Galopin Des Champs was once again welcomed home by an adoring crowd as the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner paraded before locals in the village of Leighlinbridge in County Carlow on Tuesday evening.

Victorious in the pinnacle of National Hunt racing last year, this time the Willie Mullins-trained gelding was able to take his career to the next level when becoming one of a select few to retain the title.

The 11-10 favourite under Paul Townend, Galopin Des Champs never looked threatened by any of his rivals and it was only the loose Fastorslow that ever threatened to thwart a repeat of last year’s triumph.

Victorious by three and a half lengths from Gordon Elliott’s Gerri Colombe, the Audrey Turley-owned eight-year-old has put his name among the greats of the race and next year could join the likes of the mighty Arkle and Best Mate as a three-time winner.

Galopin Des Champs was joined by State Man, winner of the Champion Hurdle in a another memorable meeting for Mullins, with his nine-winner haul including his 100th Festival success when Jasmin De Vaux took the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

Nicky Henderson has raised the faint possibility of Constitution Hill returning to action at the Punchestown Festival.

Last season’s brilliant Champion Hurdle winner had been a short price to defend his crown at Cheltenham last week, but a fortnight before the Festival a poor workout at Kempton led to the discovery of mucus in his scope.

There was a brief glimmer of hope he would come right in time for Cheltenham, but he was ultimately the first in a host of Henderson big guns to be ruled out of the showpiece meeting.

Henderson ran six horses on the first day of Cheltenham, five of which were pulled up. The only bright spot was Luccia finishing third in the Champion Hurdle, just three and a half lengths behind State Man, arguably making Constitution Hill’s absence even harder to bear.

One by one Henderson’s main chances were withdrawn, with Shishkin not even declared for Friday’s Gold Cup. Jonbon was taken out of the Champion Chase while Sir Gino also missed the Triumph Hurdle.

Henderson was keen to point out that a very trying week was made a fraction more bearable due to the understanding shown by the racing industry as a whole.

“My owners were brilliant, very understanding, as were the media and everyone else in racing and for that I’ll be forever grateful,” he told the PA news agency.

While in hindsight Constitution Hill’s absence might have been a blessing given how Henderson’s week went, there may be green shoots of recovery. He also saddled a winner at Kempton on Saturday through Persian Time.

“He had his blood done yesterday, as he has done every Monday since what happened at Kempton,” said Henderson.

“It has kept on improving to the point where it is as near normal as it could possibly get without being 100 per cent. It is 99 per cent, which is a long way from where it started.

“He is back in routine exercise and has joined in at the back of the team this week.

“What he had and what the others had are two completely different things. He was pretty unwell, whereas all the others are very well but have a problem. I think it’s been well documented we have a problem.

“His blood tests told us he was unwell and given he’s so laid-back at home it was a good job we took him to Kempton.

“Now he’s better and his bloods are almost back to normality he can resume exercise, but he hasn’t galloped yet.

“We’ll tick along, you can take it he won’t be going to Aintree but if he continues and his work progresses with it, there is the possibility he could go to Punchestown which both Michael (Buckley, owner) and I would love to do if possible.

“If you were to ask me his primary objective I would most likely say it’s the Fighting Fifth next autumn, but if we can get to Punchestown then we will.”

He added: “Where we are mystified is that we thought they were well, their work was great but 10 days before Cheltenham they weren’t running well and everyone picked up on that, but we put it down to the ground and not being the ‘A team’.

“All appeared to be fine and all the tests were fine, but then we discovered the horses we were running were running dreadful.

“Every trainer in the country dreads this sort of thing, and for it to happen last week couldn’t have been worse, the timing was horrendous.

“Everybody has been through the mill, but as a team and family we at Seven Barrows would just like to thank everyone for how understanding everyone has been and for that we will be forever grateful. I wasn’t looking for sympathy, just a bit of understanding.

“We’ve been having massive meetings about how we get through this and we’ll take it easy this week and regroup next week and see where we are.

