Gordon Elliott Stable Tour

Form profile

Made a winning debut in a bumper at Galway in October and was running very well in a Grade 2 bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival when running out through the rail inside the final furlong.

Trainer says

He’ll run in the Champion Bumper. I’m not saying he would have beaten Envoi Allen at Leopardstown last time, but he was coming at him when he ducked through the rail. It was just one of those things, it was almost certainly just greenness that led to him doing it. It was probably the first time he ever got a proper belt of a stick and he just ducked in away from it.

Form profile

Made a winning debut in a point-to-point at Borris House in March prior to changing hands for £330,000 a week later. He made a winning start for Elliott in a bumper at Down Royal in Down Royal.

Trainer says

He won’t run at Cheltenham. He’s been given an entry for Naas on Sunday and I have to talk to his owners before making a decision on that, but I’d say he’s unlikely to run there either. He’s a very smart horse.

Form profile

A 162-rated hurdler, she is a 10-time Grade 1 winner over hurdles that won a thrilling renewal of the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2017 and most recently won the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival in great style.

Trainer says

She came out of Leopardstown in very good form. I was nervous about her dropping back to two miles against top-class geldings there, but she’d showed how good she is. She has gone from strength to strength this season. I could try and tell you why she has improved, but I’d only be guessing. I’m not too worried about why it has happened, I’m just delighted that it’s happened! She’ll have two more bits of work between now and Cheltenham and it’s all systems go for the Champion Hurdle. If we can get her there in the same form that she’s been in for her last three starts, I think she’ll run a big race. Looking back on last year at Cheltenham, the whole world knows what was wrong in that she was is season both there and at Punchestown. We are monitoring her cycle very closely this year and will be doing all we can to try and ensure that she won’t come into season on those big days this time. I’d also say that we probably made a mistake by not running her in between Christmas and Cheltenham last year. She seems to thrive on racing and having the extra run in between will stand to her. I don’t think she has to make the running. She was taken on in the Hatton’s Grace and I’d say that might have been her best performance all season. If something else wants to jump out and go quicker than her at Cheltenham, I’d say that might even suit her even better.

Form profile

A 144-rated novice hurdler, he is unbeaten in a point-to-point, a bumper and both his starts over hurdles including the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle at Naas in January.

Trainer says

The plan is to go for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle. He maybe lacks a bit of experience having only had two runs over hurdles, but I think the race will suit him. I decided not to run him at the Dublin Racing Festival as he was after having three runs in six weeks and I just thought it might be a lot to ask to go again at Leopardstown. He is great form and I couldn’t be happier with him.

Form profile

A 150-rated hurdler, he returned from over 18 months off the track to finish third in a Grade 3 novice chase at Naas in January and followed it up with a close second in a Grade 2 novice chase at Navan in February.

Trainer says

Nothing is set in concrete yet, but the National Hunt Chase is the race I’d have in mind for him. He maybe didn’t jump as well on what was firmer ground the other day as he did on his first start over fences. Jack felt the ground was just tight enough for him and he didn’t jump as well off it. Thankfully he has come out of it well and softer ground at Cheltenham would be a help to him.

Form profile

A 132-rated hurdler, he won a juvenile hurdle at Down Royal and was set to go close in a Grade 2 contest at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting only to fall at the final flight.

Trainer says

He scoped wrong after running at Gowran Park on Saturday, so it’ll be touch and go whether he gets to Cheltenham or not. He’s a good horse. In slightly different circumstances, he would have been three from three going into Gowran Park. We’ll see how he is in the next 10 days.

Form profile

A 143-rated hurdler, he has won two of his three starts over hurdles including the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Trainer says

I thought he was good when winning the Grade 1 novice hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. He was a bit green in front and should come on from it. I think stepping up to three miles for the Albert Bartlett will suit him. He actually ran well in the Royal Bond over two miles, but the trip was just too short for him. The one negative with him is that he might just lack a bit of experience for a race like the Albert Bartlett, so we might just take him away for a school over hurdles before we go there. He will hopefully be a sharper horse at Cheltenham than he was at Leopardstown.

