Key Gigginstown runners for this year's Cheltenham Festival Gigginstown House Stud's famous maroon and white silks have long been established as part of the Cheltenham Festival experience. Michael O'Leary's operation is one of the biggest in the jumping world, having owned Cheltenham Gold Cup winners such as War Of Attrition and Don Cossack as well as dual Aintree Grand National hero and multiple Cheltenham Festival scorer Tiger Roll. O'Leary announced in late 2023 that he would phase out his National Hunt team over the next five years, but so far it hasn't really come to pass and he will be heading for Cheltenham with another strong squad for 2025. Karniquet Tensions between O'Leary's operation and Willie Mullins have long since cooled and Gigginstown are now back with plenty of runners coming from Closutton. Karniquet looked a bright prospect when scoring at Tramore on Irish bow in November but was bitterly disappointing at Christmas in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle which was won by Romeo Coolio for Gordon Elliott. However, he did get back on track when best of the rest behind ultra-impressive stablemate Kopek Des Bordes at the Dublin Racing Festival. He may step up in trip for the Turners Novices' Hurdle in a bid to avoid that rival again and there's untapped potential if doing so. Brighterdaysahead Brighterdaysahead is the darling of the Gigginstown bunch right now. Her Christmas demolition job in the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Hurdle at Leopardstown was jaw-dropping and reigning Champion Hurdler State Man was laboured more than 30-lengths behind her. It remains a mystery that she was beaten at Cheltenham last March, albeit in what was a steadily run race for a young mare learning her trade. She has both the Mares' Hurdle and the Champion Hurdle on day one as options and, right now, she looks the biggest danger to Constitution Hill in the latter. It would be a pulsating clash, one the racing public desperately wants to see happen. Croke Park Croke Park was beaten for the first time over fences when second to Ballyburn at the Dublin Racing Festival, but Elliott's charge remains a two-time Grade 1-winning novice this season at 2m4f and 3m½f. Returning to the latter trip in the Cotswolds for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase looks most likely for him, with his DRF conqueror Ballyburn again set to be standing in his way. Croke Park has shown massive amounts of heart in his wins this season and he could still prove a match for anything up the Cheltenham hill when the going gets tough. Kalypso'chance For once, the Mullins bumper squad appears to be vulnerable and lacking a true star. Elliott, meanwhile, has a plethora of possible contenders for the Champion Bumper and it will be no surprise if the Cullentra House operation provides the winner for the first time since Envoi Allen in 2019. Kalypso'chance is 2-2 in the bumper sphere after wins at Punchestown in November and then in Listed company at Navan in December. The latter contest has been won in the past by the likes of Don Cossack and Samcro for Gigginstown. Patrick Mullins, in the saddle that day, said post-race that: "He's better than any bumper horse we've brought out so far anyway". It would be hard to argue that has changed since. He cost just £85,000 in the Cheltenham ring last April and looks a shrewd buy for O'Leary and company. Storm Heart French import Storm Heart was favourite for the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at last year's Dublin Racing Festival after a barnstorming first Irish start saw him scoring at Punchestown by 22 lengths. He was only second at Leopardstown before finishing fifth in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham and fourth at Punchestown, all of them Grade One contests. We didn't see him again until this year's DRF, where he was second behind the Emmet Mullins-trained McLaurey in a 2m handicap worth €90,000 to the winner. He was giving 20lb to the winner and denied a length on his first run in 274 days and this Mullins inmate is one to pay attention to when the Festival handicaps take shape. Get €50 in FREE BETS with the bet365 sign up offer:
