'We put our heads together and came up with the Arkle' - Gaelic Warrior leads Closutton charge

It is strange how quickly things change in sport. Heading into the Dublin Racing Festival Marine Nationale was being heralded as the next Arkle winner off the back of a mere beginners’ chase victory and Gaelic Warrior had the Turners at his mercy. Two odds-on reverses and a festival-ending injury later and the script has been rewritten.

Marine Nationale is on the sidelines and Gaelic Warrior pitches up here despite smoothly stretching out to three miles less than a year ago at the Punchestown festival. Given what we saw at Leopardstown last time combined with Gaelic Warrior’s price, it is understandable why punters would be queuing up to take him on in his first-time hood.

Right-jumping tendencies are stalling Gaelic Warrior’s career and he veered that way again when unseating Paul Townend at the last in the DRF Grade 1 match race with stablemate Fact To File. It is arguable that if Cheltenham had not grown into the monster it has become, Gaelic Warrior might never have gone this way around again.

That is not to detract from Gaelic Warrior’s status as a top-class talent. Going left-handed did not preclude him from finishing runner-up at the past two festivals and his pummelling of Il Etait Temps at Limerick over Christmas was electrifying.

Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File in a match race at last month's Dublin Racing FestivalCredit: Alan Crowhurst

In a parallel universe where the Arkle is staged at Fairyhouse, Kempton, Punchestown or Sandown, there is little doubt Gaelic Warrior would shine. For his supporters, dropping to the shorter trip will at least coincide with fewer fences to jump and less opportunity to squander precious ground at championship speed.

There have been easy Arkles to call in recent years but this is not one. There is nothing between Il Etait Temps and Found A Fifty on their meeting in the Irish equivalent and they are on Gaelic Warrior’s tail in the early betting. The suspicion is Il Etait Temps is able to raise his game at Leopardstown in a manner we are yet to see at Cheltenham. Found A Fifty might share Gaelic Warrior’s preference for galloping the other direction.

It is easy to understand why support has slowly mounted for JPR One. He is Britain’s best two-mile novice chaser on Racing Post Ratings and that counts for plenty when the Irish ones are either unreliable or beating each other.

JPR One did appear to idle once the Lightning Novices’ Chase was in the bag with Matata fighting back for a half-length loss last time, but the Arkle is a different race on a different track and Matata went close to matching JPR One’s 155 RPR on his previous run at Cheltenham. He was just edged out by Grand Annual fancy Libberty Hunter when conceding 11lb and on that form is overpriced.

That statement could also apply to My Mate Mozzie on a line through Found A Fifty when the pair met at Christmas, albeit he probably wants quicker ground. Momentum is developing around revitalised 2021 Triumph Hurdle winner Quilixios is harder to fathom, while the deeply unexposed Hunters Yarn gives the impression we are yet to see his best.

Given the huge pools on offer the Placepot is an understandably popular bet with punters at the festival. While the opening day card contains two 20+ runner handicaps, the Arkle might prove the toughest leg for many players to successfully negotiate.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

RP Recommends: how to bet on the Arkle

By Tom Park, audience editor

You're either with or against Gaelic Warrior here. He's the most talented horse in the race, no doubt, but he comes with risks. It's hard to predict which way his price will move, so if you're backing him bet365 is your best shot, with their Best Odds Guaranteed concession available from 8am.

If you're taking him on, Sky Bet's four places is a generous offer given there are only nine runners here.

• RP Recommends: bet365

Mullins hopeful the hood can work the oracle with Gaelic Warrior

El Fabiolo, Douvan and Un De Sceaux are just some of the premier two-mile chasers Willie Mullins has saddled to victory in the Arkle, and while this year's edition probably lacks the imperious presence of one of that quality, Closutton still seems to hold the key with a formidable three-pronged challenge led by Gaelic Warrior.

On his two visits to the festival, Gaelic Warrior ran hugely encouraging races, finishing second in the Boodles in 2022 before filling the same spot behind stablemate Impaire Et Passe in last season's Ballymore. His proclivity to jump right got him beat on his stable debut at Cheltenham when he was agonisingly denied by Brazil this day two years ago and that trait has been a persistent feature in his run-style, but his formidable engine is indisputable.

The first two starts of his novice chase campaign were breathtaking, particularly when he swatted away stablemate and the reopposing Il Etait Temps in Grade 1 company at Limerick, but he ran well below himself in a match at the Dublin Racing Festival behind Fact To File, ultimately unseating at the last when being left well behind.

He wears a first-time hood now and Mullins is hopeful it can curb his enthusiasm pre-race which he feels may have contributed to that below-par outing.

