Locals look ahead to exciting Cheltenham festival

Prestbury Park bonanza on cards for Meath connections

The mass exodus across the pond to the lush green fields of Prestbury Park is limited to jockeys and trainers this week as the Irish punters' annual pilgrimage to the Cheltenham Festival has been declared a non-runner by the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions.

However despite missing the thrill of the fall of the first flag or the roar up the famous hill horse racing enthusiasts can still enjoy all the fun of the festival from their armchair and some well known local racing personalities have offered their views on what will be a very different four days in Cheltenham.

Fairyhouse Racecourse manager Peter Roe is busy preparing his venue for the fast-approaching Easter Festival and while he is sadden that we won't have a Cheltenham like we have come to expect, he believes that every cloud has a silver lining and Fairyhouse could well benefit.

"I'm well aware that these are very different times with all that has gone on, but the Cheltenham festival is still very much about the horses and the jockeys and it will still be the same this year," ensured Roe.

"I think the lack of a crowd will probably suit the horses more so than anyone else. In the past a lot of horses boiled over because of the atmosphere, whereas this year they won't have the noise, the razzmatazz. The horses will be a lot more relaxed.

"The Cheltenham Festival is the centre piece meeting of the national hunt calendar, it is the pinnacle. From a Fairyhouse point of view we love to see horse that have ran here going there and then we hope there is enough of a break after the festival that they will then run at Fairyhouse.

"This year it will be a little bit tight between the end of Cheltenham and the start of Fairyhouse, it's only two weeks after the last day to the start of our Easter festival, but hopefully we will still have horses coming back from Cheltenham to run at Fairyhouse," said Roe.

Roe has been lucky to see many of this week's Cheltenham contenders up close and personal at Fairyhouse over the winter and he is sure there will be plenty of success for the Irish fans to cheer home.

"When you look at the various horses that have run at Fairyhouse over the season and who will go to Cheltenham with high hopes, there are great horses there," enthused the Fairyhouse manager.

"Look at Monkfish, he started off winning his Beginners Chase in December and then the following day we had Envoi Allen who won the Drinmore. We also had Zanahiyr, who will probably be favourite for the Triumph, was a very, very impressive winner when he won the Juvenile Hurdle here.

"Rosey's Hallow won the Solerina Hurdle, she will go in the Mares Hurdle, she will be there or thereabouts and of course Honeysuckle, who has been a firm favourite at Fairyhouse and has won at the track five times winning two Hatton's Graces, she will go for the Champion Hurdle with Rachael (Blackmore) and Henry (DeBromhead), so we'll be watching her too.

"The Fairyhouse link and the Meath link is always very strong at Cheltenham. Of course we will also have Gavin Cromwell's Flooring Porter, who was very impressive winning the Grade 1 at Leopardstown, who will be going in the Stayers.

"There is still plenty for Meath followers to look out for. Noel Meade mightn't have as many as he used to have, but with the year that is in it it might benefit the Fairyhouse Festival because a lot of horses might not go to Cheltenham this year, so we might might have better racing here in Ireland this year.

"Latest Exhibition is one who is going to wait for Fairyhouse rather than going to Cheltenham.

"You have to have your glass half full and from my side of things we have to look at the positives and we have just seen the entries for the Boylesports Irish Grand National and the quality and depth of the field will be great and it will also be very different.

"The Irish Grand National is the 'people's race' and while there will be no people at it, it will still be a top class renewal of a very historic race," concluded Roe.

The Irish Daily Star's sports editor should be bringing all the action from Cheltenham for his newspaper, but this year the Ashbourne man has to settle for a view from his couch as he runs the rule of the genuine contenders for top honours.

"The binoculars might be swapped for the remote controls this year, but there’s still nothing beats the excitement of Cheltenham," buzzed Flanagan.

"There might be no people in the stands or indeed scrum in your local betting shop, but the racing in the Cotswolds is as good as ever despite being a very different Festival to what we're used to.

"The Irish challenge is very strong with our record of 19 wins in 2017 looking under threat despite the fall in numbers participating due to Brexit red tape and Covid-19 restrictions.

"On Tuesday, Honeysuckle, who hasn't got the credit she deserves, but remains unbeaten and can give Rachael Blackmore a first win for a woman rider in the Champion Hurdle, while Milan Native is a good each-way prospect for Denise 'Sneezy' Foster — who has of course taken over at Cullentra from the suspended Gordon Elliott. He won last year's Kim Muir at the Festival and looks likely to produce another big run having had a wind operation.

"Willie Mullins has never won the Queen Mother Champion Chase, but Chacun Pour Soi has a very strong chance of ending his losing run on Wednesday. He missed out last year with a late injury but the defection of Altior means he's very hard to oppose in the second day feature. One at a bigger price in a handicap is Entoucas for Joseph O'Brien and JP McManus in the Grand Annual Chase.

"Meath trainers have a very strong representation in the featured Stayers' Hurdle on Thursday with Gavin Cromwell, Noel Meade and Denise Foster all saddling fancied runners, but they might struggle to beat Paisley Park. He won this two years ago and is a really strong stayer who has the engine required to see out this three mile trip.

"Farclas is one that could go well for Foster in the Paddy Power Plate. He won the Triumph Hurdle here before and has been consistent in handicap chases this season.

"Al Boum Photo attempts history in the Gold Cup on Friday, but his hat-trick bid may be quashed by Nicky Henderson's Champ.

"He won last year's RSA and has only been seen once since then, but he's hugely talented and will be suited by the drying ground. If you haven't backed a winner by the closing Kim Muir you're in trouble but Mount Ida IDA has the right profile for this race to go well for Cullentra and Sneezy," concluded Flanagan.