GORDON ELLIOTT STABLE TOUR: CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2024

Seven-year-old American Mike heads to the Turners’ at this year’s festival on the back of three runs over fences at Navan (twice) and Limerick this term.

He beat the impressive Fact To File on chasing debut by just over three lengths at Navan but was disappointing next time out when finishing fourth in the G1 Faugheen Novices’ Chase at Limerick in December.

He bounced back to winning ways next time out at Navan in a G2 ahead of Nick Rockett and Minella Cocooner and run a big race in the Turners’ at around 12/1 currently.

Elliott looks likely to send Better Days Ahead to the Martin Pipe on day four of the festival, despite holding entries in other races. The six-year-old is currently 9/1 for the contest NRNB.

He finished 16 th in last year’s Champion Bumper before falling on hurdling debut at Down Royal in November last year when priced as the 8/15 favourite. He then recorded a first win over hurdles at Fairyhouse before a fourth-place finish in a G2 at Navan.

Second to Asian Master at Navan last time out means he possesses promise ahead of the Martin Pipe and has to be feared for a top trainer.

Brighterdaysahead goes to the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on the Thursday as the current 6/4 market favourite for Elliott on the back of winning her first three starts over hurdles at Thurles, Down Royal and Navan after winning two out of two bumpers last term.

Her last outing has been the most impressive, seeing off five rivals to win a Listed 2m 5f race at Navan by 12 lengths rather easily in the hands of Jack Kennedy.

Elliott has been rather bullish about this one and believes she is one of his best hopes for the festival and she looks very tough to beat in this year’s renewal of the Mares’ Novice Hurdle.

Coko Beach skipped Cheltenham last year and went for the Aintree Grand National in April and went off at 28/1 in the hands of Harry Cobden, but was pulled up after three out.

He has been in decent form so far this term, winning twice, including a G3 at Navan and a Cross Country Chase at Punchestown last time out when 11/8fav (Stattler in fourth).

He’s a talented gelding and trainer Elliott believes he could have a chance if the ground is softer.

Conflated looks set to go for the Ryanair Chase after unseating his rider on both of his last run outs. He had been running decent races on both occasions in the Savills and the Irish Gold Cup.

He finished third in the Gold Cup at last year’s festival and currently sits at around 7/1 NRNB for the Ryanair.

Elliott says he has a big engine and he’s a previous G1 winner so there is no reason why he couldn’t go well this year and he is Elliott’s number one in the contest.

Six-year-old Croke Park looks set to line up in the Albert Bartlett on the Friday of the festival and is currently priced at around 25/1 if you fancied a punt at something in the outsider category.

The gelding comes to Cheltenham on the back of finishing seventh in the G1 Lawlor’s Of Naas but was found to be lame. He had won a G3 race at Navan prior to that and his trainer believes he could be a chaser in the making.

He looks like he will stay the trip in the Albert Bartlett and Stay Away Fay’s win in this last term at a big price could persuade you to have a go on Croke Park at around 25’s.

The classy Delta Works bids for a hat-trick in the Cross Country Chase after winning the last two renewals of the contest, ahead of Tiger Roll in 2022 and ahead of Galvin last year.

He then went to the Grand National after the festival last year, and that is once again the plan this year, so you’d say he has a massive chance of winning this for a third time.

He’s a top staying cross-country horse and has to be in with a massive shout.

Six-year-old Fil Dor heads for the Ryanair after a couple of promising runs over fences at Naas and Cork.

He was 19th in the Coral Cup at last year’s festival but has been a good second on his return to fences this term behind Dinoblue at Naas and behind Champion Chase favourite El Fabiolo at Cork.

He’s priced at around 11’s for the Ryanair, so seems to be less fancied than stablemate Conflatedbut those last couple of runs have to provide some encouragement that he could play a part.

Three-time bumper winner Firefox heads to the Supreme at this year’s festival following a disappointing fourth-place finish in the G1 Lawlor’s Of Naas in January, which was unusual given that this a horse that has beaten Ballyburn before, earlier in his career.

It is still uncertain which way Ballyburn will go (Supreme or Gallagher’s) but considering the fact that Firefox has beaten him before, he should be in with a chance anyway despite that disappointing performance last time out.

There are a couple of other strong horses at the top of the market but Firefox at 5’s could be a good bet on the opening day.

Found A Fiftty heads to the festival for the Arkle on day one, having finished a narrow second to Il Etait Temps in the G1 Irish Arkle last time out, which was impressive considering he finished ahead of the likes of Facile Vega, Sharjah and Marine Nationale.

He had gone into that race with a G1 victory at Leopardstown on Boxing Day, again ahead of Facile Vega, who finished fourth and his form over fences has been pretty decent.

He is currently 7/2 NRNB for the Arkle and can run a big race for Elliott.

Similar to Delta Work, Galvin has been purposely trained for the Cross Country and the Grand National at Aintree, as he was last term. He finished second to Delta Work in last year’s renewal of the Cross Country and could give another good account of himself after finishing fourth in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan last time out.

However, Elliott has said that if the ground doesn’t suit at Cheltenham, he will save Galvin for the National, so probably best to wait to punt on him until race day.

Another big hopeful for the festival is Elliott’s Gerri Colombe, who goes for the Cheltenham Gold Cup after his narrow defeat to The Real Whacker in last year’s Brown Advisory, where if he had another 100 yards or so, he would have won staying on nicely.

He was beaten by over 20 lengths by Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup last time out, who is this year’s favourite, but Elliott and his team remain hopeful he could give Willie Mullin’s runner a good race at around 10/1 NRNB.