“We’ll see if we can get the main protagonists to Aintree. Sir Gino, Shishkin and Jonbon, they’ve all missed their dance. The next dance is Aintree and the one after that is Punchestown but they’ll only run in one, they would have done anyway.

“I love Punchestown and I love Aintree, they don’t quite have the pressure of Cheltenham but they are still Grade Ones so let’s try to get there.”

Adrian Keatley’s smart performer Ballymount Boy is pencilled in for a step up in trip as he limbers up for the impending Flat season.

The Camacho colt enjoyed a good two-year-old campaign, winning a Hamilton maiden before catching the eye when finishing just a length behind Vandeek in the Group Two Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.

Vandeek subsequently went on to score twice at Group One level in the Prix Morny and the Middle Park, while Ballymount Boy was runner-up in the Acomb and then the winner of the Listed Prospect Stakes at Doncaster on his final start of the term.

After the Goodwood run Ballymount Boy was purchased by Wathnan Racing, who have appointed James Doyle as their retained rider.

Doyle partnered the imposing Ballymount Boy during his Doncaster victory and is set to sit on him ahead of the new season as plans are formulated for his three-year-old campaign.

After running predominantly over six furlongs last season, Keatley’s charge has emerged from his winter break looking like he will eventually appreciate further and both the Greenham and the Craven Stakes are possible targets.

Keatley said: “James Doyle is going to come and sit on him next week and we will finalise plans closer to the time, but the Greenham is a possibility I think, or he could end up going to Newmarket in April.

“He’s a fine horse, he looks more like a seven-furlong horse or a miler this year than he did last year.

“Last year he was built like a big, strong, sprinting two-year-old – I think he’s leaner this time around and hopefully he can keep progressing from where he is now.

“We were happy to finish off the season how we did with him last year and we’re hoping he can pick up where he left off.”

Brilliant Arkle winner Gaelic Warrior may be back out quickly for the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse on March 31.

Stablemate and subsequent dual Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs ran at both meetings as a novice, falling at the last when well clear in the Turners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham before strolling to victory a month later.

The two races are closer together this season at just 19 days apart but trainer Willie Mullins has not completely ruled it out.

“We did it two years ago, we brought a horse back from Cheltenham to win this, so it can be done. I’ll see how Gaelic Warrior is,” said Mullins.

“He has a huge amount of ability. He won the three-mile novice hurdle at Punchestown that Galopin Des Champs won so I was never worried about his stamina, but the fact he can do this over a shorter trip is fantastic, it shows he has class.

“Ted Walsh always said a good Gold Cup winner could win a Champion Chase, as that is how you separate the ordinary Gold Cup winners from the very good ones, and this fellow has that type of ability, I think.”

Should Gaelic Warrior be given more time to recuperate, Blood Destiny is likely to try to give Mullins a sixth successive win in the race.

“I’m looking at Blood Destiny, he’s one that could go there. This race has been on my mind a while for him. We’d been trying him at two miles but a different way of riding him – we held him up in Navan – might suit for this race, I think,” he said.

“He has the speed when you need it so if Gaelic Warrior doesn’t come back for it, Blood Destiny could be a good substitute.”

Of his other entries in the Grade One, he added: “Facile Vega disappointed me at Cheltenham, I need to find out what is wrong with him.

“His home work suggests he has the ability I think he has. Indeed, his last three bits of work before Cheltenham, we thought he had a really good chance. Maybe we left our race at Closutton because his work was fantastic but he is taking a lot of working out.

“Fact To File had a hard enough race so I doubt he’d run, but Hercule Du Seuil worked well this morning.

“Il Etait Temps is a good, hardy horse and he could come back for it as well. If the ground came up nice and dry, I might let Sharjah take his chance and Tactical Move has the ability and is a nice type for that race.”

The other Grade One event at the Easter meeting is the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle in which Jade De Grugy may attempt to atone for her Cheltenham defeat at the hands of Golden Ace.

“Jade De Grugy could run. I think you could say all the three Irish horses in her race were all marking one another. No one wanted to commit but then it was great to see Jeremy Scott winning, he had a great fan club there and it added a bit of atmosphere to the day,” said Mullins.

