Henry de Bromhead looks likely to be butting heads with Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott once again. A trainer for the big occasion, it’s de Bromhead who is defending both the Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle crowns this season. The County Waterford-based trainer’s stable tour came out this week and it’s evident that he has a strong team of mares this season. We’ve picked out three mares who de Bromhead is excited to unleash this year. Check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.
Honeysuckle has been usurped at the head of the Champion Hurdle market by Constitution Hill. Having won this crown for the last two years, her trainer believes she’s chomping at the bit to keep it. de Bromhead said: ‘She’s been a legend for us. She’s been doing great since she came back after the summer and I’m really happy with her.’ He also added: ‘she seems to be every bit as good now as she ever was. She’s just an incredible mare.’ It’s all systems go for Cheltenham again this season and she’ll take some stopping.
Magical Zoe did particularly well to win her Grade 3 at Down Royal last time out as she was hampered at the second last and just managed to get up and score by a length. That performance wasn’t fully expected by her trainer who said: ‘She’s a nice mare and we’ve always thought she was nice but I suppose she did surprise us at Down Royal.’ The plan is to go to Cheltenham for the mares’ novice race where she could go well according to de Bromhead: ‘She’s only four and still a baby but hopefully she has a bright future ahead. She seems to have a gear at the end of her races.’
Telmesomethinggirl is one to look out for as she embarks on a novice chase campaign. Already a winner at the Festival, luck wasn’t on her side in the Mares’ Hurdle in March. This sentiment is echoed by de Bromhead who remarked: ‘She was just unfortunate at Cheltenham last season and looked to be going as well as anything in the Mares’ Hurdle when she was brought down[…] The plan is to send her over fences and her schooling has gone very well. She’s one we’d be looking forward to.’
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