Gordon Elliott, who trained Don Cossack to win last season’s Gold Cup, held a pre-Festival media event at his stable on Tuesday morning. His team for Cheltenham does not contain as many ante-post favourites or Grade One contenders as that of Willie Mullins, his only rival for the Irish trainers’ championship this season, and around half of the 30 or so horses he sends to the West Country are likely to be handicappers whose chance will depend on the burden they are allotted when the weights are published on Wednesday morning. This is what he had to say about the best of his likely runners.
Outlander (10-1, Cheltenham Gold Cup)
Outlander is the one who looks a bit unexposed. It will be his first time over the trip, but the way he will be ridden will suit him because we will drop in and take our time. We missed the Irish Gold Cup with him [after his win in the Lexus Chase on 28 December] and that was the right move with a view to Cheltenham and Punchestown [in April] as he’s had three runs already this season.
Don Poli (20-1, Cheltenham Gold Cup)
Don Poli has had a chance to win a Gold Cup and he hasn’t, but he’s in good form and his last two runs have been good. To be honest, none of them are Don Cossack [but] there’s not a lot between the Irish horses in my opinion. I think Outlander and [Willie Mullins’s] Djakadam are the pick of the Irish horses for the Gold Cup, as they are going there fresh. The rest of them have had a few races.
Tombstone (14-1, Champion Hurdle)
He was meant to go chasing this season and he definitely will next year but he had a setback. He will be supplemented for the Champion Hurdle if everything goes right from now. It’s a very good race, but it looks open as well. I think he will improve again from [his last run] at Gowran [where he took the Red Mills Trial Hurdle]. I’m not saying he’s good enough to win a Champion Hurdle, but he’s unexposed and Petit Mouchoir is the third or fourth favourite and he was behind us in the Supreme [last season].
Death Duty (11-4 fav, Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle)
He will definitely run in the Albert Bartlett, over three miles he can really get into his comfort zone and I think the race is made for him. He’s a big three-mile chaser in the making and I said from flag fall that this is the race we are going for. He has done nothing wrong this year. You can’t knock him. He is the sort of horse who doesn’t do anything flashy. He is very relaxed and laid-back, and they are normally the best ones.
Mega Fortune (8-1, Triumph Hurdle)
He’s won a Grade One and so has Philip Hobbs’s horse [Defi Du Seuil], and the juveniles are what they are. I think riding him positively in cheekpieces [which he wore to win at Leopardstown last time out] makes more of a difference to him than the ground. You wouldn’t think he was a Flat-bred horse watching him at home, he’s more like a three-mile chaser. He wore cheekpieces on the Flat so I’d always thought we would be putting them on at some stage.
Empire Of Dirt (7-1, Ryanair Chase)
He looks to have a very good chance in his race and that’s the plan for him unless something happens to Outlander or Don Poli.
Apple’s Jade (5-2, Mares’ Hurdle)
Limini’s performance the other day [when beating Apple’s Jade at Punchestown] didn’t surprise me at all, we were beaten by the better horse on the day. If she’s there again [in the Mares’ Hurdle] we’ll take her on again, there’s no point panicking about one horse as you’d never run them, would you? You’d be hoping a bit of better ground and a faster gallop would suit Apple’s Jade. She had to do a lot of the donkey work last time and it didn’t suit her, she ran a bit fresh, but she got beaten by the best horse.
Jury Duty (14-1, Pertemps Final)
He goes for the Pertemps Final [and not the Coral Cup]. He won well in Navan and then we were running out of time to get him qualified, which is why he went to Chepstow the other day, I think that was the last qualifier. He’s a horse I’m looking forward to running. You need to take your time on him. Jack [Kennedy] hit the front way too soon on him at Punchestown last year. He is owned by a great bunch of lads and I hope he runs well for them.
Tiger Roll (25-1, J T McNamara National Hunt Chase)
You’ll know after jumping two fences if he is on a going day or not. He’s rated in the 150s in England and I doubt there will be many in the race with a higher rating. He’s obviously got course form [when winning the Triumph Hurdle] and the trip will be no problem for him.
Wednesday’s best bets, by Greg Wood
The best option for punters today could be to spend some time getting to grips with the weights for the Festival’s handicaps, which will be published this morning, as there is a distinctly pre-Cheltenham feel to the thin fields for the best races at Wincanton this afternoon .
Ballinvarrig (3.10) and Pure Vision (2.40) should both go close on that card, however, while Chiswick Bey (6.00) has a solid chance on this evening’s Flat card at Newcastle. He is unlikely to be getting any better at the age of nine but has already shown a liking for the new Tapeta straight mile at Newcastle and has been competitive off higher marks than today’s in the past.
Slingsby (7.30) is another who appeals at a decent price on the same card, while Pulpitarian (3.00) should go well at Musselburgh this afternoon.
Greg Wood’s Wednesday tips
Ffos Las 2.20 Bob Mahler 2.50 Dueling Banjos 3.20 Steel Native 3.50 Way Of The World 4.20 Johns Luck 4.50 Absolute Power
Musselburgh 2.00 Bridge End 2.30 Ca Le Ferra 3.00 Pulpitarian 3.30 Pekanheim 4.00 Spiculas 4.30 Decade Player 5.00 My Little Cracker
Newcastle 5.30 Out Of Order 6.00 Chiswick Bey (nap) 6.30 Justice Pleasing 7.00 Armandihan 7.30 Slingsby (nb) 8.00 El Hombre
Wincanton 2.10 Like The Sound 2.40 Pure Vision 3.10 Ballinvarrig 3.40 Loch Ba 4.10 Kristal Hart 4.40 Skylark Lady
