Will Captain Guinness's stamina hold out in what promises to be a strongly run affair from the outset?

Willie Mullins and Henry de Bromhead have won the last four runnings between them and while Mullins has the numbers, his rival has the one to beat according to the market as Captain Guinness has been favourite for this ever since he sidestepped the Tingle Creek. 

De Bromhead won this with A Plus Tard in 2019 and Envoi Allen in 2021, and in Captain Guinness he has a rock-solid 162-rated performer who looked better than ever when cruising clear to land the Fortria Chase at the inaugural Navan Racing Festival last month. His jumping there was a thing of beauty and he got closer to Energumene than anything else in last season's Champion Chase too. 

The worry for Captain Guinness is the trip. This is 2m1f and it will stretch every sinew of his stamina. All six of his wins have been over 2m and, if Gentleman De Mee and Dysart Dynamo do their thing and pop out in front, they will ensure this is a proper test. 

It is not hard to envisage Captain Guinness tanking coming down to the last, but whether he will be able to fend everything off from that point is the big poser for punters. 

Mullins is responsible for all of the opposition and three of those are owned by JP McManus. On ratings, Dinoblue has it all to do but she has won her last three and comes here to take on the boys with a 7lb allowance at the top of her game. 

It was debatable whether she would have won at Naas in a Grade 3 last time, as Sir Gerhard came down two out when travelling sweetly, but Dinoblue stayed on well and is now 7-2 joint-favourite with stablemate Allegorie De Vassy for the Mares' Chase at Cheltenham. She won't mind how fast they go up front. 

Gentleman De Mee has been beaten first time out for the last three seasons so maybe he will be of more interest in the spring, especially with Dysart Dynamo in the line-up and likely to take him on up front. 

Saint Roi: won at this meeting last year

Saint Roi won the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at this meeting last year, when picking up the pieces late off a fast pace and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that something like that could happen again here. He does have over 18 lengths to make up on Captain Guinness from their clash at Naas, but it would be no surprise to see him get a lot closer here.

Captain Guinness out to reward De Bromhead's patience

Eleven years after Sizing John provided him with his first success in this Grade 1, Henry de Bromhead is hoping Captain Guinness can supply him with win number four.

Runner-up to Blue Lord in this contest 12 months ago, Captain Guinness was an emphatic winner of the Fortria at Navan on his reappearance and some said it was the best performance of his career, although RPRs suggest it was 1lb shy of his displays in last season's Champion Chase and Celebration Chase where he chased home Energumene and Jonbon.

He was originally going to go to Sandown to take on Jonbon in the Tingle Creek, but De Bromhead has been patient and waited for this. With No El Fabiolo in opposition, it looks a shrewd call. 

De Bromhead said: "We decided to come here instead of the Tingle Creek. He won well at Navan in the Fortria and has been in great form since.

What they say

Willie Mullins, trainer of Dinoblue, Gentleman De Mee, Dysart Dynamo and Saint Roi
They all seem in good form and I just hope we get a bit more luck than we got yesterday [Tuesday], but it looks like Henry might hold the winning hand with Captain Guinness. I’d say Dinoblue has every chance, the conditions of the race will suit her. Gentleman De Mee has a higher rating and, if he put in his best run, he wouldn’t be far away either. Dysart Dynamo just hasn’t struck form on his last few runs, and I’d be delighted if he could finish in the first three. Saint Roi is one who is just maybe finding two miles a little sharp for him, but he did win a Grade 1 here off a searching gallop last season. There looks to be plenty of pace on in this too and he might just be there to pounce on anything that goes too fast.

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