Irish trainer to follow on Day 4 of Cheltenham

It’s Day 4 of the Cheltenham Festival on Friday and the Irish tend to do pretty well, particularly in the Triumph Hurdle, which has been won by the away team in seven of the last 10 years and each of the last five.

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Gavin Cromwell is a brilliant target trainer and he could be set to have a couple of winners on the final day. The County Meath-based handler has six runners across the card on Friday and so we’re taking a detailed look at their chances.

Hello Neighbour - Cheltenham 1.20 @ 9/2

Ireland’s top juvenile hurdler hasn’t put a foot wrong so far and confidence was clearly high on his first start in this sphere, as connections threw him straight into Grade 2 company.

He did plenty wrong in the early stages and was very keen, but still managed to hold on for the win.

One thing you couldn’t knock was his attitude and he really stuck to his task well, despite being so inexperienced. Cromwell’s gelding idled on the run-in when following up in a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival and clearly there was plenty left in the tank.

Perhaps a bit of a forgotten horse, he was ante-post favourite until overtaken by the British pair East India Dock and Lulamba.

This could end up being a particularly hot race, but Hello Neighbour has produced some of the best form thus far and will surely have every chance of maintaining his unbeaten record.

Pinot Gris - Cheltenham 2.00 @ 18/1

Cromwell’s Pinot Gris was a fair performer on the Flat, winning twice in 10 starts and is currently rated 80 in that sphere.

He took well to hurdles last year and won a Bellewstown maiden by 11 lengths back in April, where he jumped well and Keith Donoghue always had things under control. The form is a bit of a mixed bag, but a couple of subsequent winners have come out of that race.

Narrowly denied in a Listed handicap hurdle at Listowel in September, he won a novice hurdle at Naas after that and ran a cracker to finish second in a competitive race at Leopardstown after Christmas.

Whilst it’s not that the British handicapper hasn’t been kind, he’s potentially unexposed enough to have scope for further improvement.

Limerick Lace, Brides Hill and Je T’Ai Porte - 2.40 Cheltenham @ 11/2, 6/1 and 66/1

It’s fair to say that Cromwell has targeted this race and last year’s winner Limerick Lace is surely his best chance of a winner. The JP McManus-owned eight-year-old was a well beaten second behind Allegorie De Vassy last time but much better is expected here.

Brides Hill was an impressive winner at this level at the Punchestown Festival and a repeat of that performance would surely give her every chance. Second in a Listed race at Huntingdon last time out, more will be needed, but she’ll be well prepared for this test.

It’s hard to make a case for massive outsider Je T’Ai Porte based on what we’ve seen from her this season and you would imagine if Cromwell is to win this, the two more fancied runners will be the most likely candidates.

Inothewayurthinkin - Cheltenham 4.00 @ 7/1

There’s been some support for this horse since being supplemented for the race, with Fact To File going for the Ryanair instead. He won the Kim Muir here by eight lengths last season and followed up in a Grade 1 novice chase at Aintree.

His three runs so far this season have been pretty underwhelming and you would imagine plenty of improvement will be required in order for him to feature here but the market confidence must have come from somewhere.

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