The glitz and glamour of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Festival may hog the headlines this coming Saturday as City Of Troy and co attempt to beat the best of the US performers in their own backyard. That card is not to be missed, but there’s also plenty going on a lot closer to home.
Saturday afternoon sees a host of quality meetings on British and Irish shores – catering to fans of the flat and also National Hunt aficionados. The pick of seven contests rated at Listed level or above comes from Northern Ireland, as Down Royal plays host to the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Chase.
First run in 1999, this €150,000 event provides an early opportunity to catch a glimpse of contenders who may have an eye on Cheltenham Gold Cup glory. Won by the Gold Cup heroes Looks Like Trouble, Kauto Star, and Don Cossack in previous years, we have an intriguing cast of contenders lining up in 2024.
Elliott Stable Star Heads Five Entries
Always one of the most eagerly anticipated staying chases of the early season, the 2024 edition looks well up to scratch. The five runners remaining in contention include the past two winners of this race and boast no fewer than 20 Grade 1 wins between them. Quite the field.
1. Delta Work
- Trainer – Gordon Elliott
- Previous Grade 1 Wins – Drinmore Novice Chase (2018), Neville Hotels Novice Chase (2018), Punchestown Champion Novice Chase (2019), Savills Chase (2019), Irish Gold Cup (2019)
With five Grade 1 wins, three Cheltenham Festival triumphs, and two placed efforts in the Grand National, this 11 year old has carried the Gigginstown silks with distinction since 2017. However, he has finished no better than fourth in three previous cracks at this, with history suggesting he will improve for the run.
2. Envoi Allen
- Trainer – Henry De Bromhead
- Previous Grade 1 Wins – Champion Bumper (2019), Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (2019), Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle (2020), Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (2020), Drinmore Novice Chase (2020), Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase (2021), Ladbrokes Champion Chase (2022), Ryanair Chase (2023)
Unbeaten in his first 12 career starts, this Cheveley Park Stud star was one of the most talked about horses in training in 2021. There have been bumps in the road since then, but a record of eight Grade 1 wins, including three at the Cheltenham Festival, is a testament to his ability. First in 2022 and beaten by a neck in 2023, he could go close if returning at the top of his game.
3. Gerri Colombe
- Trainer – Gordon Elliott
- Previous Grade 1 Wins – Faugheen Novice Chase (2022), Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase (2023), Mildmay Novices’ Chase (2023), Ladbrokes Champion Chase (2023), Aintree Bowl Chase (2024)
At only eight years old, the best may be yet to come from this impressive son of Saddler Maker. Coming with a storming late run to grab Envoi Allen close home in the 2023 edition, he flopped in the Irish Gold Cup but bounded right back to form when finding only Galopin Des Champs too good at Cheltenham. He is 5lbs clear of the field on official ratings and will be the one to beat as he begins his journey towards a second shot at the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
4. Hewick
- Trainer – John Joseph Hanlon
- Previous Grade 1 Wins – US Grand National (2022), King George VI Chase (2023)
Trainer Shark Hanlon may be a giant of a man, but his pocket rocket of a stable star is invariably dwarfed by his rivals. However, anything Hewick lacks in size, he more than makes up for in guts and determination. Putting his yard’s name up in lights when landing the 2022 US Grand National, he bettered that with a brilliant win in last season’s King George VI Chase. He has his first shot at this prize in 2024 but should be fit and well following a recent spin at Punchestown.
5. Visionarian
- Trainer – Gavin Cromwell
- Previous Grade 1 Wins – None
It is unwise to ever write Gavin Cromwell off, but this outsider of the field needs to improve on all known form. That said, he only joined Cromwell in March of this year and posted a career-best effort to land the Grade 2 PWC Champion Chase earlier in the month, with the talented duo of French Dynamite and Ash Tree Meadow in behind. That effort still leaves him with 19lb to find with Geri Colombe, but he may enjoy his first outing over 3m since his Point to Point days.
Withdrawn Entrants
There were two further Gordon Elliott entrants to this race which have been withdrawn.
Conflated
- Trainer – Gordon Elliott
- Previous Grade 1 Wins – Irish Gold Cup (2022), Savills Chase (2022)
Having finished third in 2022 and 2023, Gordon Elliott has decided against third crack at the prize for this Gigginstown House Stud horse. A shock 18/1 winner of the Irish Gold Cup in 2022, Conflated has yet to recapture that form but ran well to finish third in the Ryanair Chase and second in the Punchestown Gold Cup during the 2023/24 campaign. Making it no further than the first fence in his seasonal return at Punchestown, connections will hope for better in the future.
Found A Fifty
- Trainer – Gordon Elliott
- Previous Grade 1 Wins – Racing Post Novice Chase (2023), Maghull Novices’ Chase (2024)
At seven years of age, this Bective Stud-owned chaser would have been the youngster of the field and, therefore, the most open to improvement. He failed to hit the heights over hurdles but proved far more suited to the larger obstacles in his novice season – winning three of six starts and never finishing outside the first two. This would have represented his first crack at 3m and he would have been taking on far more experienced rivals here. He will rate as an intriguing contender when eventually tackling this trip.