“Sometimes I don’t like coming back with a mare so soon as Cheltenham takes a lot out of them. Laurina managed to win both races, though.

“We have A Penny A Hundred with a chance, Cuta Des As with a chance but Fun Fun Fun could be the one as she didn’t go to Cheltenham.

“This is a Grade One and while it’s lovely to win in Cheltenham, I like to win Grade Ones, especially with mares, so it’s more important to go to Fairyhouse. We certainly did a lot of thinking this year regarding what we were keeping back for this, Cheltenham is only a Grade Two.

“If Jade De Grugy doesn’t make it back, I’d say Fun Fun Fun could be the one.”

City Of Troy could be seen at Saratoga this year, if everything goes as hoped with the red-hot Classic favourite.

Unbeaten in his three juvenile starts, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Dewhurst winner is set to reappear in the Qipco 2000 Guineas back at Newmarket on May 4.

Labelled “our Frankel” by co-owner Michael Tabor, the Justify colt is also favourite for the Betfred Derby at Epsom on June 1.

And if he is still on track after those engagements, an exciting trip for a dirt assignment could be on the agenda.

“We are particularly happy with how well he has wintered. He’s working away on bad ground at the minute as they all are obliged to,” the Ballydoyle handler said in a stable tour on Attheraces.com.

“He seems to handle it and handled a good cut in the ground in the Dewhurst, but as anyone can see he is a particularly beautiful mover which is what makes it so exciting to see what he does when he meets firmer ground. The better the ground, the better he’ll be.

“He’ll go away for a gallop in the next week or 10 days, that is always an important step for the Guineas horses. It was great for him to get the experience of the undulations of both the July course and the Rowley Mile at Newmarket last season. That will all stand to him in the 2000 Guineas.

“We’ll play it race-by-race, but you’d have to be made of stone not to be dreaming of the Derby if all goes to plan at Newmarket. After that, he could even go to somewhere like Saratoga for a Grade One on the dirt. He’s that type, he could do anything, but we’ll take it one race at a time.

“We have an unbelievable group of three-year-olds this year, but he has always been the leader. Horses like him are very rare.”

Before City Of Troy is unwrapped for the season, O’Brien has important business in Dubai on Saturday week, with dual Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Auguste Rodin set for the Sheema Classic.

He said: “Everything is running really smoothly with him. He leaves here for Dubai this weekend and the Sheema Classic on March 30 is his target. We’ve been really happy with him since his gallop at Dundalk late last month. We feel he has matured well from three to four and it goes without saying that we are very excited to get him going again.

“The horse did all his own talking on the track last year, but we really do think that he’s a very important horse for the thoroughbred breed. It is a huge thrill to have him back for this year and we can’t wait to see him race.

“If all goes smoothly in Dubai, we have it in our head that he could come back for the Tattersalls Gold Cup and then drive on to the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.”

Having dominated the Cheltenham Festival, Willie Mullins has set his sights on the Boylesports Irish Grand National on April 1 – with unexposed novice Nick Rockett likely to be all the rage.

The champion trainer is seeking a third win overall in the richest jumps’ race run in Ireland and back-to-back victories after the unlikely success of I Am Maximus 12 months ago.

Nick Rockett has been allotted 10st 13lb in the weights by handicapper Sandy Shaw, with Gordon Elliott’s Galway Plate winner Ash Tree Meadow top of the pile.

Three Cheltenham Festival victors are towards the top in Corbetts Cross (11st 10lb), Inothewayurthinkin (11st 9lb) and Limerick Lace (11st 7lb), but having kept his powder dry, Mullins might just have the ideal candidate.

“Nick Rockett has performed well around Fairyhouse and I love horses for courses,” said Mullins.

“Paul (Townend) was very happy the last day he won around the course and we thought instead of going to Cheltenham that we should maybe aim for Fairyhouse. That’s what we have been doing and we are very happy with how he is.

