The 14 Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 winners: when will they reappear and what are their targets?
As the jumps season starts to heat up some of the stars from the Cheltenham Festival are nearing their return. Here we look at the winners of the 14 Grade 1s and where you could see them in the coming weeks, including quotes from some of the biggest trainers in Britain and Ireland.
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Marine Nationale
What race did he win at the Cheltenham Festival? Supreme Novices' Hurdle
Trainer: Barry Connell
Ante-post Cheltenham Festival price: 5-2 (Arkle)
An impressive winner of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Marine Nationale was described as a one-off by Barry Connell, who believes he could be even better over fences. A beginners' chase at Navan on November 18 has been mentioned as a potential starting point, with the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Boxing Day and the Irish Arkle potential targets before heading back to Cheltenham in March.
Barry Connell: "He was extensively schooled over fences when he was with Sam Curling, so he jumps very well, he's really athletic. I think he will be as good, if not better, over a fence. There is a good programme for two-mile novice chasers over here. You have the Grade 1 at Leopardstown over Christmas, then the Irish Arkle in February, and we can head on to Cheltenham after that. We'll be looking for a beginners' chase for him somewhere about a month or six weeks before Christmas."
El Fabiolo
What race did he win at the Cheltenham Festival? Arkle Trophy
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Ante-post Cheltenham Festival price: 11-10 (Queen Mother Champion Chase)
El Fabiolo maintained his unbeaten record over fences with a stylish victory over the talented Jonbon in the Arkle and duly followed up in the Barberstown Castle at the Punchestown festival. With Energumene likely to be out for the season, El Fabiolo looks the obvious replacement for Willie Mullins in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and he will likely start his season in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork on December 10.
Willie Mullins: "El Fabiolo is our replacement for Energumene at this point and I think he will start off in the Hilly Way at Cork. We'll plan a route then from there to Cheltenham."
Constitution Hill
What race did he win at the Cheltenham Festival? Champion Hurdle
Trainer: Nicky Henderson
Ante-post Cheltenham Festival price: 1-2 (Champion Hurdle)
Constitution Hill is the most exciting horse in training and couldn't have been more impressive in his nine-length defeat of State Man in the Champion Hurdle, before taking his record under rules to a perfect seven when landing the Aintree Hurdle when stepped up to 2m4f. All roads lead back to Cheltenham, where he will bid for a second Champion Hurdle after it was confirmed he would not be going chasing. The Fighting Fifth at Newcastle will be his starting point, with Nicky Henderson vowing to have him 100 per cent ready for his reappearance, while the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day should follow.
Nicky Henderson: “He’s got such a good temperament, so I don’t think anything will worry him and I would like to think nothing will change from last season. He’s got an incredible brain on him and it’s a trait of his sire, Blue Bresil. He’s such an ABC horse it's stupid really – he’s so straightforward and has got such a good approach to everything. He did extremely well in the summer and he looks fantastic – I’m very happy with where he is three weeks out from the race. Everything’s going to plan. Touch wood, his preparation is going very nicely and the ground on our gallops is absolutely beautiful at the moment so he’s getting in a lot of nice work on them. We’ll send him for a spin around a racecourse between now and Newcastle I would have thought. All being well we can take in this race and that’ll lead us nicely into Boxing Day after which we can make our next move.”
Honeysuckle
What race did she win at the Cheltenham Festival? Mares' Hurdle
Trainer: Henry de Bromhead
RETIRED
Honeysuckle suffered defeat for the first time in her career last season, but she defied her doubters when claiming a second Mares' Hurdle, taking her unbeaten record at Cheltenham Festival to four. That was her 17th and final win from 19 starts, including two Champion Hurdles, and she has been retired to stud.
Impaire Et Passe
What race did he win at the Cheltenham Festival? Ballymore Novices' Hurdle
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Ante-post Cheltenham Festival price: 13-2 (Champion Hurdle)
Impaire Et Passe was one of the most visually impressive winners at the Festival, storming six and a half lengths clear of Gaelic Warrior to claim the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle. Connections were keen to stay over hurdles and will not shirk the challenge of Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle. The Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on December 3 is a probable starting point.
