There is no greater feeling during the week of Cheltenham than getting one over on your fellow punter.
Sure, everyone can lump on the favourite and collect their fifty cents for the one-hundred euro they just paid out, but it’s much more fun to try something a little bit different.
With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at five Irish hopefuls heading to Cheltenham next week who might be worth keeping an eye on over the course of the festival of National Hunt racing.
Don’t gamble your house away, but if they do come in, at hefty prices, hopefully, then we’d like some appreciation.
Silver Concorde – Dermot Weld
Not quite an unknown for keen Cheltenham race fans, the 2014 Bumper winner is heading for the trip in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle next week.
Weld rates him as a major player, and while the odds may suggest he will be an outsider at 14/1, we’ll go with the man in the know.
Last seen at Leopardstown at Christmas time where he came home second, as an each way on day one, you cannot go wrong with the eight-year-old.
Weld would love an upset, especially against the big players of Min and Yorkhill.
Diamond King – Gordon Elliot
All the focus in the Elliott’s yard is on No More Heroes, and why wouldn’t it be. But the Meath trainer, who is likely to saddle over twenty runners next week, has a sneaking fancy for one of his mounts who could cause an upset
Diamond King is likely to run in the Coral Cup and comes in off the back of an impressive win at Punchestown in early January.
One previous run at Cheltenham, over a year ago, was less than impressive, but an improvement in ground, as well as stamina, is likely to favour the horse that in ten runs has a 50% success rate.
Currently, at a very decent price of 10/1 Elliot’s horse looks like a great way to start your Wednesday.
Velvet Maker – Alan Fleming
@rossmoyno7 Has a great chance at the weights, problem with Velvet maker is he's not the best of jumpers.
— Leigh McGrath (@leighmaccraith) March 8, 2016
The Kildare trainer is bringing just the four horses to Prestbury Park next week and the final race of the week on Friday, the Grand Annual, is one that Irish fans can look forward to.
His most recent run was at Leopardstown, and after impressing on much better ground, there are high hopes for Fleming to finish his week on a high.
The distance of two miles will suit the horse, and having just lost out to Douvan in his last run, we fancy this horse, at a price of 16/1, to start your weekend on a winning note.
Great Field – Willie Mullins
What would a Cheltenham preview be without a Willie Mullins horse?
The Carlow trainer has so many that it’s hard to pick any that may come in under the radar.
But the mount that has tickled our fancy, and perhaps may be worth some spare change, is Great Field.
The late declarations have placed him in the County Hurdle on Friday where he has to be considered a huge threat and according to bookies, is now the favourite at 8/1 after pulling out of the Coral Cup.
Impressive in the last outing at Leopardstown, a rating of 147 means that wherever he pops up, he will be closely watched.
If he can rein in a little bit of over-exuberance, he should be well worth some of your hard-earned cash at more than each-way.
Trainer: Gavin Cromwell.
The Navan-based trainer is one of those men who Irish racing cannot live without.
With just twelve horses it’s amazing that he is even able to get any mount to Cheltenham.
But next week he will take star of his mini-stable Jer’s Girl to the Cotswolds, where he may land the talented horse in the JCB Triumph Hurdle, or the inaugural Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
Elusive Ivy is also entered, but whether the horse will make the trip over, remains to be seen.
Cromwell isn’t even a trainer by trade; instead, he is a farrier.
He may be hoping to afford slightly fancier shoes than he is normally used to if he claims a success next week, and how ironic it would be for Irish fans to be cheering on a man with such an infamous surname.
Great visiting trainer @gavincromwell1 string and #Cheltenham contender Jer's Girl today for @RTERadio1 @HRI_Racing pic.twitter.com/dLYvTL9vgf
— Suzanne Campbell (@campbellsuz) March 7, 2016