“He jumps, has won over the track, is a novice coming up the ranks, has a nice weight and Paul is very happy to ride him. That is more than enough and he ticks all the right boxes, I think.

“We have to get him there in the right order and at the moment I am very happy with him.”

Regarding his other entries, Mullins said: “This race comes into play for Stattler now, if he’d run at Cheltenham (Cross Country Chase was abandoned) he would maybe have gone to Aintree, but he’s now in the running to run here.

“Monkfish was disappointing at Cheltenham so wouldn’t come here, Mr Incredible only ran the other day so it’s too close, the same with Adamantly Chosen. Embassy Gardens and James Du Berlais the same.

“Bronn was disappointing in Naas, but if I could get him back right he could go there. Minella Cocooner has run well there, has the credentials, stays all day and has a nice weight as well.

“Ontheropes is 36 (on the ballot) but I think he is more or less in and is our other likely runner.

“It took us a long time to win it. My father had won it four times so it was an itch that needed scratching and then winning it with Burrows Saint for Rich Ricci and with Ruby Walsh, that capped it.

“It gave me as much pleasure as winning any race.”

For Shaw, Mullins’ comments have him “shaking in his boots”.

“An awful lot handicap themselves and it is obviously the novices that we look to as they are the ones that have more improvement in them,” he said.

“The three Cheltenham winners are in but we can reassess them, the difference is that Willie’s Nick Rockett didn’t go – he has me shaking in my boots the way he’s talking!

“He’s been held back and it was certainly the right thing to do, I think. Novices are always hard to rate because you have to rate them on what they have done, not on what we think they might do so there is a chance Nick Rockett could be well handicapped.

“The only thing is he has only run seven times in his life. He’s unexposed as a result, but it will be a question of if he can handle the hurly burly of the race. Other than that he does look the one. He could have a few pounds up his sleeve, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

David Menuisier is keen to plunder more cross-Channel prize money with star three-year-old colts Sunway and Devil’s Point this spring.

The former signed off his juvenile campaign with a valuable Group One triumph in the Criterium International over a mile at Saint-Cloud.

Devil’s Point, meanwhile, warmed up for his Futurity second at Doncaster behind Ancient Wisdom by finishing a fair fourth in Group Three company at the same French track.

Both are entered in the Qipco 2000 Guineas and Menuisier insists he would not be scared of taking on City Of Troy at Newmarket, declaring: “He’s only made of flesh and bones like all the rest.”

However, the West Sussex-based handler is currently exploring other options in his native country.

Menuisier said: “Sunway could well start in the Prix Fontainebleau on April 14 at Longchamp, but he will also be entered in the La Force, which is over nine furlongs on April 7.

“That’s because a lot of the big guns are going to meet on the 14th in the Fontainebleau and I always like to think outside of the box.

“So, the La Force could be a good alternative, because I think the horse will stay really well and his main target in the first half of the season will be the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby).

“It’s early days, but to me that’s his first big target, whether we run in the Poule (d’Essai des Poulains, French 2000 Guineas) before that, we could – I’m still open minded on which way we go.”

Devil’s Point was prominent throughout the Futurity before being outstayed by Ancient Wisdom at Doncaster on heavy going.

On his plans, Menuisier added: “Devil’s Point is likely to run in the Prix Djebel in France at Deauville on April 9, which is a Group Three over seven furlongs and should suit him really well.

“He’s entered in the 2000 Guineas, he’s entered in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains and he’s entered also in the German Guineas, but it will all depend on his first run and I’ll take it from there.

“We’ve been discussing it with the owners for the best part of six months and we are not completely convinced that he stays a mile very well.

“Even in the Futurity, he came to win his race and I thought then he wasn’t really seeing out the trip.

“So, that’s why I want to start over seven first of all and then after that there’s a chance that we might even drop in trip.”

Fozzy Stack’s Chazzesmee justified his status as the favourite to land the Nua Healthcare Irish Lincolnshire at the Curragh.

The six-year-old was second over course and distance when last seen in July and also has heavy ground form from a previous Naas success.

