COUNTDOWN TO CHELTENHAM 2024!

1:30: Slade Steel 5/1

2:10: Quilixios 13/2 e/w

2:50: Meetingofthewaters 5/1

4:10: Love Envoi 16/1 e/w

4:50: An Bradan Feasa 22/1 e/w

5:30: Apple Away 15/2

No bet in the Champion Hurdle for me. I feel State Man will win but hard to back at his price bar multiples etc.

1:30: If Ballyburn’s performance at Leopardstown was one of the standout novice hurdling performances of the season, SLADE STEEL kept him reasonably honest until the end even though the winner showed a great turn of foot to power clear on the run in. But in a fairly open-looking Supreme, I feel he’s there with every chance for Henry De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore. Mystical Power would be my pick of Willie’s, as I feel he is the most open to progression. 

2:10: Sticking with HDB and Rachael, I feel QUILIXIOS has an each way chance in what is again a very open-looking Arkle. Almost something of a forgotten horse since winning the Triumph here in 2021, his Festival form is a plus coming in here. He could be open to further progress over fences that what he has shown so far for a trainer who has won this race in recent years with Put The Kettle On in 2020. He will need to take a step up in order to win here, though, you feel. 

2:50: Irish trained horses do not have the best record in the Ultima, but I am siding somewhat tentatively with the favourite here more so after having not really seeing anything else at a bigger price I wanted to take him on with.

4:10: Lossiemouth is very hard to knock, and she will be very hard to beat. If the favourite has any issues with the trip – which is one of the only things you can question her on coming in here – I feel LOVE ENVOI could be bang there to pick up the pieces if running anywhere near her gallant second behind Honeysuckle in this race last year. 

4:50: Bright Legend was the horse with a similar profile to Jazzy Matty who won the race last year coming out of the same Naas race, I felt, and I see his price has shortened up today. Milan Tino stood out for me initially, but I am going with a horse that ties in very closely with him in AN BRADAN FEASA – having finished ahead of him over course and distance in November. On the bare form, he seems somewhat over-priced, so I am happy to side with him at a double-figure odds in what’s always a very competitive race. 

5:30: I’m not sure when the last mare to win this race was, if ever, but I am going to take a chance on Lucinda Russell’s novice, APPLE AWAY. She has G1 form over hurdles at the Aintree Festival last year, and having run creditably in G2s this season, she could have a chance if relishing the step up in trip getting the mares’ allowance. Barry O’Neill on board is another positive. 

Good luck all for the week!

13.30 Fire Fox

14.10 Quilixios

14.50 Victorrino

15.30 State Man

16.10 Lossiemouth

16.50 Bright Legend

17.30 Salvador Ziggy

“If you want to win a champion hurdle you have to turn up, and we turned up”

good man willie mullins

You can actually see Nicky Henderson cringe whenever that twat Chapman approaches with a microphone!

1.30 handstands

2.50 jigoro and zanndabad

4.50 triple trade and sa fureur

5.30 you oughta know and fleur au fusil

All E/w

Ballyburn/ el fabiolo double

Hoping 365 will super boost either of those this morning will have max bet on either if they do

Zanndabad out so going Brazil instead

After slade steel winning yesterday you would think ballyburn is a penalty kick ( famous last words 😁)

Heading there tomorrow. I'm told the course is in shyte so should be a good day for the Mudlarks !

Just looking at Fridays Dec's and Mighty Bandit is declared for the Triumph and is currently 66/1 with PP. Form received a huge boost yesterday in the Boodles when Lark in the Morning won as MB had him 9 1/1L behind on debut.

Worth a nibble surely at that price

Nicky Henderson is more brandy than man at this stage.