Henry’s horses fancied to disrupt Mullins mania on day one at Cheltenham

For all the latest news and previews ahead of Cheltenham, head to the BoyleSports Cheltenham Festival Hub here - as the bookmaker is reporting a surge of support on a number of Henry de Bromhead’s runners on the eve of Cheltenham, as punters look to take on the Willie Mullins batallion on the opening day of the Festival.

The Knockeen-based trainer - with Rachel Blackmore as the main jockey - has already racked up 21 Cheltenham Festival successes in a 20-year training career, including Gold Cup wins with Minella Indo and A Plus Tard, and will be looking to get his Festival off to a perfect start in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. 

De Bromhead’s sole representative in the Cheltenham curtain raiser is the Robcour owned Slade Steel with  Rachael Blackmore on board, who was last seen finishing second to Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle hotpot Ballyburn at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Having opened at 6/1 with BoyleSports after final declarations, savvy punters have backed the six-year-old into 9/2 as he leads a team of well-backed horses that the trainer sends out on day one of the Festival. 

A wide-open Arkle quickly follows the Supreme with Quixilios flying the flag for the Waterford team. The 2022 Triumph Hurdle winner has been backed into 6/1 from 10/1 over the last 24 hours in what looks to be one of the weakest renewals of the race in recent times. 

Memories of the Cheltenham Festival for de Bromhead are dominated by his star mare Honeysuckle, who bowed out of the racing world with a memorable win in the Mares Hurdle last year in what was one of the Festival’s great fairytales. 

With Lossiemouth the red-hot 4/6 favourite for this year’s renewal, the odds are stacked against the trio of runners from the de Bromhead yard, but with stamina doubts about the favourite, punters have started one of the biggest gambles of day one so far, with the 2021 winner of the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, Tellmesomethinggirl backed from 25/1 into 14/1. 

The nine-year-old, who was brought down in the race in 2022 when travelling well, reverts to hurdles after a spell over fences and with her record at Cheltenham and assured stamina, she could top off a memorable day for the yard, with many punters hoping for an opening day treble.  

Brian O’Keeffe. spokesperson for BoyleSports, said: “Henry de Bromhead has some big chances this week, including Minella Indo in the Cross Country and Envoi Allen in the Ryanair, but punters fancy the Knockeen maestro to kick off the week in style and have another Festival Tuesday to remember.”