He is lightly raced with only nine runs to his name due to a previous injury and came into the race off the back of a 260-day break, though that proved no hindrance to him as he made his seasonal debut.

Under Joey Sheridan he travelled in the latter half of the field and began to make progress in the final two furlongs, joining the front runners in the last half furlong and eventually prevailing by a length on the line.

The run could now lead him to the Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday should he come out of it well, and he has been halved from 20-1 to 10-1 for the contest with Paddy Power.

Stack said: “He did it well off a lay-off. We’ll see how he is during the week and he’s in the English Lincoln on Saturday. A 5lb penalty would get him into it.

“He’s never been short of ability, and we ironed out a few kinks in him.

“We brought him over to Saratoga last year and he got a stone bruise and couldn’t run on the day.

“Then when he was coming back he got stuck in some airport in Holland or Belgium for four days as a vet was giving out about some paperwork.

“We just ran out of time to run him. He broke his pelvis in Dundalk as a three-year-old so that’s why he was off for a year.”

Aidan O’Brien has cast serious doubt on leading Classic contender Opera Singer’s participation in the Qipco 1000 Guineas.

The daughter of Justify announced herself as a major player for the first fillies’ Classic of the campaign when following up a wide-margin victory in a Curragh Group Three with a devastating display at ParisLongchamp in the Prix Marcel Boussac, storming to a five-length success.

However, speaking at the Curragh on Monday, the master of Ballydoyle explained she may debut for the season on home soil rather than Newmarket having met with a setback.

“Opera Singer is a little bit behind them (the colts) and might not make the English Guineas,” he told Racing TV.

“She had a little setback and had to have two weeks easy. When you have two weeks easy, it is just difficult enough to get to the English Guineas.

“It’s possible but more unlikely than likely and she could end up starting here in the Curragh rather than starting in England. We won’t force her, she’s a beautiful big filly and everyone’s very happy with her.

“She had a couple of easy weeks and when that happens you have to be wary of it.”

In contrast, it appears all systems go for the odds-on Qipco 2000 Guineas favourite City Of Troy who has been pleasing his handler in the early days of his three-year-old season.

O’Brien continued: “Everything has gone very well with him. He’s matured lovely, he’s moving well, he’s going through all his work very well – he’s floating through the work, that he’s doing.

“Even though our ground is bad, he’s finding it very easy, so he’s very exciting. It’s day by day at the moment but we couldn’t be happier with him at the moment.”

Although City Of Troy often left people astonished with the manner of his victories during his flawless two-year-old campaign, it was dual-Derby hero Auguste Rodin who was undoubtedly Ballydoyle’s top performer in 2023.

He signed off his Classic season with a scintillating success at the Breeders’ Cup in Santa Anita and is close to his eagerly-awaited return, where the son of Deep Impact will seek further international riches in the Dubai Sheema Classic.

“He’ll work this week and then he’ll go off to Dubai,” said O’Brien.

“He’s in a lovely place. He was in Dundalk a few weeks ago and everything went lovely, so we couldn’t be happier with him and we’re looking forward to it.

“It’s a big week for him before he travels so hopefully everything goes well.”

O’Brien has also left the door open for Seamie Heffernan after the Ballydoyle stalwart left his full-time role with the powerhouse operation.

The 51-year-old has been part of the Ballydoyle furniture for nearly 30 years and a vital member of O’Brien’s team, winning the Derby aboard Anthony Van Dyk in 2019 and partnering the winner of the Irish equivalent on four occasions for his long-time boss.

But Heffernan has revealed he has chosen to ride freelance this season, with O’Brien fully understanding of the decision.

He said: “I was reading in the papers that Seamus has been riding for us for 25 to 30 years and at the start of every year I never know when Seamus is coming back.

“Obviously himself and Rochelle had a chat and he was always with us six mornings a week and they obviously felt he would like to give the outside world a bit of a chance.

“There are a lot of other people he has ridden for and lots of other people he will now be able to ride for and we totally appreciate it and understand that and respect it in every way. I think Seamus is 51 or 52 now and if he is going to do it now is the time to do it and there will be plenty of times he can fall in for us – he’s got plenty of experience and is a great fella.

