PHOTO Irish challenge being
AUTHOR of Jumpers To Follow and the Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Paul Ferguson takes a look at the Irish Challenge and selects his five to follow:
Last year’s Champion Bumper winner is unbeaten in seven career races, including three starts over hurdles. The form of his Royal Bond success is very strong, with Abacadabras winning a Grade One next time and Darvers Star finishing second in the Irish Champion Hurdle.
Wednesday’s Ballymore was nominated as the most likely target but Gordon Elliott is set to make a late call and he could be re-routed to the Supreme due to the likely testing ground – he will be hard to beat in either.
Trainer Willie
Mullins has dominated the Champion Bumper with nine winners in total.
He even rode Wither Or Which to success in 1996.
Appreciate It looks very much the one to beat in this year’s renewal.
Following an encouraging third when the stable’s runners were improving for their first run of the season, he has since won twice, most recently in a Grade Two at the Dublin Racing Festival. A strong stayer, he is versatile in terms of ground and can provide Mullins with a 10th win.
An improving second-season chaser, Henry de Bromhead’s six-year-old looks the ideal type for Thursday’s Ryanair Chase.
A wide-margin winner at the meeting last year, he has since proven to be a genuine Grade One performer when beating Chacun Pour Soi (runs in the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday) at Christmas and stepping back up in distance will suit.
He looks tailor-made for this race.
With three wins from four over hurdles, Latest Exhibition is another who has form tying in with Abacadabras. Since finishing runner-up to him has won two Graded races, latterly at top level over 2m6f. His running style suggests he will relish the step up to 3m and the seven-year-old looks hardy enough for what can be a tester for novice hurdlers. Looks a solid proposition.
Best Mate is the only horse since L’Escargot (1971-1972) to win back-to-back renewals of the Gold Cup but Al Boum Photo is fancied to add his name to the illustrious list.
Still only eight and with just 10 chase starts under his belt, he is far from fully exposed and he travelled with ease through last year’s race when Paul Townend (above) rode him to victory.
Al Boum Photo’s season has been geared around retaining his crown, winning his sole start but sacrificing big staying chases at home.