Irish Banker Sir Gerhard looks hard to oppose March 15, 2022 Bill Esdaile’s 1-2-3 Sir Gerhard Journey With Me Stage Star WHEN the Willie Mullins-trained SIR GERHARD beat Gordon Elliott’s Three Stripe Life over two miles in a Grade One at the Dublin Racing Festival, the majority felt that they would be locking horns again in a rematch at Cheltenham in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. However, [...]
Shishkin can leave Champion Chase rivals on the canvas March 15, 2022 Shishkin Nube Negra Energumene WHAT is it about Nicky Henderson and two-milers? He has won the Unibet Champion Hurdle a record eight times and is the joint leading trainer of this afternoon’s Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30pm) with six victories. Sprinter Sacre and Altior are two of the greatest two-mile chasers we have ever [...]
Fortune to favour Cruz as he prepares for Jumbo clash on Sunday March 15, 2022 TRAINER Tony Cruz will be looking for a stable confidence booster at Happy Valley, before he saddles leading Hong Kong Derby fancy California Spangle in the big race at Sha Tin on Sunday. It’s been 14 years since Cruz last visited the winners’ enclosure in Hong Kong’s local flagship event and it would mean everything [...]
Harmony can get punters Home before Cheltenham begins March 15, 2022 RACING at Happy Valley serves up a tasty hors d’oeuvre this morning with a nine-race programme full of exciting and highly competitive handicaps, starting at 10.45am. With the Cheltenham Festival getting under way during the afternoon, it’s paramount that backers have money to play with by finding a winner before the action starts in the [...]
Epatante a huge price at 16/1 to regain her crown March 14, 2022 1st Epatante 2nd Honeysuckle 3rd Appreciate It ASK MOST racing fans what their dream result would be on the opening day of this year’s Cheltenham Festival, and it will surely be HONEYSUCKLE making it 15 wins from 15 career starts in the Unibet Champion Hurdle. Absolutely breathtaking in last year’s opening day highlight when pulverising her rivals by [...]
Ireland to end Ultima drought with Ben Dundee March 14, 2022 CHELTENHAM’S opening handicap, the Ultima Handicap Chase (2.10pm) hasn’t been a strong race for the Irish in recent years, and you have to go back to 2006, when Dun Doire won, to find their last winner. They have a strong hand this year, though, and Gordon Elliott’s duo Floueur and Death Duty look to have [...]
Edwardstone to be crowned king of the Arkle March 14, 2022 Bill Esdaile’s 1-2-3 1st Edwardstone 2nd Riviere D’etel 3rd Gabynako TRAINER Willie Mullins has won four of the last seven renewals of the Sporting Life Arkle Chase (2.10pm) and holds a strong hand once more saddling three of the 11 runners. The pick of his trio looks to be Blue Lord, who was the best of [...]
Constitution Hill set to get home team off to a flyer March 14, 2022 AFTER weeks of speculation, Willie Mullins made the decision on Sunday morning to send Dysart Dynamo to the Festival opener, the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1.30pm), and to aim stablemate Sir Gerhard at Wednesday’s Ballymore instead. The news was disappointing for all those holding ante-post slips on last season’s Champion Bumper winner, but it [...]
Brook can be Queen of the Mares’ Hurdle March 14, 2022 AFTER winning the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (4.10pm) eight times in a row from 2009 to 2016, Willie Mullins has been in a bit of a drought recently. His last success in this race came in 2018 with Benie Des Dieux, but he saddles three this afternoon to try to right that wrong. Stable jockey [...]