Andrew Nelis racing

Willie Mullins seeks a second win in the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap when he saddles True Self in the York feature. The Closutton trainer struck in the 2009 renewal with the mare Sesenta, a 25-1 shot under then 5lb claimer Gary Carroll when she got the better of Aidan O'Brien's hotpot Changingoftheguard. Mullins' representative this year was beaten only three lengths into sixth place 12 months ago, before going on a round-the-world tour - which included trips to Australia, where she won a Group Three, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia....                    Andrew Nelis Racing 

Willie Mullins has a strong hand as he bids to claim the  Guinness Galway Hurdle  for a fourth time. After first landing the prestigious handicap with Mystical City in 1996, the Closutton handler had to wait another 20 years to double his tally with Clondaw Warrior – before the top-class Sharjah provided him with a third victory in 2018. The champion trainer’s son Patrick was aboard Sharjah, and on Thursday takes the ride aboard top-weight  Aramon  – who chased home stable companion Saint Roi in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham Festival in March, before making an impressive return from a break to win the Grade Three Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary last month..

It was business as usual for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend at Tipperary, as just two days into the resumption of jumps racing Aramon showed a smart turn of foot to win the Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle. The champion trainer and jockey teamed up to great effect in the Grade Three, with the former top-class novice shrugging off top-weight to stamp his class on matters. The race had looked a good opportunity for Henry de Bromhead's Petit Mouchoir to get back to winning ways, but the 11-10 favourite had no answer to Aramon's finishing kick, as Townend moved stylishly into contention and flew the last.                   Andrew Nelis Racing 

Multiple Grade One-winning chaser Un De Sceaux left the yard of Willie Mullins for the final time on Monday. The hugely popular 12-year-old was retired in February after a ligament problem was discovered in the wake of a piece of work in preparation for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He finished outside of the first two just once in 21 completed runs over fences – the majority of which were in Grade One company – and ended his career having won 23 of 34 races under rules and more than £1.5 million in prize-money. He ran at five Cheltenham Festivals, winning the Arkle in 2015 and the Ryanair in 2017. Mullins tweeted: “Un De Sceaux is leaving us today for his new life in France. A horse with a remarkable attitude & a will to win like no other, he will be really missed around the yard.” Saluting his charge on the day his retirement was announced, Mullins had said: “You can’t replace horses like him – it’s impossible. He was a once-in-a-lifetime ...

Shishkin and Asterion Forlonge are two of 16 runners declared for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday. Since making it no further than the second flight on his hurdling debut, Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin has proved himself a top-class prospect with two facile victories at Newbury and Huntingdon – propelling him to favouritism for the traditional Festival curtain-raiser. Henderson also runs Chantry House and Allart in his bid for a fourth Supreme success. Willie Mullins has won the race more than any other trainer, saddling four of the last seven winners and six in all, with Tourist Attraction providing him with his very first Festival success when striking gold in 1995. His chief contender this time around is Asterion Forlonge, who like Shishkin carries the colours of owner Joe Donnelly. The grey is unbeaten in three starts under rules and ran away with a Grade One at Leopardstown last month. Like Henderson, Mullins fires a three-pronged assault, ...

A Plus Tard, Frodon and Min are three of 13 horses confirmed for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday. The Paul Nicholls-trained Frodon brought the house down when triumphant in last year's renewal under a jubilant Bryony Frost, but arguably faces a tougher test this time around, with a couple of top-class Irish raiders in opposition. Henry de Bromhead's A Plus Tard made light work of his rivals in handicap company 12 months ago and proved himself a genuine top-class performer when claiming the notable scalp of Chacun Pour Soi on his latest appearance, at Leopardstown in December.

Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo showed his well-being ahead of the defence of his crown in a schooling session after racing at Navan on Tuesday. Al Boum Photo, ridden by his big-race partner Paul Townend, pleased trainer Willie Mullins in the racecourse workout. He was in a group of four along with stablemates Kemboy, ridden by Patrick Mullins, Duc Des Genievres (Robbie Power) and Melon (Danny Mullins). “I’m very happy with how they all jumped,” said Mullins. “In the first group we had Kemboy, Al Boum jumped very well, Duc Des Genievres and Melon. “We put cheekpieces on Melon and I think they sharpened up his jumping nicely. “We just went for a circuit, it wasn’t fast work as it was just jumping I wanted to get into them. I was happy.” In a second group, Allaho led fellow Festival hopefuls Carefully Selected and Billaway. “I was very happy with how they all jumped and galloped,” said Mullins. “At the moment my preferred option is the RSA with Allaho....

                                                    ANDREW NELIS RACING NEWS . Willie Mullins plans to talk to owner Rich Ricci before deciding on Faugheen’s Cheltenham Festival target. Winner of the Champion Hurdle in 2015, the veteran has bounced back to something like his best this season at the age of 12. Having his first campaign over fences, Faugheen has already won Grade Ones at Limerick and Leopardstown, where he raised the roof at the start of the month. Faugheen has the option of the RSA Chase over three miles or the Marsh Novices Chase over two miles and five furlongs, the distance over which he won at the Dublin Racing Festival. “He is well after his run in Leopardstown, but myself and Rich haven’t spoken about it (Cheltenham),” said Mullins. “Rich actually text me last night because he knew the press were coming this morning and he ...

