Can Galopin Des Champs make it two-in-a-row?
The Prestbury Cup
Perhaps as a consequence of Willie Mullins’ continued success, Ireland’s dominance over England continues at the Olympics of horse racing. In fact, over the last eight years, England have only won the Prestbury Cup at Cheltenham once.
They enjoyed a very successful Wednesday, however, with Dan Skelton’s four winners at least bringing their tally for this year to a more respectable number.
With Mullins (6) backed up Henry de Bromhead (2), Emmett Mullins (1), Gavin Cromwell (1), Joseph O’Brien (1), and Gordon Elliott (1), Ireland still lead by 12-8 heading into the final day.
The ground
John ‘Shark’ Hanlon’s Gold Cup hopes are pinned on the shoulders of his horse Hewick. They lie in the hands of Wexford jockey Jordan Gainford but they all lie helplessly in the lap of the weather gods. Shark, the Kilkenny trainer, has said in the build-up to the festival that, should the weather go against him on Cheltenham week, ‘the people’s horse,’ will not race.
Hewick, just like Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge (favourite for Thursday’s Ryanair chase) is a hard ground horse and will not race if the weather is wet, and the ground soft.
