Gaelic Warrior's best trip and a new Supreme favourite: what Cheltenham clues will Trials day and the Dublin Racing Festival provide?
The following two weekends are certain to provide a series of major clues for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival. Trials day at the home of the festival is set to stage the rescheduled Clarence House Chase among a host of other informative contests, while one week later it's the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown featuring eight Grade 1 races and many of the best jumps horses around.
What are some of the big contests and who are the big horses set to run that could impact the outlook for the Cheltenham Festival with less than eight weeks to go?
Will Burdett Road maintain his unbeaten run?
The last four Triumph Hurdles have gone to Ireland, but this year's betting is headed by the British-based Burdett Road – and we will soon learn a lot more about the festival favourite as he could take his chance in the Grade 2 Triumph Trial at Cheltenham.
A Royal Ascot winner last year, Burdett Road has made a seamless transition to hurdling with impressive victories at Huntingdon and Cheltenham in November, where he was delivered to perfection under an ice-cool Harry Cobden ride.
That form has since been boosted by the runner-up An Bradan Feasa, who could reoppose on Trials day, while Burdett Road's rivals could also include Nicky Henderson's impressive Kempton winner Sir Gino and Milan Tino, who hails from the Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm stable.
Trials day is not the only option on the table for Burdett Road, however, as his connections have mooted the idea of heading to Ireland to contest the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle.
A run at Leopardstown could see Burdett Road come up against Willie Mullins' impressive Punchestown winner Storm Heart. Mullins had a one-two in the race last year with Gala Marceau and Lossiemouth, who went on to fill the same places, albeit in reverse order, in the Triumph Hurdle.
With Constitution Hill heading straight to the festival, the Unibet Hurdle has opened up and could be an option for Burdett Road next week too should connections want to aim for a bigger prize on the same Cheltenham card.
Gaelic Warrior – which race, which trip?
Gaelic Warrior is two from two since sent chasing and put up a high-class performance when landing the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick last time out.
He holds entries in the Arkle, Turners and Brown Advisory at the festival, and his Cheltenham target could become clearer after the Dublin Racing Festival.
Gaelic Warrior is entered in both the 2m1f Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase, where he would likely clash with Marine Nationale, and the 2m5f Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown.
A run in either contest would give punters the chance to assess Gaelic Warrior's jumping around a left-handed track before Cheltenham.
The six-year-old tended to jump and hang out to his right when racing over hurdles. However he overcame these issues to land a 2m handicap hurdle at last year's Dublin Racing Festival, which remains his only win to date when racing around a left-handed track.
Stablemates Grangeclare West and Fact To File are currently shorter odds than Gaelic Warrior in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase, so could connections favour a tilt at the Irish Arkle?
Patrick Mullins recently claimed that Gaelic Warrior is versatile enough to handle a drop back in trip but his jumping would come under scrutiny over this distance – particularly against the likes of Marine Nationale.
While he's currently a strong favourite for the Turners, the Dublin Racing Festival should make it easier to decipher which Cheltenham race Gaelic Warrior will be aimed at.
Which race is a key pointer to the Supreme?
Mystical Power jumped to the head of the betting for the Supreme with his Grade 2 victory at Punchestown last week, but the prospective field for the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival is still lacking a real standout performer this season – but that could all change at the Dublin Racing Festival.
The hierarchy of Ireland's best two-mile novice hurdlers will be determined in the Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle and it will be no surprise to see a new Supreme favourite emerge upon its conclusion.
Ballyburn won over two and a half miles last time and is the ante-post favourite for the 2m5f Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle, yet he tops the Leopardstown betting at a best-priced 5-4 and victory here may sway the Willie Mullins camp towards the shorter distance come March.
Mullins has a mega 14 entries in total to whittle down as he bids to win this Grade 1 race for the 12th time in the last 13 years, having previously triumphed with future Supreme winners Champagne Fever, Vautour, Klassical Dream and Appreciate It. Sir Gerhard is his only runner in that time to go and and win the Baring Bingham.
Caldwell Potter was an impressive Grade 1 winner on heavy ground at Christmas and is part of a strong hand for Gordon Elliott. He could also run Royal Bond winner Farren Glory, who fell in the Formby at Aintree on Boxing Day when travelling well.
No Flies On Him justified strong market support on his hurdles debut at Leopardstown on Boxing Day and shouldn't be underestimated for Eddie O'Grady given he beat Formby winner Jango Baie in his point-to-point.
Expect this race to provide more clarity to a murky betting market.
Will Galopin gain revenge on Fastorslow?
After a dominant display in the Savills Chase, Galopin Des Champs has firmly established himself as the clear favourite to win back-to-back Gold Cups – but it may not be as simple as that.
The Irish Gold Cup on February 3 looks set to host a fourth clash between Willie Mullins' star chaser and Fastorslow, who has proven to be Galopin Des Champs's kryptonite the last twice they have met.
Fastorslow, who also has an entry in the 2m1f Dublin Chase, shocked the sport when beating Gold Cup one-two Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame in the Punchestown Gold Cup last season, and those chalking that up as a fluke were made to eat their words when the trick was repeated in the John Durkan Chase in November.
However, Galopin Des Champs looked a different beast at Leopardstown over Christmas compared to those two runs and if he can gain revenge in two weeks' time then it will be very difficult to make a case opposing him in March.
When will round three between El Fabiolo and Jonbon take place?
Ascot's Clarence House Chase has been rescheduled to Cheltenham's Trials day fixture next Saturday but we might have to wait until March for top two-milers El Fabiolo and Jonbon to meet for a third time.
Jonbon is set to contest the rearranged Clarence House, which is now worth £105,000 rather than its £175,000 value at its usual home in Berkshire, but El Fabiolo will be rerouted to the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown the following weekend.
The Irish Grade 1 is likely to provide more Cheltenham Festival clues, with Mares' Chase favourite Dinoblue and Champion Chase entries Captain Guinness and Boothill among El Fabiolo's possible opponents.
Unfortunately the heavyweight clash will have to wait and backers of the Champion Chase principals will simply be hoping they come through their next run unscathed.
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