Al Boum Photo bids to join jumping legends as he chases historic hat-trick

3.05 Cheltenham
WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1) | 3m2½f | 5yo+ | ITV/RTV

It all boils down to one horse and one question in the WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup: is it 'jamais deux sans trois', (good things come in threes) as they say in his native France?

Al Boum Photo has come an awful long way since falling on his debut in a hurdle race at Moulins in the Auvergne and is now on the verge of something very special.

He has won this race for the last two years and is now attempting to complete a hat-trick achieved only by the legendary trio of Cottage Rake, Arkle and Best Mate since World War II.

Yet rarely will history have been made with so little fuss. In each of the last two years, Al Boum Photo's on-course preparation for Cheltenham has been restricted to one comfortable victory at Tramore on New Year's Day.

That had him straight enough to score by a ready two and a half lengths here in 2019 and to hold off the strong-finishing Santini by a neck last year, and Willie Mullins has seen no need to change a winning system.

The nine-year-old trotted up by 19 lengths at Tramore 11 weeks ago, more than three times as far as in previous seasons, and will be as hard to beat as ever.

"Al Boum has travelled over well and has taken his training all year without a hitch, "Mullins said. "We're pleased to have him back here in the form he's in.

"A dry track is probably the only negative we have at the moment but he's been here and done it twice and we couldn't be happier. You might dream you have a horse to win one Gold Cup but a second and now going for a third is off the scale."

Mullins also runs Kemboy and said: "Danny [Mullins] is hoping to do the Irish-English Gold Cup double on Kemboy which is very unusual. Dry weather is going to suit and if he can get a trouble-free run up near the front he has every chance of getting into an each-way position."

Henderson has had his work cut out

Training a Gold Cup winner is never easy but if Nicky Henderson does it again this year he really will have earned his share of the prize-money.

Champ had looked an obvious contender for this gruelling stamina test when finishing strongly to capture the 3m RSA Chase, the novices' Gold Cup last year, yet only returned to the track last month.

Champ (second right) gets up late to beat Minella Indo (left) and Allaho in the RSA Insurance Novices' Chase last yearCredit: Michael Steele

Henderson was loath to give him a testing workout with this race on the horizon so dropped him back to two miles at Newbury. He was duly rewarded by Champ's slickest round of jumping to date on his way to an encouraging second place that whetted the appetite for what he might achieve when stepped back up in distance.

"It's gone well for Champ building up to the race, especially this last little bit, and I just hope that having his first run of the season at Newbury isn't too close to this race," said the trainer, who has won this with Long Run and Bobs Worth in the last decade.

"He's been doing plenty of schooling but he was also very fast and accurate with his jumping at Newbury. He'll have to be the same in the Gold Cup because it all comes down to jumping in the end."

Encouragement has been slightly harder to find from Santini since he failed by just a neck to catch Al Boum Photo here 12 months ago and Henderson has been moved to try the enigmatic chaser in a visor.

He said: "I'm very pleased with Santini, he's in good form. We've put a visor on instead of the cheekpieces and they'll help him too as they're a change – he should be sharper for them.

"I want to see them both getting into a nice rhythm, jumping away and enjoying themselves and if they do they’ll run their races for sure. I don't think the ground will be a worry for either."

Blackmore and De Bromhead bid for more history

And for my next trick. Just three days after becoming the first woman jockey to win a Champion Hurdle, Rachael Blackmore bids to match that feat in the Gold Cup and complete a big-race double last achieved by Tony McCoy in 1997.

Blackmore rides A Plus Tard, one of two horses running for Henry de Bromhead, who attempts to become the first trainer to land both races since Kim Bailey in 1995 – and the first Irishman since Vincent O’Brien did it in 1949 and 1950.

Following Put The Kettle's victory on Wednesday, De Bromhead is also bidding to become the first trainer to take the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup in the same season.

Blackmore won the novice handicap chase on A Plus Tard here in 2019 and the partnership finished third when sent off favourite for the Ryanair Chase last year.

Since then the seven-year-old has successfully stepped up to three miles in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown under Darragh O'Keeffe, with Blackmore a faller on stablemate Minella Indo, who is ridden by Jack Kennedy this time.

A Plus Tard (left, Darragh O'Keeffe) wins the Savills Chase at LeopardstownCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"A Plus Tard seems to be in absolutely mighty form since he's arrived over," De Bromhead said. "He travelled over great. I suppose the trip would have to be a worry as he's never tried it before, but he needed every inch of the three miles to win the Savills and he relaxes in his races, which will give him every chance of getting it.

"I think you'll see a completely different Minella Indo to the one you saw at Leopardstown last time. He's won around the New course before and he seems to light up when he gets over here. Cheltenham seems to really suit him."

Novice Royale bids for ultimate prize

Royale Pagaille would be only the second novice to win chasing's most prestigious event since 1974.

But unlike first-season chaser Coneygree in 2015, he has plenty of experience of fences, dating back to his debut over the larger obstacles at Auteuil three years ago and having shown much-improved form in winning his first two starts this season, he put himself in the Gold Cup picture with an impressive display in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock in January.

Racing off a BHA mark of 156 and conceding his rivals upwards of 9lb, he cantered to an easy 16-length win that earned him a crack at this race, although connections left it late before opting to bypass Tuesday's National Hunt Chase for novices.

