Willie Mullins hit the headlines earlier in the week when he withdrew all eight of his runners from the 2024 edition of the King George VI Chase. Whilst several of the eight were either amongst the outsiders or unlikely runners, the withdrawal of the favourite Gaelic Warrior caused a significant shake-up in the market.
Mullins may yet send the odds compilers back to the drawing board, should he opt to hand John Durkan Memorial Chase winner Fact To File a supplementary entry in the race. For Gaelic Warrior, an alternative route through the season has been mapped.
Arkle Winner to take the Next Logical Step
To see Gaelic Warrior atop the King George market wasn’t the biggest surprise. After all, his only previous outing over three miles had resulted in a 10-length romp in the Grade 1 Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown. However, that came during the 2022/23 season, with the horse being campaigned over distance of between two miles and 2m5½f during 2023/24.
Winning four of six starts last season, including two Grade 1s, his career-best came when roaring to success over two in the Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival with a winning margin of more than eight lengths. Whilst not always the case, Arkle winners tend to stick to what they do best and target the Queen Mother Champion Chase over the same course and distance. And despite the doubts heading into the season, that now appears to be the plan for this Rich Ricci-owned star.
Explaining his reluctance to run the six-year-old over three miles on his first start of the season, Mullins revealed that the horse will now tread the two-mile path towards the two-mile chase championship event on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival. Set to reappear at Leopardstown over Christmas, his next stop will take him to the Dublin Racing Festival or, alternatively, the Tingle Creek Chase at Ascot before his date with destiny in March.
Mullins Runners Queueing Up to Face Jonbon
Following the news of his intended target, Gaelic Warrior immediately shortened in the Champion Chase market and is now vying for favouritism with the Nicky Henderson-trained Jonbon.
However, should all not go to plan with last year’s Arkle hero, Mullins is well stocked in the two-mile chase division, with four of the first six in the market hailing from his County Carlow yard. In addition to Gaelic Warrior, the following trio may give Nicky Henderson sleepless nights in the build-up to the big one.
- El Fabiolo – Four-time Grade 1 winner, who lit up the 2023 Cheltenham Festival when slamming Jonbon by more than five lengths in the Arkle. Whilst now a four-time Grade 1 winner, he ended 2023/24 on a low note as his jumping fell to pieces in the Champion Chase and Celebration Chase. Given his talent, it’s too soon to write him off, but a step up in trip for the Ryanair Chase has been mentioned.
- Energumene – As a six-time Grade 1 winner in two-mile chase events, including the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Energumene’s suitability for the task isn’t in doubt. However, he missed all of last season through injury and turns 11 in January. Set to return in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork in December, he will become the oldest Champion Chase winner since Moscow Flyer in 2005 if coming home in front.
- Il Etait Temps – Successful four times at the highest level, this six-year-old is regularly underestimated in the market. Nine lengths too good for the field in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree, he then mastered Gaelic Warrior in the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase on his final start of last season. However, he was over 13 lengths adrift of Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle and nine lengths behind another Champion Chase hopeful, Marine Nationale, in the 2023 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Undoubtedly talented, the formbook suggests Cheltenham may not see him to best effect.
How many of the above ultimately line up in March remains to be seen. However, at this early stage, Jonbon vs Gaelic Warrior promises to be one of the most fascinating head-to-head clashes at the magnificent meeting in March.