Sign up to BoyleSports and get up to £25 in free bets. Benie Des Dieux could head for the Close Brothers Hurdle, with Willie Mullins feeling there is some “unfinished business” in the Cheltenham Festival event. The mare has only tasted defeat once since joining Mullins from France over three years ago and it came in the corresponding race last season, when she was well in command but came down at the last. So impressive was she last time out in the Galmoy Hurdle, there were calls for connections to supplement her into the Champion Hurdle, while she already holds an entry in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle as well. “She’s in the two races. She was a very unlucky loser in the Mares’ Hurdle last year and we might go back and get a bit of unfinished business done, but we’ll see,” said Mullins. “She hasn’t run an awful lot, but I’ve got her to the stage where I can run her two or three times a year and I want to keep it that way. “She’d have no trouble going up in trip...

Willie Mullins is set to field two of his big guns in an attempt to win the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase for the first time, with veteran Un De Sceaux likely to join Chacun Pour Soi. Despite being crowned champion trainer in Ireland 13 times and leading the table at the Cheltenham Festival six times, he has never won the two-mile championship chase. However, having landed his first Gold Cup last year with Al Boum Photo, Mullins has a very strong hand in a race which could be one of the highlights of the week, with Altior and Defi Du Seuil also due to line up. “My connections are very keen to go to the Champion Chase with Un De Sceaux. Whether he should be going for the Ryanair, I don’t know, but the Champion Chase looks the plan at the moment,” said Mullins. “I think we got the tactics wrong in the Ryanair last year. If we run in the Champion Chase, we’ll just let him run his usual race up front. “He still retains a huge amount of ability at his age. I’d love to see lo...

Willie Mullins reports defending Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup champion Al Boum Photo to have had a trouble-free preparation this season. While the eight-year-old does not run too often, he has nevertheless won seven of 15 races, including the biggest prize of them all last March. Mullins has followed the path which worked so well last season, by running only at Tramore on New Year’s Day prior to the Festival, and he hopes lightning can strike twice. “We’ve had no trouble with him this season, so fingers crossed everything stays right between now and the Gold Cup,” he said. “We will take him away somewhere to school – we were just discussing that this morning. We’ll take him wherever we can get in, just for a day away rather than a hard piece of work. “I thought last year’s Gold Cup was very tough and I don’t think this year looks any tougher. “He’s in great form anyway and I think his preparation will be good for him – he’s going there in good order and in a good frame of m...

     CILAOS EMERY TO BE SUPPLEMENTED FOR THE 2020 CHAMPION HURDLE .                                          ANDREW NELIS RACING NEWS AND REVIEWS . The 8yr old had a relative  easy win in a hurdle race at the weekend at gowran pk in a Grade three Hurdle trial . The plan now is to supplement him costing £22,000 and have him line up for the champion on the first day !.  Its not the first time a horse has been supplanted at such a late stage for the competitive championship race on the first day , Annie power was supplemented a few years back and went on to win, also Nicky Henderson's  Bevuir dair also  from going from going as a hurdler to chasing then back to hurling when on to win back to back champion hurdles , so when you see a horse being supplemented in such a hot race , then you've got to believe , that their serious about their chance...

  EW LUCKY 15 FOR THE 2020 CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL.                                        ANDREW NELIS RACING NEWS  Now comes to the EWs of the festival a lucky 15 I will be giving  to the punters out there, I will start with one on the Tuesday and continue right up  to the Gold cup day.  Now we start on the Tuesday first day of the festival, were we have the champion Hurdl Arkle and supreme ( first race ) also we have the mares race which has attracted some fine good mares through the years . I am going for the Nicky Henderson trained shiskin currently at 4/1   a horse that has visually impressed throughout the year and a trainer who has won the Supreme a few times now . Wait until the day as they may drift in price getting better for you all to take!.  Now we come to the Wednesday were we have the champion chase a horse that I've been fo...

                   CHAMPION HURDLE REVIEWS                                                      ANDREW NELIS RACING NEWS Well what have we learned from the trials and tactics from this years major contenders, and other stragglers in the Cheltenham champion hurdle.  I think its puzzling in the sense that a few haven't really performed in each side of the Irish sea . Pentland Hills  may need a quicker pace and it will suit in the Adulations of the cotswold track . Now we have  had the withdrawals of both  saldier and klassical dream a horse who won at the festival in the supreme novice and going on to win at the punchestown festival at the end of last season . Watching the race that Honeysuckle  won finishing fast was  Darver star  ( gavin Cromwell ) who's horse Es...

 Klassical dream and Saldier out. Klassical dream of willie Mullins and Saldier have both been ruled out of the champion hurdle  festival March.  The news today that both of Mullins horses was a sore blow to both very capable charges, although it does have to be said  that klassical dream was struggling for quite some time . The 2019 supreme winner had failed to hit the heights of last season, and hasn't recovered from a injury picked up in his last race . Saldier in the other hand was a shock news , what has willie now to throw at the champion Hurdle ? Well he has his other mare benie des dieux and sharjar with the former getting a handy 7lb mares Allowance . She is currently priced with Bet365 5/2 favourite, sending waves with similar prices elsewhere she may take her chance now  rather than the mares                                Andrew nelis racing news 

   Cheltenham QM Champion Chase                   Andrew nelis racing  One of the hottest races of the Cheltenham festival , great winners down through the years , sprinter Sacre sizing Europe, Altior , Moscow flyer so many more  I could name many more. Now we have a very open affair this year , Altior ( Nicky Henderson trainer ) is the current champion going for three in a row . Now Altior stepped up in trip for the first time in his career  it was a move that wiped his 100% record out   by a defeat of cyrname ( Paul Nicholls ) the highest rated horse in training . Was it  Altior step up in trip that got him beat  or was it a horse maybe in the decline , he has achieved everything put in front of him winning a supreme a Arkle and two champion chases , not knocking a great horse , just simply  seeing that maybe he has peaked , and it always happens when a young gun or guns  ...