Form profile

A 137-rated hurdler, he has won two of his four starts this season including a valuable handicap hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Trainer says

The Martin Pipe is the plan for him. It’s a race I always really try to win and he’ll be one of five or six runners in it for me. He has a mark of 141 in England and that will get him in lovely.

Form profile

A 155-rated chaser, he won the Pertemps Network Final at the Cheltenham Festival last year. He is unbeaten in three starts in novice chases this season including two Grade 1 contests.

Trainer says

I pulled him out of his intended target at the Dublin Racing Festival. I was just fearful that the ground would be too firm for him. Davy felt it was quick enough for him at Christmas and it seemed firmer at the Dublin Racing Festival. He has three runs over fences under him, so he doesn’t lack for experience. He won at the Cheltenham Festival last year and looks a very solid horse for the RSA Chase.

Form profile

A winning point-to-pointer for his previous connections, he has won all three of his starts in bumpers for Elliott in impressive style.

Trainer says

The plan is to run him in the Champion Bumper. He might not have blown everyone away at the Dublin Racing Festival, but I thought he did as much as he had to do on the day. He’d prefer more of a test than that inside track at Leopardstown on good ground. He’s a horse for the future really. He was bought as a three-mile chaser in the making and that’s what he’ll be, so to be doing what he’s doing in bumpers is amazing really. His owners Mr and Mrs Thompson are keen to have runners at the Cheltenham Festival, so that’s where he goes.

Form profile

A winning point-to-pointer, he has won two of his five starts over hurdles including the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown in February.

Trainer says

The plan is to run him in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. I think we were just riding him wrong earlier in the season. We were dropping him in thinking he had a bit of speed, but he’s just a relentless galloper and being more forward seems to suit him better. He’s a two-mile chaser in the making.

Form profile

A 140-rated hurdler, he finished a nose second in the Pertemps Network Final at the Cheltenham Festival last year. He has shaped well without winning in his two starts to date.

Trainer says

He has missed a bit of work recently and I think we’ll struggle to get him to Cheltenham.

Form profile

A 151-rated chaser, he won a Grade 1 novice chase at Limerick’s Christmas meeting prior to finishing third in the Flogas Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Trainer says

I thought he ran very well at the Dublin Racing Festival. He landed on top of a fence going away from the stands and was very slow at the next. Jack just hunted him around after that and he made a lot of headway between the last two fences before running out of steam. I’m thinking about coming back in trip with him for the Arkle Challenge Trophy. His form over two miles is very good. He beat Us And Them very well at Navan and he has since chased home Le Richebourg twice. I’m not saying we could beat Le Richebourg, but we might just have a go at it. Softer ground would help my fella and probably wouldn’t suit Le Richebourg.

Form profile

Rated 102 on the Flat, he has run well without winning in all three starts in juvenile hurdles.

Trainer says

He’ll go for the Fred Winter. He has got some good experience under him now, so he could be the type to find some improvement and run well in a Fred Winter.

Form profile

Changed hands for £325,000 after winning a point-to-point and has impressed in winning both his starts in bumpers this season.

Trainer says

I’ve decided that I’m not going to try to get him back this season. I’ll let him off and have him back in early for next season. He’s a really exciting two-mile chaser in the making and is one to really look forward to.

Form profile

A 150-rated hurdler, he made a winning chasing debut at Punchestown in November and has run well in his two subsequent starts in Grade 1 novice chases.

Trainer says

I am thinking about stepping him up in trip. I’ve been a bit disappointed with him. He hasn’t been having a cut at his fences and ex-Flat horses can sometimes be like that. We’ll all chat about it closer to the time, but my thought at the minute is to run him in the JLT Novices’ Chase.