“I totally understand it 100 per cent and everyone needs to do what they think is right. There is no point riding for us every day and their heart being somewhere else or thinking he should be somewhere else.

“He has to try things and I definitely couldn’t say it will be the wrong thing. Seamus will ride a lot of good horses, for different people in good races, he has plenty of experience and hopefully there will be plenty of times he will ride for us again as well.”

Fozzy Stack’s Chazzesmee justified his status as the favourite to land the Nua Healthcare Irish Lincolnshire at the Curragh.

The six-year-old was second over course and distance when last seen in July and also has heavy ground form from a previous Naas success.

He is lightly raced with only nine runs to his name due to a previous injury and came into the race off the back of a 260-day break, though that proved no hindrance to him as he made his seasonal debut.

Under Joey Sheridan he travelled in the latter half of the field and began to make progress in the final two furlongs, joining the front runners in the last half furlong and eventually prevailing by a length on the line.

The run could now lead him to the Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday should he come out of it well, and he has been halved from 20-1 to 10-1 for the contest with Paddy Power.

Stack said: “He did it well off a lay-off. We’ll see how he is during the week and he’s in the English Lincoln on Saturday. A 5lb penalty would get him into it.

“He’s never been short of ability, and we ironed out a few kinks in him.

“We brought him over to Saratoga last year and he got a stone bruise and couldn’t run on the day.

“Then when he was coming back he got stuck in some airport in Holland or Belgium for four days as a vet was giving out about some paperwork.

“We just ran out of time to run him. He broke his pelvis in Dundalk as a three-year-old so that’s why he was off for a year.”

Guineas hope Brilliant put her best foot forward to take the Lodge Park Stud Irish EBF Park Express Stakes on her seasonal debut at the Curragh.

Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old was placed at both Listed and Group Three level last term though only came away from her juvenile season with one win to her name in nine starts.

Under Declan McDonogh she started at 7-2 for her first run of this year and on heavy ground she travelled well before taking up the lead at the furlong pole.

From there she had to hold off a rival on either side but did so to claim a half-length success at Group Three level and book her place in the Guineas either on home turf or at Newmarket.

O’Brien said of the run: “I’m delighted with her and he gave her a very good ride.

“I think she probably had the best form in the race and, on her first run of the year, I’m delighted with her.

“She’d been working nicely and is a hardy filly. It’s a big call for three-year-olds against older horses on that ground at this time of the year.

“She’ll step up and a mile is good for her. That will be her trial and she’ll go into one of the Guineas now after that. She might end up going to Newmarket and back here.

“She doesn’t really want that ground but she went in it. A mile is probably her trip and she’s a sister to Alcohol Free.”

The Kenny Alexander camp has expressed their pride after star mares Kargese and Telmesomethinggirl went close to getting on the scoresheet at the Cheltenham Festival.

Spring Juvenile winner Kargese was part of a strong team of juveniles Willie Mullins saddled for the Triumph Hurdle and despite racing keenly in the hands of Danny Mullins, shaped the most likely winner jumping the final obstacle before being reeled in by the hugely talented Majborough in the closing stages.

It is the second year in a row Alexander has had to settle for a silver medal in the juvenile Grade One following Gala Marceau’s second to Lossiemouth in 2023.

However, Kargese could now continue to chart the same path her stablemate took 12 months ago, with both Punchestown’s feature juvenile attraction and Auteuil’s Prix Alain du Breil in the equation for later in the campaign.

“Kargese’s run I was watching and thought ‘we’ve got this, she’s going to run away’ and I have to admit I was gutted for the first hour or so after the race,” said the owners racing manager, Peter Molony.

“Looking back now, we have to be very proud of the run. She pulled her head off and fought for her head the whole way round and I think ultimately, that may have cost her. I know the winner looks seriously good but I think she would have given him a proper race if she settled a bit better maybe.

“We’re hugely proud of her. She is most likely to go to Punchestown and Auteuil for the French Triumph will also have to be under consideration – we were lucky to win that with Gala Marceau last year.”