"We’re putting a hood on Gaelic Warrior," said Mullins. "The style of his jumping two starts ago suggested he could go back to two miles and, when he ran a little disappointingly at Leopardstown next time, we all put our heads together and came up with the plan to go for the Arkle. Most of his form is very good bar the last race which you have to put a line through. I don’t know what happened, possibly he went too fast early, and he got very upset in the parade ring beforehand so that’s why the hood is on.

"He’s jumped well in the hood at home and Paul [Townend] was very keen to add it for Cheltenham. He goes there with a good chance and he's run well at Cheltenham before. Sometimes he’s inclined to go a little to his right over his jumps which isn’t ideal, but I’d rather have one jumping right with his ability than one jumping straight without it."

Dual Grade 1 winner Il Etait Temps continued his love affair with Leopardstown last month and gets on particularly well with Danny Mullins, while Hunters Yarn is the unexposed contender of the Irish challenge having completed just the once over fences when running away with a Fairyhouse beginners' chase by ten lengths on his latest start.

Mullins said: "ll Etait Temps always runs a good race and Danny [Mullins] seems to conjure some great runs from him having won two Grade 1s together. Hunters Yarn is improving all the time and if punters are looking for some each-way value in the race, he could be the one."

'He definitely looks to set the standard of the British' – Tizzard leads home challenge with JPR One

Any horse who sports their owner's initials carries a fairly big degree of expectation, and JPR One will bid to finally realise his lofty reputation for John Romans at the Cheltenham Festival.

While he boasted some decent form over hurdles, chasing has spurred the seven-year-old to a new level and trainer Joe Tizzard believes he is the best of the home contingent on Tuesday, having defeated Matata and Master Chewy in his Lingfield warm-up in January.

JPR One (Brendan Powell) jumps the last fence and beats Matata in the Lightning Novices' ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

JPR One will be Tizzard’s best chance of a breakthrough at the meeting since taking over the licence from his Gold Cup-winning father Colin at the start of last season. The family operation will bid to end a six-year festival drought with heroic Gold Cup winner Native River the last to strike from the Spurles Farm operation in 2018.

“He’s in great form and he comes here after a lovely prep at Lingfield,” said Tizzard. “I’d say he’s going to need a lifetime best to win it but we couldn’t be happier with him.

“He definitely looks to set the standard of the British horses and it’ll be interesting to see he gets on against the Irish. I don’t think there’s a standout among them, they’ve mostly been beating each other. We’ll give it a go and hopefully he can run well.”

It will be JPR One’s first visit to Cheltenham since his gut-wrenching final-fence unseat when well clear in this race’s trial in November. He was travelling smoothly and three lengths clear before Brendan Powell dramatically tumbled.

“That was just one of those things but he was going very well before it happened and jumped nicely,” the trainer added. “He ran really well up until that point so we’re looking forward to going back.”

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Found A Fifty
He's in great form and I think he's got a rock-solid chance. He has barely put a foot wrong all season, he jumps well and he stays so there is plenty to like about him. It's a wide-open Arkle and I think he's got every chance. 

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Quilixios
He's in good form and everything has gone well with him over the last few weeks. We were running over the wrong trip when we tried him over three miles and he seems much happier now over shorter. It's an open race and he's got a chance.

Gavin Cromwell, trainer of My Mate Mozzie
I was happy with his run behind Found A Fifty at Leopardstown and we decided to go here instead of the Grand Annual. I'm hoping he can mix it with these and he'd have a chance if things fell right for him. He has form on soft ground given he nearly won a November Handicap on heavy at Naas on the Flat, but I think he can quicken better on nicer ground.

Willy Twiston-Davies, assistant trainer to Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Master Chewy and Matata
We've been super happy with both of them. It's a harder race, but I'd still be with them and they've earned their right to be here. Master Chewy was a Grade 2 winner earlier in the season and Matata has been running some great races.

Cheltenham Tuesday previews:

1.30: Tullyhill 'the finished article' says Willie Mullins as he prepares assault on wide-open Supreme 

2.50: 'He looks well handicapped now' - who are the dangers to Ultima favourite Meetingofthewaters? 

3.30: State Man a certainty for many - but Nicky Henderson 'quite optimistic' his super-sub can lay down a challenge 

4.10: Will 'banker of the week' Lossiemouth handle the step up in trip and land another festival success? 

4.50: 'I think he'll run well at a price' - analysis and trainer quotes for the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle 

5.30: 'I just thought he was made for this' - National Hunt Chase carries extra significance for Willie Mullins 

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