Form profile

A 162-rated hurdler, he won the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last year and looked one of the most exciting hurdlers in training coming into this campaign, but has proved disappointing in three starts this season.

Trainer says

The issue we found with him after his last run was a deep-seated lung infection. On the scope, you could see there was a little bit of dirt in him, but it wasn’t until we did a lung wash that we found the extent of the problem. We gave him two easy weeks and a course of antibiotics after that. He looks good now, but until you go and give them a couple of good bits of work, you don’t really know where you are with them. Cheltenham is coming up fast enough for him and how he is in the next 10 days will decide whether he goes there or not. If he was to go, it would probably be the Stayers’ Hurdle, but nothing is set in concrete yet. If he doesn’t make it there, Aintree and Punchestown are obvious alternatives, but we could just take the shoes off him and leave him off for the summer too.

Form profile

A 155-rated chaser, she won five of her eight starts over fences last season, most notably the JLT Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. She ran well without winning in her first two starts this season prior to disappointing in the Leopardstown Christmas Chase.

Trainer says

She’ll run in the Gold Cup. She ran very well in the John Durkan, but she disappointed at Leopardstown last time and came home with sore shins. When you look at her, you can see how it would happen, as she’s very big. We took a chance and didn’t get away with it, but we gave her time to come right after that and she’s back going well. She has a few more bits of work to come through, but all being well she’ll go for the Gold Cup. She has been there and done it at the Cheltenham Festival and if she turns up in the same form that she did in the John Durkan, I think she has an each-way chance.

Form profile

A 142-rated hurdler, he finished fourth in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last year and ran well in a qualifier for the Pertemps Network Final on his latest start.

Trainer says

The plan is to go for the Pertemps Network Final with him. He ran well in the qualifier at Leopardstown and that is the plan for him.

Form profile

A 160-rated chaser, he won three of his six starts over fences last season, including the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He has run well without winning in all four of his starts this season.

Trainer says

He has a few entries, but the plan at the minute is to run in the Ryanair Chase. I’d say he’d need a lot of things to go his way for him to win it, but the type of horse he is and the way he’ll be ridden, he could sneak into the frame. The tactical nature of the race didn’t really suit him in the Irish Gold Cup. An end-to-end gallop in the Ryanair would suit him better.

Form profile

A winning point-to-pointer prior to changing hands for £210,000, he made a winning start for his new connections in a bumper at Navan in December.

Trainer says

We will skip Cheltenham this year and will probably aim him for the Punchestown Festival. He is entered at Naas on Sunday, but we’ll wait and see on that.

Form profile

A 159-rated chaser, he won the Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and the Aintree Grand National last season. He made an impressive return to winning ways in the Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle at Navan at the weekend.

Trainer says

I couldn’t believe how well he won at Navan on Sunday. In my mind, it looked a nice spot to give him a pipe opener for Cheltenham and I thought he’d finish last or second last! That was the first time we’ve had blinkers on him for a while and it’s fair to say they worked. He travelled brilliantly. I’d imagine we’ll leave them on for Cheltenham. To win at three Cheltenham Festivals and a Grand National, it just shows the sort of horse he is. He might not be the best horse I’ve ever trained, but he’s definitely one of the most likeable. Watching a horse like him would put a smile on your face.

Form profile

A 147-rated chaser, he has won a point-to-point and both his starts hunter chases this season.

Trainer says

Barry O’Neill was very happy with him at Navan. He said he was only doing as much as he had to and that he was toying with them. Cheltenham will be a step up for him, but he has a lot of experience in competitive handicaps and the race should suit him well.

Form profile

A 142-rated hurdler, he won a maiden hurdle at Punchestown in January and went on to finish third in the Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Trainer says

“He’ll go for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. I was disappointed he was beaten at Leopardstown and then he won well at Punchestown. The ground was a bit too quick for him at Leopardstown last time. Jack felt he wasn’t letting himself down on it or jumping off it as well as he can. He’s a horse that I could see stepping up in trip down the road.