Alexander has enjoyed many special moments at the Cheltenham Festival – mainly down to the exploits of dual Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle, who bowed out after her fourth straight victory in the Cotswolds in last year’s Mares’ Hurdle.

The owner came close to keeping his hands on the Mares’ Hurdle trophy after the fine effort of previous Festival heroine Telmesomethinggirl, as she just failed in her challenge of taking on Lossiemouth in the day one contest.

“We were so happy with Telmesomethinggirl,” continued Molony.

“We thought after her last run at Naas there was still a huge amount of improvement in her and Henry was very bullish she was going to give them something to think about, including Lossiemouth.

“The difference in her physical appearance between Naas and Cheltenham shows you how good Henry is at tuning them up for the big day and she was trained right to the minute, she looked magnificent.

“I think the ground was a little bit against her and she would have preferred good ground, although I’m not sure she would have beaten Lossiemouth on any ground – she’s a monster. But we were very proud of Telmesomethinggirl’s run.”

Now nine, the Henry de Bromhead-trained mare already has the next stage of her career mapped out for her, with a date with Blue Bresil already pencilled in.

However, she could get one more chance to showcase her talent on the racecourse having raised her game once again when visiting Prestbury Park.

Molony added: “She’s nine and is booked in to Blue Bresil and will hopefully be covered at some stage. Hopefully if she comes into season and everything is right, maybe in the next six weeks and we will try and maybe get one more run into her, maybe Aintree or Punchestown.

“However, I do think she is a 10lb better mare at Cheltenham, she just seems to love the place.”

One member of the Alexander string who slightly under performed last week was Jade De Grugy, who was sent off the 2-1 second favourite for a red-hot Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

A winner in France before transferring to Closutton, the Mullins-trained five-year-old impressed in her first two starts in Ireland, but was unsuited by the muddling pace in the Cheltenham Grade Two and, having had her momentum checked at a crucial moment could only finish fourth as the sprint for home unfolded.

Jade De Grugy could now be given a chance to make amends in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle on March 31 – a race the great Honeysuckle won herself in 2019.

“Of the horses that were placed, I think she was the biggest disappointment for us,” said Molony.

“They just crawled and it turned into a sprint and she got a bit scrummaged at the wrong time as they were quickening, so we were a little bit disappointed to be honest.

“We know she is going to be a very good mare and we’re going to have a lot of fun with her if please God she stays in one piece.

“Willie will have a look and see what he thinks and how she has come out of the race. There was talk before the race that if she came out of it well enough she could go for the Honeysuckle in Fairyhouse. That is a very quick turnaround, but we will see.”

Arizona Blaze made the perfect start to his career with a taking win on debut in the Castle Star And Alkumait At Capital Stud Irish EBF Maiden at the Curragh.

The colt is trained by Adrian Murray and owned by Amo Racing, whose new retained jockey David Egan took the ride after a spell riding for the outfit in America.

Arizona Blaze is out of a mare named Liberisque and by Sergei Prokofiev, for whom he was the first progeny to take to the track.

It was therefore a perfect start for the sire also as his son ran a pleasing race to prevail by a comfortable length and a quarter as the 5-4 favourite.

Murray said of the run: “David said he’s a very nice horse with loads of improvement. Hopefully he can build on this and maybe go to Royal Ascot.

“Whether he’ll have a run in the meantime we’ll have to wait and see.

“He rolled around a bit on the ground and will improve on better ground.

“He’s a very nice horse at home and we think a good bit of him.

“The further he went the stronger he looked.

“We have about 15 to 20 juveniles to run this year, not all for Amo.”

Real Force came out on top for Gerard O’Leary and Wayne Hassett in the La Celia Wines Handicap over five furlongs.

A 5-1 chance, the grey prevailed by three lengths in a convincing victory and will now take aim at a step up in trip and grade at Cork.

“He’ll go now to Cork for a Listed race in two weeks’ time over six furlongs,” O’Leary said,

“He was in great form. We didn’t work him as such but gave him plenty on the heavy sand on the Curragh and got stamina into him as he has natural speed.

