Huge Cork interest in Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novice Hurdle with Kopek Des Bordes going for glory
Kopek Des Bordes and Paul Townend win for trainer Willie Mullins. Picture: Healy Racing
The Cheltenham Festival extravaganza gets underway this afternoon and there is sure to be plenty of emotion locally for the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novice Hurdle which gets the festival underway.
Less than three weeks after the Lombardstown rider tragically lost his battle for life racing fans everywhere will salute the achievements of a wonderful young man taken so young.
Fermoy owner Charlie McCarthy owns the strong favourite for the race Kopek Des Bordes who is trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend.
He was brilliant at the Dublin Racing Festival and will go off odds on favourite to get punters off to a flyer.
Gordon Elliot is represented by Romeo Coolio who was runner-up in the bumper at last year’s festival and will have his supporters.
Henry De Bromhead is a master at getting his horses to peak for Cheltenham and his representative is Workahead.
Leading owner and trainer Barry Connell will be hoping his exciting novice William Munny will improve sufficiently improve to be in the shake-up here.
He will carry the bright yellow colours which Michael O’Sullivan famously carried to victory on Marine Nationale just over two years ago.
William Munny is reportedly working well and really would be a poignant success at 6/1.
Former bookmaker and high-profile gambler Johnny Dineen is eagerly awaiting the start of the meeting and fancies a couple of horses on the opening day which traditionally has been very good to punters.
“Kopek Des Bordes was very good the last day and looks a real rising star. But he is odds on at this stage and can get a bit fizzy before his races," Dineen said. "I probably won’t back him but at the same time I expect him to win for the McCathys.
The Champion Hurdle is the feature race of the day and the English superstar Constitution Hill is odds on favourite but has certainly divided opinion after missing all of last season through injury.
After a number of false dawns he got back over Christmas and comfortably beat the Irish challenger Lossiemouth at Kempton.
He followed that victory with another smooth success on trials day at Cheltenham.
Gordon Elliot has never won the Champion Hurdle and Brighterdaysahead his stable star gives him a huge chance under the returning Jack Kennedy.
“If the Constitution Hill from two years ago turns up there would be absolutely no betting. He is the best hurdler I have ever seen in my life and that includes Istabraq.
"But he has had so many setbacks in the last couple of seasons that I would be prepared to take him on.
"Brighterdaysahead looks a very smart horse and she has a huge chance of turning over the favourite.”
Lossiemouth now runs in the Mares Hurdle and should give Paul Townend his second winner of the day.
There are also a couple of handicaps which are always hugely competitive.
“I like the chances of The Changing Man in the Ultima Chase. Joe Tizzard has brought this horse along nicely all season and he looks a major player here for jockey Brendan Powell.
"The Fred Winter is a fiercely competitive handicap for juveniles. Gavin Cromwell has been a trainer to follow and his representative Total Look has been the subject of plenty of whispers.”
Punters generally need to get ahead over the first couple of days so there will plenty of the Mullins runners in accumulators on the opening day. The National Hunt Chase is now a handicap which makes it a very tricky puzzle for punters.
This race is now a handicap and professional jockeys can ride in the race. Ground conditions look ideal for the opening day although there is the prospect of rain later in the week.
It promises to be a brilliant four days with Cork owners likely to figure.
Kopek Des Bordes
Majborough
The Changing Man
Lossiemouth
Constitution Hill
Total Look
Now is the Hour.
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