Royal Pagaille is out clear over the final fence of the Peter Marsh ChaseCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Trainer Venetia Williams said: "Royale Pagaille has never contested a race of this quality before and it's a huge step-up in class. We need to put Haydock into perspective, it was a relatively weak Peter Marsh and it requires a large leap of faith to put him into the context of this race. The ground is a concern and softer ground would be better for him."

Williams also runs Aso and said: "He has been running at this level, he's been placed in a couple of Ryanairs, although he's not in the first flush of youth. He deserves a shot at this, although we don't know whether he'll last home in what inevitably is going to be a strongly run race."

Frost and Frodon going for Gold

One of jump racing's most popular partnerships features on the biggest stage as Bryony Frost teams up again with Frodon on Friday.

The pair brought the house down when scoring a never-day-die success in the 2m4f Ryanair Chase here in 2019 and would have done the same back at Cheltenham in October had there been any racegoers present to see the gutsy chaser defy a BHA mark of 164 in a handicap.

They hit new heights at Kempton, where Frost produced a masterly display of front-running in the King George VI Chase and was never headed.

An emotional Bryony Frost after Frodon's win in the King George VI ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

Frodon faces a very different test here but Nicholls said: "It's the biggest task of his life but he loves it round there and fingers crossed he'll run well. The big plus for him is the ground at the trip. He's in good shape, it's very open and I hope he'll run his race and be thereabouts."

Veterans teaming up for the Cup

Could it be age before beauty in the Gold Cup? The oldest jockey in the field rides the joint-oldest horse for a trainer who is about to retire – and he would be a massive fancy if the heavens opened.

The 11-year-old Native River looked as good as ever when winning the Cotswold Chase on heavy ground at Sandown in January.

Native River and Richard Johnson gallop away from Sandown's final fence in the Cotswold ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

That was a 14th career victory for a splendidly tough chaser, who won this in 2018 as well as finishing third in 2017 and fourth two years ago. It led Richard Johnson to suggest that he had a "huge chance" in a race the 43-year-old jockey first won on Looks Like Trouble back in 2000.

Trainer Colin Tizzard recently announced he is poised to hand the licence over to his son Joe, who said: "If Native River won it, it'd be bonkers especially the way the weather is panning out. It's not he doesn't handle it, the softer ground just slows the others down more.

"He's in beautiful form and he's arguably as good as ever going into it. He always runs his race and he's never been out of the top four in three runs in the race. There's nothing to suggest he's any less of a horse now."

Stablemate Lostintranslation has failed to show his best form since finishing third in this race last year. But Joe Tizzard said: "It wasn't working for the first half of the season and we felt he needed the run in the Denman last time.

"He's not missed a beat since and he's got a bit to find on his form this year but the horse has got the ability and he wasn't beaten far last season. The Newbury run has put him spot on and he seems in good nick at home. We hope he'll show his best."

Black Op out to defy monster odds

There has already been one 80-1 winner this week but Black Op is likely to go off at a three-figure price after being beaten more than 17 lengths when sixth behind Frodon in the King George VI Chase at Kempton. Trainer Tom George said: "He's got good course form and form with a lot of these. His owner was keen to give it a go and that's what we're doing."

The club Al Boum Photo is trying to join

Three really is a magic number, as least as far as the Gold Cup is concerned. If Al Boum Photo lands a third win in jump racing's most prestigious contest on Friday he will join some extraordinarily exalted company.

The most recent member of the exclusive club is Best Mate, who won the race in the Aston Villa colours of enthusiastic owner Jim Lewis in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

He was carefully campaigned by Henrietta Knight, rather as Al Boum Photo has been by Mullins, and prepared with Cheltenham very much the priority.

But he showed his quality by also landing the King George VI Chase and the Ericsson (now Savills) Chase at Leopardstown.

There is no doubting the quality of Arkle, who was so good he forced a change in the handicap system and became a living legend in Ireland where he was known simply as 'Himself'.

His 27 wins from 36 races included the Gold Cups in 1964, 1965 and 1966 and a string of performances which included twice defying 12st 7lb in the Hennessy Gold Cup and giving his rivals 35lb and a beating in the Irish Grand National.

Cottage Rake was the horse who made Vincent O'Brien's name, landing a Gold Cup hat-trick between 1948 and 1950 before his trainer went on to conquer the world of Flat racing.

The only other member of the club is Golden Miler, who won the prize five years in a row from 1932 to 1936.

The 1971 and 1972 winner L'Escargot could finish only fourth on his two attempts at adding to his tally, although he did famously deny Red Rum in the Grand National in 1975.

And third place was the best that Kauto Star managed in three subsequent attempts to build on his 2007 and 2009 triumphs, having finished second to Denman in 2008.

Friday's race previews:

The most extraordinary ordinary horse on the cusp of racing immortality (Members' Club)

Henrietta Knight: I can't really see who is going to beat Al Boum Photo (Members' Club)

1.20 Cheltenham: Tom Collins breaks down a major match-up between Zanahiyr and Tritonic

1.55 Cheltenham: stick with Mullins and Skelton to solve puzzle in typically difficult handicap

2.30 Cheltenham: 'I'm sweet on him and he's a massive price' – focus on wide-open Albert Bartlett

Can shy champion Al Boum Photo create Cheltenham Gold Cup history? (Members' Club)

3.40 Cheltenham: O'Sullivan confident It Came To Pass can successfully defend Cheltenham crown

4.15 Cheltenham: can Willie Mullins extend his superiority in mares' festival races to the chase?

4.50 Cheltenham: will switch of festival plan pay off for JP McManus and 'Ballymore horse'?

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