Legendary Irish jockey and Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Robbie Power has given us his Cheltenham Tips and Festival banker in an exclusive interview.
Power, our Horse Racing Ambassador at BoyleSports, gave us his verdict on the Cheltenham Gold Cup, a horse he fancies for the Cross Country Chase, his Cheltenham Festival banker plus even more.
Robbie Power’s Cheltenham Tips
Galopin Des Champs Can be Beaten in the Cheltenham Gold Cup
He can be beaten, of course, it’s a Gold Cup. He was beaten twice last year after winning the Gold Cup and twice by Fastorslow but if Galopin Des Champs puts up the performance he did at Punchestown at Christmas then I find it very hard to see anything beating him – that was as good a performance as I have seen from a chaser in a very long time.
His gold Cup win last year was a good performance too as he overcame a lot of things that went against him so he was obviously a very good horse to win then and that doesn’t happen a lot in the Gold Cup if things aren’t going your way. He is the class horse of the race, no doubt.
Shishkin I think is a big danger. Gerri Colombe , I know Gordon Elliott didn’t think he was at his best at Christmas, so we will see an improvement, Gentlemansgame was good when winning the Charlie Hall. Bravemansgame obviously can out him to the test too.
*Galopin Des Champs is the Evens favourite for the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup according to the latest Cheltenham odds at BoyleSports.
Minella Indo has a great chance in the Cross Country Stepping Down in Class
I think Minella Indo will go well in the Cross Country. His run back at Cheltenham over the banks was a huge performance, especially with 12 stone on his back and giving a stone and a half away to the first and second so he will take a lot of beating in the Cross Country. He’s never been out of the first two at the Festival.
Perceval Legallois, a horse of Gavin Cromwell’s, he was a shade unlucky when coming down at the last at the DRF so he could be well in for the Kim Muir. Another horse of Jono O’Neill’s too, Crebily, I think he will go for the Plate and his form has been boosted, he’s snuck in ahead of the handicapper.
* Minella Indo is the 15/8 favourite for the Cross Country Chase per the latest Cheltenham betting odds at BoyleSports.
State Man can bridge the gap to Constitution Hill In Champion Hurdle
I do know that Paul Townend, Willie Mullins and the State Man camp think he didn’t run his race last year and there is evidence to back that up this year. He was very good at the DRF when beating Bob Olinger and I do think State Man will bridge the gap. He's a better horse this year than last.
* State Man is now the 4/9 favourite for the Champion Hurdle according to the Cheltenham betting at BoyleSports. Robbie’s comments were made prior to doubts surfaces about Constitution Hill’s chances of running in the race.
Ryanair is wide open – Envoi Allen has a massive chance
I think this race is wide open. Banbridge is very ground dependent, if you’re thinking of backing him ante post then I wouldn’t, I’d be waiting for the ground. The performance he put up at Kempton when he beat Pic D’Orhy has worked out really well when Pic D’Orhy won at Ascot, so that form is very strong for Banbridge.
Envoi Allen for Henry, he was very good when winning this race last year and the ground won’t matter at all to him, he has a massive chance of beating Banbridge.
* Envoi Allen is the 7/2 3rd favourite for the Ryanair Chase per the latest Cheltenham odds at BoyleSports.
El Fabiolo is the banker of the week in the Champion Chase
El Fabiolo is probably one of the bankers of the week, for me. I have been very, very disappointed this year with Jonbon. People were blaming the jockey last time but I don’t buy that, he just doesn’t act as well around Cheltenham as he does at Aintree or the flatter tracks.
His performance in the Tingle Creek wasn’t great either, I can’t see him being any threat to El Fabiolo, he will be very hard to beat.
* El Fabiolo is the 4/9 favourite to win the Champion Chase per the latest Cheltenham betting odds at BoyleSports.
Hewick’s chances in the Gold Cup with the prize of €100,000 from BoyleSports up for grabs if he wins?
Hewick can do anything, he is the fairytale story to the Gold Cup. Did I think he would win the King George? No I didn’t, I thought Kempton would be way too sharp for him.
That said, he was running a mighty race in the Gold Cup last year when he came down at the second last, though I know Jordan Gainford who was riding him didn’t think he would beat them. In the King George he came on so strong, he definitely has an each-way chance if the ground is dry.
* Hewick is a 14/1 shot for the Cheltenham Gold Cup per the latest Cheltenham odds at BoyleSports. If he wins, BoyleSports will donate €100,000 to charity between the Irish Injured Jockeys and the Injured Jockeys Fund in the UK.
Robbie Power’s Cheltenham Festival Tips
Envoi Allen @ 7/2 to win the Ryanair Chase
Perceval Legallois @ 6/1 to win the Kim Muir
Lossiemouth @ 4/7 to win the Mares’ Hurdle
* You can bet on all the top class Festival action this month with the latest Cheltenham odds at BoyleSports.
Willie Mullins Dominance Not A Problem For Racing
I don’t see it as a problem, it is a little disheartening I suppose for a lot of people that Willie is so dominant but as the old saying goes, if you win in the sales ring then you win on the race track and Willie has been able to get all these horses – he has the owners, he has the ammunition.
I suppose the one difference to the Flat with Aidan O’Brien for example, where it’s all Coolmore whereas Willie’s runners are spread among five or six different owners. At DRF they all had grade 1 winners and Willie is never afraid to have his runners take each other on, he often has three, four or five in the grade 1s so it makes for competitive racing.
Positive Outlook For Henry de Bromhead’s Yard
We are very happy with how things have gone on, I suppose there is a bit of a changing of the guard this year. Some of the big guns, the likes of Minella Indo , are dropping down in class in the Cross Country Chase, which he will be very competitive in.
A Plus Tard has been retired, Honeysuckle has been retired, so there is a little bit of changing of the guard but we have a nice bunch of novices to go to war with, Slade Steel and Monty’s Star for example. So it is a bit of a change but we have a good team going over, around 20 horses to head there.
It’s a rebuild, exactly. I don’t think our expectations have dropped though, we would still like a couple of winners. We might not have as many big guns but we do have a nice bunch of horses to go with.
Prestbury Cup Preview
When you look at the English challenge, Nicky Henderson probably has the strongest chance and hand of them. If he has a good week he could have three or four winners but if Willie has a good weekend, he could have ten winners.
The English will be very strong in some of the handicaps, the Irish are probably not handicapped well anymore so that’ll be interesting to see this year but the big races will likely go to the Irish.
We have been winning at the sales. A lot of the bigger owners in Ireland are actually from England and are sending over their horses as the prize money is so good.
That is starting to change though, the prize money over there is starting to come back a lot. No domination lasts in any sport – at the moment Ireland are on top but I can see that changing in the times to come.
In football, Liverpool were dominant in the 80s, Man United were dominant in the noughties.
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