6th March 2016

Hi ,

Elliott Has Team to be Second Best Trainer at Cheltenham

Willie Mullins is a massive favourite to be the leading trainer at the Cheltenham Festival but another Irish handler has plenty of fancied runners representing him at the meeting. Gordon Elliott has the favourite in seven races and must be backed in the market to be top trainer without Mullins. Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson have nothing outstanding running for them so Elliott looks a good thing for minor honours.

The last but one weekend before the best race meeting in the world sees ordinary fare at Newbury and Doncaster. The horses primed for Cheltenham have long since run their trials and we are now heading into a period of the calm before the storm. The festival dominates jumps racing like no other single event in another sport. The four days feature championship races for chasers and hurdlers over all distances.

Mullins trained horses are favourite or joint favourite for nine races so in that context Elliott is not too far behind. Mullins horses are generally a shorter price and he probably has four bankers. His main fancies are in Grade 1 races but the trainer’s championship at Cheltenham is based on wins and not prize money. A case could be made for backing Elliott in the outright market at 20/1 but that is win only.

The Grand National meeting at Aintree seems worlds away ahead of Cheltenham. Some horses are kept back for the meeting because they are more suited to a flat track than the undulations of Cheltenham. However, most of the best horses compete in the most prestigious races which take place at the festival. Numerically in terms of Grade 1 races Aintree is not too far behind and offers more prize money but the comparison is skewed by a one million pounds National.

Elliott won the race with Silver Birch in 2007 as a relatively unknown trainer. His potential was spotted by the O’Leary brothers who own Ryanair and the Gigginstown Stud racing syndicate. Anyone who has flown with Ryanair knows they are hard-headed businessmen so employing Elliott is not based on sentiment but confidence he can deliver. He is the only trainer based in Ireland with any hope of competing with Mullins.

Elliott has just turned 38 so is decades younger than his main rivals and contempories. Mullins, Henderson and Nicholls are well past their 50th birthdays so Elliott is a mere baby in the context of training champion National Hunt horses. He was just 29 when he trained the winner of the National and at that stage had not had a winner on an Irish track. Elliott is currently second behind Mullins in the Irish Jump trainers Championship, both in terms of winners and prize money.

Gigginstown entrusted Elliott with the training of Doc Cossack who is the highest rated chaser in Britain and Ireland and favourite for the Gold Cup. Four years ago after a bumper the trainer identified the horse as a potential Gold Cup winner. His bosses gave him plenty of stick for his comments but his opinion has now been vindicated. Don Cossack looked about to overhaul Cue Card and Vautour when falling two out in the King George and that was the hottest chase this season to date.

No More Heroes got a positive call for the RSA Chase at Cheltenham during the preview night this week streamed on Betfair. The horse is also in the Elliott stable and is currently his shortest priced entry for Cheltenham. More Of That is the clear second favourite for the novice chasers championship and has a 5 from 5 record at the track. However, No More Heroes is a stayer but not slow and Cheltenham will suit him.

Don Cossack and No More Heroes will probably both need to win for Elliott to finish second for trainers at Cheltenham. Mullins dominates Irish racing and the modern festival but in Elliott there is a trainer with the youth and backing of major owners to make things more interesting over the next few years starting at the 2016 Cheltenham Festival.

Best Wishes,

BetFan