There’s a strongly fancied Irish horse in practically every single race at this year’s festival
The Irish invasion that takes place during the UK jumps season is legendary. The likes of the Aintree Grand National and the Cheltenham Festival see a deluge of Irish trainers, horses, and betting punters descend on them.
The 2022 Cheltenham Festival promises to be exactly the same, with Gordon Elliott returning his stable of thoroughbreds to the fray and all the other Irish trainers also bringing serious horsepower to the table.
But which Irish-trained horses will really rule the roost at Cheltenham Festival this year? That’s what we’ll explore below, as the sporting calendar takes some brief respite from the Champions League and international football to deliver some truly spellbinding horseracing action.
Galvin – Going for the Gold Cup
Many of the horses prepared for racing in Ireland are initially born and bred in the UK or France. Galvin, though, is a fully-fledged, homegrown talent, who is being heavily fancied by online bookmakers and tipsters alike to top a packed Gold Cup field.
Victory for the 8-year-old bay gelding would be sweet redemption for trainer Gordon Elliot. There will be no shortage of punters using their Cheltenham betting offers to back the horse, whose odds continue to hover around the 4/1 mark.
To take the win, Galvin will have to see off the challenge of legendary Al Boum Photo, as well as the likes of Minella Indo and A Plus Tard. A recent victory over the latter at Leopardstown suggests Galvin is up to the test.
Pied Piper – Playing to his Tune in Triumph Hurdle
Gordon Elliott is making a big play to return to the Cheltenham fold in style this year. Part of that plan involves Pied Piper, who is set to run in the Triumph Hurdle.
Impressive victories this season have come in large fields at both Cheltenham and Punchestown, with the latter being a stellar victory over the much talked about Vauban.
Pied Piper has it all to do against a high-quality field; but there’s plenty of money flowing in the direction of this special horse, who appears to have race fans under his spell.
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Caption: Galvin will be right up there as one of the most backed horses at Cheltenham this year
Blue Lord – Lording it Up in the Arkle
The Arkle Chase is always one of the most keenly watched races of the week at Cheltenham and the 2022 edition promises to every bit as riveting as its predecessors.
One of its main contenders is Blue Lord, who has done everything asked of him so far this season, having won his last three outings, one of which saw him beat fellow Arkle standout, Riviere d’Etel.
At the time of writing, it is Edwardstone who is most fancied by oddsmakers to win the race outright. However, there is an argument to say that Blue Lord is used to mixing in better company and will therefore be more likely to stay the course and cruise to a famous victory.
Run Wild Fred – Part of a Strong Irish Contingent in National Hunt Chase
It will be a minor miracle if an Irish-trained horse fails to win the National Hunt Chase, a race that closes out the opening day’s action. Run Wild Fred is perhaps the pick of the Irish talent that will be lining up to win the race, with other strong candidates for victory including Stattler and Fury Road.
The only thing that sets Run Wild Fred apart from the rest is his consistency, with the horse having finished as a winner or runner-up in each of his last six starts. It should be noted, though, that one of those second-place finishes did come at the hooves of Fury Road, who beat him handily at Leopardstown back in late December. The feeling is that Run Wild Fred has come on leaps and bounds since then.