Willie Mullins & JP McManus horse smashed in for three Cheltenham Festival handicaps

He is yet to run a race on Irish or British soil but a Willie Mullins-trained runner is now favourite for three Cheltenham Festival handicaps and has been the subject of a massive punt.

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Who is this mysterious horse?

The JP McManus-owned French recruit Kopeck De Mee has been shortened massively for the Coral Cup, County Hurdle and Martin Pipe at next month’s Cheltenham Festival and when money comes for these connections, you stand up and you take note.

Available at around 20/1 for the Coral Cup last month, the five-year-old son of Masterstroke is now a general 6/1 favourite for the big handicap on the Wednesday after the horse saw a flurry of money in the last 24 to 48 hours.

A winner of a Flat maiden at around 1m3f in France on his debut, he won a 2m1f hurdle by 15 lengths on heavy ground at Nantes on his second hurdles start last April, and then went on to land a 2m2f Listed hurdle at Auteuil in the manner of a classy horse a month later.

Some had questioned whether Kopeck De Mee was actually qualified to run in a Cheltenham handicap but yes, he has! Likely to be given a mark of 136, the Coral Cup could be the perfect race for him and the weight of money would suggest he’s impressing at home.

If the money is McManus money, then that is a real statement of intent. The leading Irish owner has an incredible fleet of horses to go to war with at this year’s Festival and this could be another one to add to his list.

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