Conor O'Dwyer has twice ridden the winner of the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, so who better to mark your card for this week's Festival!
The Wexford native is now a dual purpose trainer since hanging up his silks, so he retains a sharp eye on current form and examined the big races from Tuesday to Friday with John Duggan on 'The Saturday Panel' on Off the Ball.
Gold Cup (Friday, 3.30)
O'Dwyer believes the Willie Mullins trained Al Boum Photo sets the standard to become the first horse to go back-to-back in the Friday's Cheltenham Gold Cup since Best Mate in 2004.
“It’s a very open race. I think Al Boum Photo would be my pick. He’s had a very good preparation. A lot of horses probably haven’t had the best preparations. He’s been there, he’s done it. Presenting Percy I have a soft spot for. He’s won there twice. It’s a track that horses need to act around and he has acted around it. He’s run a couple of solid races back this year. He could have pulled up after the second fence in last year’s race, he wasn’t right. I wouldn’t rule him out.”
Champion Hurdle (Tuesday, 3.30)
Only two five-year-old horses, Katchit and last year's winner Espoir D'Allen have won the Champion Hurdle since 1985.
However, O'Dwyer quietly fancies a Gordon Elliott trained member of that age group to contend.
“I suppose the favourite Epatante has done nothing wrong. I’m just not sure how strong the form is. Pentland Hills doesn’t seem to finish out his races, maybe the better ground will help him. You could really pick holes in them all. If I am having a bet, for a bit of value, I think Coeur Sublime is an each way bet.”
Coeur Sublime and jockey Bryan Cooper win the Value Cabs 3-Y-O Hurdle during day two of the Down Royal Festival.Champion Chase (Wednesday, 3.30)
There were 14 Irish winners at Cheltenham last year, and O'Dwyer believes Mullins holds the key to the two mile Champion Chase. Altior has won the race for the last two years for English trainer Nicky Henderson.
“Altior coming back, he was fabulous in Newbury. He’ll be hard to beat, but I really love Willie Mullins’ horse Chacun Pour Soi. His form is very good, but I think in a true run race at a proper gallop it will bring out the best in him and I think he might be just the horse up and coming to do them.”
O'Dwyer is of the view that the Henry De Bromhead trained Notebook is the bet of the week in the Arkle Chase (Tuesday 2.10).
The Michael O'Leary trained gelding will be ridden by Rachael Blackmore and O'Dwyer is a big fan.
“I love Notebook. His performance in Leopardstown was faultless. He jumped super and for a big horse he got in tight to a couple of fences. I think at 5/2 he’s actually the bet of the week. Because of his jumping, the way he travels, he’ll get out, he’ll keep it simple, he stays well. I can’t see a negative in him. He’s beaten Joseph’s horse Fakir D’oudairies and he gave him seven pounds, but Fakir doesn’t get that allowance at Cheltenham. I think Notebook is a great bet.”
Regarding the Stayers' Hurdle (Thursday 3.30), O'Dwyer says to look no further than last year's winner, the Emma Lavelle trained Paisley Park.
“I can’t see anything to beat him. When he gets going, there’s nothing to touch him.”
It's likely right now that last year's Champion Bumper winner Envoi Allen will run in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (1.30 Wednesday) and O'Dwyer doesn't see any chinks in his armour.
“I love Envoi Allen, he’s an absolute model of a horse. He’s had a nice break, I think he’ll go there a fresh horse. Even for him, the size that he is to have won the bumper last year was an amazing feat. I think he’ll be in every double, treble that’s going. Yeah, I think he’s a banker.”
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