Impaire Et Passe out to justify the hype and continue Irish domination of the Ballymore

Every year there is always one horse who generates a buzz on the Cheltenham preview circuit and this year that horse is Impaire Et Passe, who has been backed into a short-priced favourite to give Willie Mullins his sixth win in a Grade 1 he first won in 2008 with Fiveforthree.

His 2014 winner Faugheen went on to win the Champion Hurdle the following year and the hype suggests Impaire Et Passe is just as exciting as Faugheen was at this stage of his career.

It has certainly looked like speed is the lightly raced five-year-old’s main asset. He won a 1m4½f bumper in France before joining Mullins and after landing a 2m3f maiden at Naas on his Irish debut in December, he returned to two miles with a comfortable performance last time.

Impaire Et Passe was notably slick at his hurdles before producing an impressive turn of foot to win going away by six and a half lengths, without needing to be asked for maximum effort.

He didn’t look like an obvious candidate for an extra five furlongs at a stiff track like Cheltenham, but similar comments applied to Sir Gerhard before he won this race for the Mullins team last season and he had no problem staying the trip. Mullins usually gets it right.

Impaire Et Passe is priced up purely on reputation and what he might go on to achieve, rather than the form he has shown already, and punters looking for value will rightly point to the fact that stablemate Gaelic Warrior and Challow winner Hermes Allen have stronger form.

Gaelic Warrior jumped persistently right in the Fred Winter here last year, but was still good enough to get within a short-head of landing a big gamble. That’s no great surprise given he is now rated 157 and was running off just 129 that day, so better will be needed to win this.

He defied a mark of 143 when winning a 2m handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival last time, but again jumped right and the biggest worry about this longer trip is not so much the extra distance, but the fact he will jump more hurdles. If he goes right again, he won’t win.

There are no track concerns regarding Hermes Allen, who won unchallenged over course and distance in November and barely came off the bridle when following up in the Challow at Newbury last time. That puts him head-and-shoulders above the other British novice hurdlers.

The worry for his supporters is that it’s six years since the last British winner of this race and the Irish novice hurdlers have looked strong again this season. Nicholls is also searching for his first win in the contest and the top-class Bravemansgame couldn’t win it two years ago.

Hermes Allen may be a better horse than him in time and he could easily be a better hurdler, but recent history suggests that, even if he is, he might not be good enough to beat the Irish.

The forgotten horse in the race is American Mike, who was beaten only three and three-quarter lengths into second by Facile Vega in last year’s Champion Bumper.

He has won only one of his three starts over hurdles, but his latest defeat was over five-furlongs shorter than this at Navan and the return to a stiffer test should suit.

Trainer Gordon Elliot fits a tongue-strap but that isn’t necessarily a positive. The trainer is 4-34 with first-time runners in the aid since the start of last year, losing £17.13 to £1 stakes.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

Townend: Impaire has been impressing at home

Willie Mullins is responsible for four runners here and the hype has surrounded Impaire Et Passe, who could emerge as the next superstar for the festival's winningmost trainer.

The 8-1 available after his easy win in the Moscow Flyer has long gone and he is poised to go off a clear favourite following a steady period of support in the last few weeks.

Stablemate Gaelic Warrior came within a short-head of a Cheltenham Festival victory in the Boodles 12 months ago, but he was able to preserve his novice status for another year and reward backers with three impressive wins.

The last of those came when he was a well-backed handicap winner at the Dublin Racing Festival over two miles and he is now stepped up in distance and grade.

The Mullins squad also includes Champ Kiely, whose road to Cheltenham can be traced back to the Galway festival in July. He was last seen landing the Lawlor's Of Naas in January, while Navan maiden hurdle winner Ho My Lord also features here.

His jockey Paul Townend said: "He's been a massive talking horse for the last number of weeks. He's been impressing at home and his win at Punchestown was really good, albeit it wasn't the strongest race. It was just the manner of the victory. I rode him in a few bits of work before I came over and he's doing everything right. There is plenty of depth to this race, though."

Nicholls: Hermes Allen has a 'lovely chance'

Paul Nicholls has fielded Britain's main challenger in this for the last two years and has missed out to Irish-trained winners but the vibes around Hermes Allen have been positive.

Hermes Allen: 3-3 this seasonCredit: John Grossick

The six-year-old has looked sensational in his three starts for the champion trainer, including when winning here in November and handling testing conditions in the Grade 1 Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury on New Year's Eve.

Hermes Allen has been campaigned in a similar way to Bravemansgame and Stage Star, Nicholls runners who were third and pulled up in the Ballymore in the last two years but this season's Challow form looks exceptional with half the field having won since.

Nicholls said: "He's unbeaten, he's in good shape and I hope he's got a lovely chance. The form of the Challow Hurdle has worked out nicely and we're very happy going in to the race. He proved at Newbury that he doesn't mind soft ground. We don't know how good the Irish horses are but all we can do is try our best."

Connell seeks memorable double

Barry Connell will look for a momentous Cheltenham Festival double with Good Land, who he has described as being on equal terms to Tuesday's impressive Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Marine Nationale.

Good Land unseated his rider on his hurdles debut but but bounced back with victory at Leopardstown in December before following up in Grade 1 company at the Dublin Racing Festival two months later.

Connell said: "He couldn't be in better form. He has plenty of speed and I don't think he has ever made a mistake in his two hurdle races.

"He has a great temperament and is very laid back, which is a massive plus at a festival with thousands of people. Ground doesn't matter with him as he won his bumper on heavy ground. He's a genuine Grade 1 horse and with a bit of luck he'll be hard to beat."

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of American Mike
Things haven't gone according to plan since Down Royal but we think he's coming back to himself now. He schooled nicely over hurdles the other day. It's a big ask, but he's a good horse.

Fergal O'Brien, trainer of Marble Sands
I'm looking forward to running him and he's in great form. He's a third-season novice hurdler but he's battle-hardened now and won the Listed Sidney Banks last time. Paddy [Brennan, jockey] knows him really well and although he's a massive price I could see him in the shake-up.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Master Chewy
He's a lovely horse and he's a better horse than he looks on paper. He'll appreciate the smaller field here too.

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Persian Time
He's a lovely young horse with a very bright future. He's run very well on both of his starts and might lack a bit of experience, but his whole life is in front of him.
Reporting by James Stevens

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Could chase form prove the key in another competitive Coral Cup? 

Energumene and Edwardstone clash again in top-quality Champion Chase  

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'I dare say he'll take a bit of pegging back' - top analysis and quotes for the Grand Annual 

Why wily Kiely might be able to outgun the Mullins battalions 

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