Irish look to retain foothold at Cheltenham

The final score was 23 to 5.

No, it was not a lopsided baseball result, but the number of Irish-trained winners versus the number of British-trained winners at the 28-race National Hunt Festival for chasers and hurdlers at Cheltenham Racecourse in the west of England last March.

In the 1990s and even into the early 2000s, Irish racing enthusiasts were satisfied if their team managed a winner or two daily. As recently as 2019, each country had 14 winners.

The boom in Irish jump racing in the last decade has tipped the standings, and put Irish horses at the center of attention as the Cheltenham Festival – as the event is more commonly known.

The festival, which runs from Tuesday through next Friday, was the last major sporting event held in Europe in March 2020 before stadiums were closed because of the pandemic. The track announced a crowd of 65,859 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup program on Friday, March 13, 2020, two days after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic.

Last year, official attendance was zero. An event as boisterous as the Kentucky Derby, the Melbourne Cup, or opening day at Del Mar was held without a public audience.

In a zillion ways, it was a shame. Irish racing fans have habitually traveled to Cheltenham, 100 miles west of London, by the planeloads for decades, eager for a chance to support horses they have watched develop over the winter.

Last year, those Irish fans were denied a live opportunity to root home Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore, who won six races to become the first woman to lead the jockey standings for the week. She was supported by Irish trainer Henry de Bromhead, who won six races, but lost the trainer’s title for the week to Irishman Willie Mullins, who also had six wins but more second-place finishers.

Blackmore, de Bromhead, Mullins, and Gordon Elliott, back this year after a suspension in 2021, are expected to have successful weeks.

In 2021, de Bromhead became the first trainer to sweep the three biggest races of the week – the Champion Hurdle at two miles with Honeysuckle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase at two miles with Put the Kettle On, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup for chasers at 3 1/4 miles with Minella Indo.

This year, Minella Indo must beat stablemate A Plus Tard and fellow Irish-trained runners Al Boum Photo and Galvin in Friday’s Gold Cup. Al Boum Photo won the Gold Cup in 2019 and 2020, but was third last year.

The trend for the week may be known by Tuesday’s first race. Constitution Hill is favored to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at 2 1/16 miles for British trainer Nicky Henderson who has won 70 career races at the festival, second only to Mullins with 78.

The day’s leading race is the Champion Hurdle. Honeysuckle, an 8-year-old mare, was the odds-on favorite as of Friday to extend her undefeated record in her 15th start. Her biggest threat is Appreciate It, who is trained by Mullins.