Irish Point will head to either the Stayers’ Hurdle or the Champion Hurdle for Elliott on the back of finishing first in the G1 Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown in December, ahead of a couple of the rivals he would face in the Stayers if he was to go there.

Connections have toyed with sending him to the Champion Hurdle amid the news that Constitution Hill will not be defending his crown, and you could see Irish Point having a chance wherever he goes.

He’s more likely to win the Stayers’, however.

Five-year-old Jalon D’oudairies travels to the festival for the first time to take his place in the Champion Bumper on the Wednesday, as one of three fancies for Elliott in the race, alongside Romeo Coolio and The Yellow Clay.

This gelding is currently 5/1 fav NRNB, after winning two out of two bumpers at Fairyhouse and Leopardstown so far, showing a lot of promise.

He could be smart and looks to be Elliott’s best chance of winning this one out of the three

mentioned.

King Of Kingsfield is entered in both the Supreme and the County Hurdle on the Friday, with stable jockey Jack Kennedy keen to go to the County. The six-year-old arrives at the festival on the back of finishing third in a G1 at Leopardstown last month, behind Slade Steel and Ballyburn.

It might make more sense going to the County, as if Ballyburn goes for the Supreme, he will probably win with ease, at least you’d like to think so.

This six-year-old is in good form and is currently 6/1fav for the County, if he goes there.

Six-year-old My Trump Crad heads for the Albert Bartlett, alongside stablemate Croke Park. After winning a bumper at Navan, he switched to hurdles and finished second at Fairyhouse when 4/9fav.

He followed that by winning a maiden hurdle race at Navan in January before coming here for the Albert Bartlett but he will need to perform better to win a festival race.

He is currently 20/1 NRNB for the Albert Bartlett.

Ndaawi goes for the Boodles, alongside another nine runners that Elliott currently has entered in that contest. The four-year-old has won once over hurdles so far since coming to Elliott’s yard, in a maiden contest at Naas in January after finishing third at Fairyhouse earlier that month.

The Boodles will require a step up from the gelding, but connections are excited about him, and he has to be in with a chance after that win last time out. Currently priced at around 8/1.

Pied Piper heads for the County Hurdle for the second year running after his second-place finish in last year’s renewal, a head behind 33/1 winner Faivoir. He finished third in 2022 at the festival in the Triumph Hurdle behind Fil Dor and Vauban as well.

Elliott looks set to claim off him again this term for the same contest and could go close again off a price of around 10’s at the moment.

Romeo Coolio is one of three runners that Elliott looks set to saddle in this year’s Champion Bumper. He’s a slightly higher price than stablemate The Yellow Clay for this race on the back of winning on bumper debut at Fairyhouse in January over two miles.

It’s difficult to assess his chances of winning after just one run but for a top trainer you can never rule one out, especially as he is currently strong at the top end of the market.

Elliott looks likely to send Saint Felicien to the plate after making a decent start to his chasing career at the likes of Navan and Gowran Park. He’s never finished outside the top three over fences and recorded his first win over the bigger obstacles at Gowran Park last time out by just over three lengths.

He is currently priced at around 12/1 for the Plate, which does have some good horses in, but he has to come into consideration on the back of his Irish form. Pulled up on his only previous start at Cheltenham in the Coral Cup two years ago.

Eight-year-old Salvador Ziggy is heading to the festival for the National Hunt Chase over 3m 6f as a 4/1 shot for the contest NRNB. The gelding arrives at the festival in decent touch, having won three times over fences since June last year.

He has previous form around this course, having finished second in last year’s Pertemps Hurdle but will now need to navigate fences and the longer trip. He’s an experienced novice and should go close in this one.

Experienced veteran Sire Du Berlais will again go for the Stayers’ Hurdle, a race he won last year when priced at 33/1 and he is a big price again this year at 20’s currently. He followed on from the festival by winning the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree but disappointed in the Boyne Hurdle last time out.

Many use that race as a warmup for the festival and the ‘horse of a lifetime’ as Elliott calls him will give everything to win the Stayers’ again at the age of 12.

Teahupoo, like Sire Du Berlais, goes for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the festival on the back of finishing first in the G1 Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse in December. He beat a couple of nice horses there in the form of Impaire Et Passe and Ashroe Diamond and he finished a narrow third in this race last year.

Currently priced at 2/1 fav for the race and set to be ridden by Jack Kennedy, he has to be feared on the back of a good victory last time out.

The Goffer heads for the Ultima after finishing fourth in the race last year, behind Monbeg Genius, Fastorslow and Corach Rambler. He’s not been in the greatest form since that contest but did win on the flat last month at Punchestown to prep him for Cheltenham and you’d have to say he can be in with a chance again at a price of around 13/2.

He looks to be Elliott’s best chance of winning the race and the market currently seems to agree so he has a chance for sure.

The Yellow Clay is the last of three that Elliott saddles in this year’s Champion Bumper, and he currently sits at around 6/1 for the race. He followed up his debut bumper win with victory in a listed bumper at Limerick last March before finishing a promising fourth in a G2 bumper at Leopardstown last month when priced at 40/1.

He outran his odds that day and goes to the festival as a little bit of an unknown quantity and his trainer has said that there is a possibility his stable jockey Jack Kennedy chooses to ride him which could provide even more encouragement.

The last of the Gordon Elliott runners at the festival is Wodhooh. The four-year-old heads to the Boodles in tip top form, having won all five of her starts over hurdles so far, including her last success, which was in a listed juvenile at Doncaster, where she won by over six lengths to Max Of Stars.

She is currently 8/1 for the Boodles and has to be in with a chance after those wins but Elliott also has Ndaawi entered in that one, so it will be interesting to see who Kennedy decides to ride on the day.