“He could stay a mile and is just an athlete.

“It’s his time of the year. We were a little worried as the lads were saying it was gluey but he got through it nicely.”

David Menuisier is keeping his fingers crossed that Migration can recapture his old sparkle when bidding for back-to-back wins in the Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday.

The veteran gelding finished strongly up the stands’ rail to storm past well-fancied duo Awaal and Baradar 12 months ago, scoring at 18-1.

He struggled to reproduce that form thereafter, trailing in well beaten on three subsequent outings, but they were all hot contests.

Migration stepped up to Group Three company in the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown, had to carry over 10st in the Balmoral Handicap at Ascot and signed off his season in a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud.

The handicapper has thrown him a lifeline by dropping his mark to 4lb above last year’s Lincoln triumph and Menuisier is hoping the fire still burns as brightly at the age of eight.

“Obviously, it’s a hard task but he is well, we know he likes the course and he likes to run fresh and he always runs well at this time of the year, so fingers crossed that the stars can align again,” said the trainer.

“He kind of lost his form late on last season, so it’s hard to predict what’s happening with those older horses.

“He stayed in the yard all winter, I didn’t give him a holiday this time around because he had a long break last summer, so we tried to keep him up to his work a bit more.

“We’ll see if it makes a difference. The ground will probably be very similar and maybe we just need a bit of luck.”

Awaal is the ante-post favourite to go one better this term after 56 entries stood their ground for the one-mile contest.

Simon and Ed Crisford’s five-year-old is back on the same mark after also going on to be placed in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot and Newmarket’s Bunbury Cup before faltering in the second half of the season.

September course and distance winner Liberty Lane is also prominent in the betting for Karl Burke after being gelded over the winter.

John and Thady Gosden will seek to strike for the second time in four years via Mostabshir, while Jack Channon will bid to match the exploits of his father Mick with 2022 hero Johan.

“Awaal had to settle for second place behind Migration 12 months ago but Simon and Ed Crisford’s runner is being well backed to go one place better this time in the opening major handicap of the Flat season,” said Coral’s John Hill.

Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield added: “Last year’s runner-up Awaal, who has been our best-backed horse ante post, remains in the reckoning at the five-day stage and sits proudly at the front of the market as favourite for the Flat turf season’s traditional pipe-opener.”

Jeremy Scott’s Golden Ace has a handful of options after providing the trainer with a first Cheltenham Festival winner last week.

The six-year-old was second to Dysart Enos in an incredibly deep renewal of the Grade Two mares’ bumper at Aintree last season and was an instant success over hurdles this term.

After winning two Taunton contests in good style she headed for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival, where she was a 10-1 chance as Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead led the market.

Under Lorcan Williams the bay took little notice of those predictions, however, and prevailed over the latter horse by a length and three quarters to give Scott his first ever winner at the meeting.

“It was just the best. I never thought it would work out like that but it was just fantastic,” Scott said of the performance.

Golden Ace, who is by Golden Horn and out of a Dubawi mare, could now head to Kelso for the Herring Queen Series Final, or alternatively there are options over both two miles and two and a half miles at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.

“She’s all good, she came out of the race really well,” Scott.

“We will see what mark we’ve been given, we’ve got the Herring Queen series at Kelso as an option, otherwise I imagine it’ll be Aintree.

“We’ll probably enter both races and see what the ground is like, there’s two miles and two and a half.

“She’s bred to stay so her trip should be around about two and a half, everything being well we’d want to aim her next year at the mares’ race at Cheltenham.”

Scott also provided an update on Dashel Drasher, who finished eighth in the Stayers’ Hurdle and is unlikely to run again this term as the ground dries up into the spring.

He said: “He’s grand, I suspect he won’t run again this season. There’s nothing really for him, the ground always seems to be wrong at Aintree.

“We’ll keep an open mind but unless it keeps raining I imagine we won’t run him at Aintree, but he’s come out of the race very well.”

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