Best of British at this year’s Festival

PA Sport Reporters
March 7, 2024 3:22 pm

Irish raiders expected to dominate, but there are some strong home hopes!

As ever, much of the build-up to the Cheltenham Festival has surrounded the dominant position of Irish trainers compared to their British counterparts. But despite the huge hole left by the absence of Constitution Hill, all might not be as bad as it seems for the home team, who appear to have some pretty solid chances.

Here, we take a look at some of the best of them:

Grey Dawning (Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, Wednesday/Turners Novices’ Chase, Thursday)

Grey Dawning has taken to fences well (Nigel French/PA)

A useful novice hurdler last season, he won a Grade Two at Warwick but later fell in Grade One company at Aintree, so we never got to see how he compared to the best. As a result, he began this season a little under the radar but shaped nicely first time out when a close third to Stay Away Fay at Exeter. He then won easily at Haydock and should have beaten Ginny’s Destiny at Cheltenham but for an almighty blunder two out. His performance in easily beating Apple Away and Broadway Boy at Warwick marked him out as a real contender to take on Fact To File in the Brown Advisory, or Dan Skelton could still switch to the Turners to avoid that hot favourite.

Ginny’s Destiny (Turners Novices’ Chase, Thursday)

Ginny's Destiny has followed a similar route to stablemate Stage Star — Ginny’s Destiny has followed a similar route to stablemate Stage Star (Nigel French/PA)

Quite incredibly, Stage Star’s win in the corresponding race last season was champion trainer Paul Nicholls’ first at the meeting for three years and Ginny’s Destiny could repeat the dose. He has followed a very similar route to the race and, just like Stage Star, the theme of his performances has been putting his rivals under pressure with accurate jumping. Whatever beats him will have to put in a near-perfect round of fencing to get him out of rhythm.

Crambo (Stayers’ Hurdle, Thursday)

Crambo (right) has taken a big leap forwards this season (Steven Paston/PA)

Could this be the year that Fergal O’Brien finally breaks his Festival duck? He has come close on numerous occasions, albeit mostly in handicaps. But this season he is heading there with some top-class prospects. Crambo is already a Grade One winner, seeing off the veteran Paisley Park in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, after which he was put away to ensure he arrives at his local track at the peak of his powers. In a wide-open year, Crambo has plenty going for him.

Dysart Enos (Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, Thursday)

Dysart Enos has impressed in remaining unbeaten (Simon Marper/PA)

If Crambo is unable to provide O’Brien with a first winner at the Festival, then maybe it will be Dysart Enos. The mare sprang to prominence when she lowered the colours of Queens Gamble in a Market Rasen bumper, where the consensus was the favourite had under performed. The way Dysart Enos then bolted up at the Grand National meeting proved that was not the case. Cleverly campaigned this season to avoid picking up a penalty, she might just have a bit too much speed for the Irish mares, who have been winning in heavy ground all season.

Sir Gino (Triumph Hurdle, Friday)

Sir Gino created a massive impression at Cheltenham (Nigel French/PA)

You could not find a horse who looks less like a juvenile hurdler than this fellow – but he can really motor. While he may look more like a three-mile chaser than a sharp two-mile hurdler, he made a Royal Ascot winner in Burdett Road look rather pedestrian on Trials day, sprinting clear after the last. In most of the last few Triumph Hurdles, Willie Mullins has held the nap hand. This year, however, Sir Gino is set to be a red-hot favourite and there will be long faces at the Seven Barrows yard of Nicky Henderson if he is beaten.

Shishkin (Gold Cup, Friday)

Shishkin is trying hard to rid himself of his bad boy image (Adam Davy/PA)

Given the manner of Shishkin’s last two victories, at Aintree in April and Newbury last month, grinding out wins over three miles, it is hard to fathom how he had the speed to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and an Arkle in his youth. What happened in between those races also casts aspersions on his character, as he refused to race at Ascot and looked a little recalcitrant at the start of the King George. However, when he did hit top stride at Kempton, he showed the size of his engine remains intact when still in front two out – before unfortunately tripping up on landing. He rattled home when second in the Ryanair last year but did not look happy throughout and a year earlier he was pulled up early in the Queen Mother, so it is to be hoped there are no mental scars of Cheltenham.