Willie Mullins: "Connections were keen to stay hurdling with Impaire Et Passe and have a crack at the Champion Hurdle. He was very impressive in the Ballymore. The only reason he ran in the Ballymore was because we had Facile Vega for the Supreme. He will probably have to improve a fair bit to beat Constitution Hill but people have to take him on too."
The Real Whacker
What race did he win at the Cheltenham Festival? Brown Advisory Novices' Chase
Trainer: Patrick Neville
Ante-post Cheltenham Festival price: 20-1 (Gold Cup)
One of the stories of the festival as Patrick Neville bested the likes of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott with The Real Whacker in the Brown Advisory. Neville's stable star is being aimed at what would be a fairytale Cheltenham Gold Cup success and will start his road towards that target back at Cheltenham in the Paddy Power Gold Cup on November 18.
Patrick Neville: "He's in great form and we're looking forward to next week. We're starting him off at Cheltenham because it will be nice ground. He's won at two and a half miles round there before. It's his first run of the season so if he finishes in the first four or five we'll be happy. He's filled into himself and got a lot stronger so we're hoping that he'll improve a little bit. The main plan for him is the Gold Cup. He's entered in the King George but we'll see how he gets on at Cheltenham first."
Energumene
What race did he win at the Cheltenham Festival? Queen Mother Champion Chase
Trainer: Willie Mullins
INJURED
Energumene put a rare foot wrong when making a mess of the last in the Clarence House Chase but showed that was just a one-off with an emphatic victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Energumene's bid to emulate Badsworth Boy by claiming a historic third consecutive Champion Chase looks over after Willie Mullins revealed his star two-mile chaser will likely miss the entire season through injury.
Willie Mullins: "Unfortunately Energumene has a hind leg injury and he will probably be out of action for the season."
A Dream To Share
What race did he win at the Cheltenham Festival? Champion Bumper
Trainer: John and Thomas Kiely
Ante-post Cheltenham Festival price: 7-1 (Supreme Novices' Hurdle)
A Dream To Share is one of the most exciting young jumps horses in training having won five bumpers last season, the highlight coming at the Cheltenham Festival when he coped with testing conditions to land the Champion Bumper under teenager John Gleeson. His eagerly awaited hurdling debut was put on hold after a stone bruise ruled him out a Punchestown maiden last month and it is not yet known how long it will be before he is ready again, but he currently heads the market for the Supreme.
Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus: "A Dream To Share had a stone bruise after exercise so didn't run at Punchestown. He has done a small little bit of schooling up to now and John is quite happy with what he's been doing."
Stage Star
What race did he win at the Cheltenham Festival? Turners Novices' Chase
Trainer: Paul Nicholls
Ante-post Cheltenham Festival price: 16-1 (Ryanair Chase)
Progressive chaser who produced a taking weight-carrying victory in a Cheltenham handicap before following up in the Turners Novices' Chase at the festival, battling bravely to regain the lead before pulling away on the run-in. Paul Nicholls is keen to keep him fresh and will head straight to the Paddy Power Gold Cup. The 14-time champion trainer also believes Stage Star will get three miles, with the Denman Chase in February a possible target.
Paul Nicholls: "He’s in great shape and we’re going straight to the Paddy Power Gold Cup on Saturday week, as he’s best fresh. He won’t mind what the ground is like. Of course, he’ll have a stiff task at the top of the handicap, but he loves Cheltenham, having won two of his three starts round there, and he has to go left-handed. Longer term, I think he’ll get three miles this season and, if he does, it gives us plenty of options. I could see him running in a Denman Chase."
Envoi Allen
What race did he win at the Cheltenham Festival? Ryanair Chase
Trainer: Henry de Bromhead
Ante-post Cheltenham Festival price: 20-1 (Ryanair Chase)
Has been in and out of form over the last couple of seasons but seemed to improve for the step up to three miles, winning the Ladbrokes Champion Chase before beating Shishkin in the Ryanair Chase. He was an underwhelming third when favourite for Gowran Park's PWC Champion Chase on his reappearance and is set to face Gerri Colombe in the rescheduled Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday.
