'Holds an entry in what was formerly the Coral Cup, now the Festival Cup' - Irish horses to follow from weekend The calendar has moved into March and that can mean only one thing, the Cheltenham Festival is just around the corner. Clues for the Cotswolds showpiece are now thin on the ground with just eight days until the off, but we've picked out a trio of Irish runners from the weekend that could be worth having in your tracker. Galileo Dame Lovely Hurling Moulin Labbe Galileo Dame The Joseph O'Brien-trained Galileo Dame already has Cheltenham Festival experience in her locker and she shed her maiden tag over timber by winning a Mares' Maiden over 2m at Navan on Saturday under JJ Slevin. She was a short price favourite to do so and her form in the book meant she was entitled to score. She won by 11-lengths in good style and, with just six runs over timber, the 96-flat-rated daughter of Galileo Gold has scope for improvement in this sphere. She relishes cut in the ground and her best form has come under such conditions. She finished sixth in the Grade 2 Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham last season and holds an entry in what was formerly the Coral Cup, now the Festival Cup, over 2m5f on Wednesday of next week. Lovely Hurling Colm Murphy saw Lovely Hurling finish second yet again over fences in Saturday's Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan as Jacob's Ladder won for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown in the Grade 3. The winner has several entries at the Cheltenham Festival, but the trainer suggested afterwards that the seven-year-old would be more than likely to swerve that meeting and wait for Fairyhouse or Punchestown. Lovely Hurling, meanwhile, has taken second-best on all three starts over fences, chasing home leading Arkle contender Kopek Des Bordes at Navan in November and another Willie Mullins inmate, Kargese, at Leopardstown over Christmas. There was just over a length between the JP McManus-owned Lovely Hurling and Jacob's Ladder on this occasion with Port Joulain back in third. Lovely Hurling doesn't hold any Cheltenham entries but is another that could pop up on home soil this spring and he's now due an official handicap mark over fences too. Moulin Labbe Another Gigginstown scorer was Moulin Labbe, who got off the mark at the second attempt for Willie Mullins in the Navan Racecourse Maiden Hurdle over 2m on heavy ground in the hands of Paul Townend. The 8/13 favourite was always handy and mostly jumped well throughout while travelling strongly. The four-year-old readily put 13-lengths between himself and the runner-up once given the office by Townend. He is a French bumper winner and he holds an entry in next Friday's Triumph Hurdle, a contest Mullins has won five times in the last six years, including with 100/1 chance Poniros in 2025. His long-time ante post favourite for this year's race, Narciso Has, was ruled out recently and the champion trainer could turn to Moulin Labbe, as well as the likes of Macho Man, Madness D'elle, Selma De Vary or Noemie De La Vis as part of back up plans for the 4YO Grade 1 contest.
