultimate obstacle, the nineyear-old stretched clear to beat Acapella Bourgeois, a six-length second 12 months earlier, by 19 lengths.

MULLINS SAYS: A couple of years ago I had given up on the dream of winning the Gold Cup, and now it’s unbelievable to be on the brink of doing ‘an Arkle’.

There are no negatives with him, and there have been no setbacks.

The only surprising thing was that I thought I could have had him straighter for Tramore. He had such a long break from last year’s Gold Cup and he probably should have had one more piece of work before, but he got through it. He jumped very well and Paul said he was just so idle in the middle of the race — he didn’t think he was in a race.

He’s easy to train, we think he is in a good position, and I am happy with what I am seeing.

He obviously has an engine, and, if he is able to go back and do it three times, then I think he can sit up there with any of them. NEWSBOY’S VERDICT: If you want to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, it’s best to prioritise it, as Hen Knight did so effectively with Best Mate.

His track record makes him the one to beat, but there are plenty of up-and-comers to threaten the king. ODDS: 9-4