Henry de Bromhead: "Envoi Allen seems fine. It was a little bit disappointing at Gowran and he looked a bit ring rusty, but he has got his first run of the season out the way now and we'll kick on with him and see how he goes. The better the ground, the better chance Envoi Allen has, and the weather forecast doesn't look too bad for the next couple of days, so fingers crossed it won't be too testing at Down Royal."
Sire Du Berlais
What race did he win at the Cheltenham Festival? Stayers' Hurdle
Trainer: Gordon Elliott
Ante-post Cheltenham Festival price: 20-1 (Stayers' Hurdle)
Sire Du Berlais added to his two Pertemps Final wins at the Cheltenham Festival with a 33-1 surprise success in the Stayers' Hurdle. He proved again that he comes alive in the spring when following up with his second Liverpool Hurdle at the Grand National meeting. He will likely start in the Lismullen Hurdle again, but he's 1-16 from November 1 to March 1, compared to 6-15 from March 1 to June 1, so his early-season form is best forgiven when looking at his festival credentials.
Gordon Elliott: "He's a legend. He almost won at the three big spring festivals last season and just comes alive at that time of year for whatever reason. He will take the same route as always back to Cheltenham and will be 12 next spring, but who's to say he's finished? He keeps on surprising us and hopefully he will continue doing that. He's been some servant and owes us nothing."
Lossiemouth
What race did she win at the Cheltenham Festival? Triumph Hurdle
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Ante-post Cheltenham Festival price: 3-1 (Mares' Hurdle)
Lossiemouth came with a big reputation and should really be unbeaten, having suffered interference in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival, but she added a pair of Grade 1s to her CV in the Triumph and at the Punchestown festival. Willie Mullins may keep her fresh off the back of a busy four-year-old season and she could head to the spring festivals without a run, with Leopardstown a possibility before a crack at the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Willie Mullins, trainer: "It will be the Champion Hurdle or Mares' Hurdle for Lossiemouth, more than likely the Mares' Hurdle. We'd probably like to run her at the Dublin Racing Festival and Cheltenham and I haven't decided if I will give her a run beforehand. I might just keep her fresh. She's only four and has a tough season behind her so I'm inclined to get her good and strong."
Stay Away Fay
What race did he win at the Cheltenham Festival? Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle
Trainer: Paul Nicholls
Ante-post Cheltenham Festival price: 16-1 (Brown Advisory)
Stay Away Fay gave Paul Nicholls a second victory at the Cheltenham Festival last season when taking the Albert Bartlett and made a winning chase debut over three miles at Exeter on Friday. The new £60,000 chase at Sandown’s Tingle Creek meeting on December 9 and the Kauto Star at Kempton on Boxing Day look likely next targets, with the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase the preferred option at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Paul Nicholls: "You couldn't want anything more first time out than that, to see him stay on strong. There's lots of improvement to come. It's a super first start of the season. We'll go to the Tingle Creek meeting then Kempton. He's not done loads and I think there's loads to come from him. Chris [Giles, part-owner with Dave Staddon] has given him plenty of time and he's coming good. He'll run in the three-miler it's as simple as that. He's too classy for the National Hunt Chase."
Galopin Des Champs
What race did he win at the Cheltenham Festival? Cheltenham Gold Cup
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Ante-post Cheltenham Festival price: 2-1 (Gold Cup)
Galopin Des Champs was highly touted and long thought of as a Gold Cup horse during his novice campaign, and he duly lived up to that promise with a scintillating victory over Bravemansgame in the Cheltenham Festival showpiece. His reputation took a slight knock when beaten at 4-11 in the Punchestown Gold Cup in April, but that hasn't dented Willie Mullins' belief and he will likely follow the same route back to the festival as last season – the John Durkan followed by the Irish Gold Cup.
Willie Mullins: "It was the end of a tough season at Punchestown and the two horses up front took each other on, and Fastorslow is a very good horse and could be a real contender this year. My attitude is when you have a Gold Cup horse, you run in those top races rather than putting them away for the following year. I was a little disappointed he was beaten, but that's part of the game, you can't win every day. He's seven and you'd hope those horses can improve until they are eight or nine. If I can get him back to where he was last season then I'll be happy."
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Read more:
Impressive Iroko 10-1 for Brown Advisory after stylish win - but trainer has warning for punters
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