Tramore once again kicks off Irish racing’s new year, although the Co Waterford track looks like it might be beaten to the punch for the honour of hosting the first race of 2026.
First blood is due to go to Windsor, whose opener is off at 11.49am on a crammed New Year’s Day schedule. However, with sub-zero conditions forecast, Windsor will have to pass an 8am inspection. Exeter too must pass a morning inspection.
No such weather problems are expected at Cheltenham, which is inevitably the centrepiece of a scheduled seven-fixture cross-channel programme. Tramore and Fairyhouse share domestic billing and there is no frost threat at either. The first at Tramore is at 12.05pm.
It’s very different from when Tramore was memorably the only meeting able to welcome in the new millennium in 2000. The Gerry Cully-trained No Problem earned a footnote as the first winner of a new century. A certain Henry de Bromhead began his career with a winner called Fidalus.
READ MORE
This time the top local trainer has eight runners divided between both Irish meetings, with hopes of landing each of the Grade Three highlights there.
De Bromhead’s Look To The West takes on Dinoblue in the John & Chich Fowler Memorial Mares’ Chase at Fairyhouse while 20 minutes before that Heart Wood looks the one to beat in Tramore’s O’Driscoll’s New Year’s Day Chase.
Heart Wood gets 6lbs from Grade One winners Croke Park and Champ Kiely, the latter one of four hopes for Willie Mullins, who won the race four times with Al Boum Photo.
Champion jockey Paul Townend opted for Champ Kiely and is pencilled in for two other rides over hurdles at Tramore. However, he will have to recover after being stood down at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve following a fall.
Champ Kiely makes a quick reappearance following his unfortunate exit from Sunday’s Savills Chase at Leopardstown. Ridden by Harry Cobden on that occasion he clipped heels after having jumped just four fences.
Croke Park was taken out of that race due to the going. Softer conditions in Tramore will help him and he also sports first-time cheekpieces. Heart Wood, though, looks the one to beat. His fourth to Gaelic Warrior in the Durkan was a sound effort and it’s little surprise Darragh O’Keeffe has opted to ride at the Waterford course.
In contrast Jack Kennedy is in Fairyhouse for six rides on the back of his vintage Christmas haul at Leopardstown. They include Shecouldbeanything, who also takes on Dinoblue, although perhaps his most notable booking is in the opening Mares’ hurdle.
Kennedy teams up with ‘the enemy’ as he rides Gigginstown’s Place De La Nation for Mullins. His boss Gordon Elliott is represented by Highland Crystal, an impressive winner at Newbury on her last start and who has claimer Paddy Cleary taking off 7lbs.
It is Dinoblue who brings some stardust to proceedings, though. The JP McManus-owned mare finally won at the Cheltenham Festival at the fourth time of asking last March and is a proven Grade One performer.
Runner-up to Found A Fifty in Navan’s Fortria on her comeback, Dinoblue is rated to get back to winning form.
One trainer with New Year’s Day interests spanning the Irish Sea is Co Meath based Ian Donoghue.
He runs Shannon Royale in a handicap chase at Cheltenham where he has snapped up the services of British champion jockey Sean Bowen. However, Donoghue’s best chance of success could be at his local course with the prolific Hitthehayson.
The horse has won four of his five starts since joining Donoghue, twice over hurdles and twice over fences, including at Haydock last time. That has propelled Hitthehayson to a chase mark of 106, one that makes his 91 rating in a marathon handicap hurdle look attractive.
Tramore’s concluding handicap chase sees Monday’s Limerick winner Duffys Hodey go for a quick follow up under a 7lb penalty.
He looked to need every yard of Monday’s race, however, and with form at big galloping tracks, it’s noticeable how he was pulled up in his sole start around Tramore’s tight bends.
The veteran Likeable Chancer had a much less enjoyable Limerick experience, getting all but wiped out on the approach to the last flight in a handicap hurdle. He is a dual course winner and promising claimer Michael Kenneally takes off a very useful 7lbs.
Cheltenham’s New Year’s Day card is the focal point of ITV1 coverage with Prestbury Park action also available on Virgin Media One. There will also be racing from Musselburgh in Scotland.
Co Meath trainer John McConnell has runners at both meetings. Moon d’Orange is a likely outsider for the valuable Betfair Handicap Chase at Cheltenham, a race in which the December Gold Cup winner Glengouly reappears in. McConnell runs the Clonmel hurdles winner Rexem in Musselburgh’s Auld Reekie Handicap Chase.
In other news, the Aintree Hurdle could be a long-term target for El Fabiolo, who successfully reverted to flights at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve. In Townend’s absence, Danny Mullins rode the former top chaser whose jumping over fences had become an issue.
“It’s nice to have him back in winning form and we’ll have to look for a nice race in the spring for him,” Mullins said. “My thought at the moment is to stay over hurdles. The Aintree Hurdle could be a long-term plan. Paul has a sore rib and, hopefully, he’ll be okay to ride tomorrow.”
