RACING:Irish domination of the Glenfarclass Cross-Country Chase ended at last year's Cheltenham festival with the victory of Balthazar King but Ireland's cross-country king, Enda Bolger, hopes Arabella Boy can turn things around again next week.
Arabella Boy currently tops the betting for the near-four-mile marathon around the centre of Cheltenham which might not be the Bolger star’s favourite terrain but is like his trainer’s back-yard.
The spectacular thirty-two obstacle event began in 2005 to help stretch the festival to four days and Bolger won four of the first five renewals, including the back-to-back winner Garde Champetre in 2008/’09.
Since then the likes of A New Story and Sizing Australia picked up the slack but the home team struck back last year. Bolger remains the acknowledged master of such races, however, and while Freneys Well will also line up next week, Arabella Boy is the undoubted Bolger number one.
Stomping ground
What concerns Bolger though is whether or not the eight-year-old likes Cheltenham as much as his regular stomping ground over Punchestown’s banks.
“He’s brilliant over those double-banks and gains ground at them. But at Cheltenham it’s much more about hedges and jumping through them. There’s not the same skill involved,” the Co Limerick based trainer said yesterday. Nevertheless the Bolger factor helps see Arabella Boy as a 6 to 1 favourite for next week’s race despite the horse unseating jockey Nina Carberry on his only attempt over the Cheltenham course in December in the race won by Outlaw Pete.
“I can’t put a finger on it but I do think he might like Punchestown more. What we’re hoping is that he switches on to the track at Cheltenham better this time. And some rain towards the end of this week would help too. It was very heavy when he won the last day and I’d just like a drop to take the sting out of it,” Bolger added.
Previous stalwarts
Similarities with previous stalwarts like Garde Champetre and Spot Thedifference are not obvious for Arabella Boy, but what is undoubtedly different is that cross-country races attract a better standard of horse overall these days compared to nine years ago.
“The English horse winning last year was different, and then you have Willie (Mullins) getting more serious about it too. What you’re getting is horses who are too high in handicaps switching, and the result is a lot better race.
“McCoy or Ruby haven’t switched on to them but Patrick (Mullins) loves these races and Richard Johnson always seems to have a ride,” Bolger adds. “And you have to remember a Cheltenham winner is a Cheltenham winner.”
Nina Carberry, a triple festival winner in the race, will again team up with Arabella Boy whose old rival Outlaw Pete will also be joined in the race by other big Irish hopes such as Uncle Junior, Boston’s Angel and the former winner Sizing Australia.
Another possible cross-country starter is Backstage even though Gordon Elliott’s prolific point-to-point winner has another option in the Foxhunters.
