Justin O'Hanlon: 'Mullins firepower could be crucial in deciding the prize'

The tried and trusted tactic of concentrating on chasers in this competition looks likely to bear fruit again this season but the hurdles division is interesting too as a few horses look likely to dominate. It is also a season in which Willie Mullins could be particularly dominant at the top end.

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Henry de Bromhead may well be looking for his third straight Gold Cup winner after the victories of Minella Indo and A Plus Tard, but he will do well to repeat that level of success as the Closutton team has an enormously strong hand in the top races.

After his spectacular performance at Punchestown in April on his first attempt at 3m, the giant Allahoended the season as the top staying chaser and the strong galloping manner of his victory suggests he will be difficult to beat in the Gold Cup.

It would seem that the champion trainer is likely to send him to the King George at Kempton, a race which looks absolutely made for him.

For whichever races Allaho does not contest, there is always last season’s brilliant novice Galopin Des Champs, who would have enjoyed an unbeaten campaign but for his very unfortunate last-fence fall in the Turners Chase at Cheltenham.

How he will be campaigned will be interesting. He was brilliant at 2m4f last season, but he was a Grade 1 winning novice hurdler over 3m. The Punchestown Chase in December would look a natural starting point.

Despite saying that Mullins has such a strong hand in top races, such was the authority with which A Plus Tard landed last season’s Gold Cup it would be foolish to leave him out. A winning return in the Betfair Chase at Haydock is on the cards, especially given the manner he won that contest last season.

El Fabiolo was a rapid improver last season after landing a maiden hurdle at Tramore on New Year's DayCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The novice chase division will be of interest too. Top staying prospect The Nice Guy is out for the season but Mullins has at least one live candidate in the 2m division in the shape of El Fabiolo, a rapidly improving novice hurdler last season who gave Jonbon a real fright in the Grade 1 at Aintree before gaining Grade 1 success at Punchestown.

Add to the list, the Gordon Elliott-trained Mighty Potter. His campaign was something of a mixed bag last season, including when pulling up after a bad mistake in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, but he got back on track when landing a Grade 1 at the Punchestown festival and his trainer is looking forward to him tackling fences.

For the purposes of finding a Grand National winner, one could do a lot worse than include the Gavin Cromwell-trained Vanillier.

The 2021 Albert Bartlett winner started off well over fences last season but his form went south towards the end of the campaign, with a poor display of jumping in the National Hunt Chase being particularly disappointing. Kissing spines was found to be a reason which has now been rectified and he looks likely to be aimed at the biggest staying handicaps this season.

Despite the disappointment of what happened at Cheltenham, defeat of Energumene at Ascot makes him the best two-mile chaser around and an unbeaten season looks likely.

The Champion Hurdle picture is as clear cut as it could be at this stage of the season. Everything points towards a Cheltenham showdown between unbeaten champion and brilliant Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Constitution Hill. One of them will have an unbeaten season and both look likely to arrive there unbeaten.

As for the novice hurdlers, Mullins again looks to have a significant edge. It has been a long time since a hurdles debut was awaited with more excitement than that of the brilliant Facile Vega after his unbeaten bumper campaign last season featured breathtaking successes at Cheltenham and Punchestown.

Justin O'Hanlon's Ten To Follow

Allaho
A Plus Tard
Constitution Hill
El Fabiolo
Facile Vega
Galopin Des Champs
Honeysuckle
Mighty Potter
Shishkin
Vanillier

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