French Dynamite favourite to end Irish drought in Cheltenham feature

There has been just a single Irish-trained winner of Cheltenham’s Paddy Power Gold Cup in more than 40 years but the sponsor reckons French Dynamite can fix that statistic in this Saturday’s feature.

The Mouse Morris-trained horse is the sole Irish entry among 21 left in the famous handicap after Monday’s latest confirmation stage.

A winner over hurdles at Thurles last month, French Dynamite won two of his five starts over fences as a novice last season including a Grade Three prize.

It’s a profile that prompted the big-race sponsors to install him as 5-1 favourite to emerge on top this weekend.

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Only the Edward O’Grady-trained Tranquil Sea has scored for Ireland in the race since 1980. He won in 2009.

Enthusiasm for French Dynamite’s chance comes on the back of significant Irish success at the recent Showcase meeting at Cheltenham where Willie Mullins’s Dad’s Lad won over fences.

That horse is now among the favourites for Sunday’s Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham, a race also under consideration for the Emmet Mullins trained Thousand Tears.

English amateur jockey David Maxwell is set to line up in the Paddy Power on his new purchase, Simply The Betts, a Cheltenham festival winner in 2020.

In-form Nicholls

“Paul [Nicholls] really wants to run him — he says he’s absolutely bang in form, tells me he has never had him better and he likes good ground,” said Maxwell.

“If I could provide a rough translation of that, it would be ‘this horse is in really good form, I really want to run but I wish you weren’t going to ride him’! I really want him for the Foxhunter next year, but he loves Cheltenham and Paul says he’s in great form so he might as well have a go,” added Maxwell.

Tuesday’s Irish action is in Fairyhouse where The Big Doyen makes his debut over flights in a maiden hurdle.

He scored twice in bumpers last season before failing to make much impression behind Facile Vega at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Ground conditions look likely to be testing at the Co Meath track which shouldn’t be a problem for the three-year-old Mister Wilson who makes his own jumping debut.

Gavin Cromwell’s hope scored on the flat on very soft ground over a mile at Galway in September.

Bloodstock by the numbers

In bloodstock news, Coolmore Stud spent $17.9 million on just four horses at Fasing-Tipton’s breeding stock sale in Lexington, Kentucky, at the weekend.

The marquee sale ended with MV Magnier, son of Coolmore supremo John Magnier, paying €7 million for top US sprinter Gamine. The five-time Grade One winner is in foal to the stallion Quality Road.

The elite purchases also included the top-class runner Campanelle who changed hands for $5 million.

Having run at the Breeders Cup the previous day, Campanelle was offered as a racing or broodmare prospect. She won the Prix Morny as a two-year-old in 2020 and last year scored at the top level in Royal Ascot.