By Mark Philips
Local trainer Henry de Bromhead is busy preparing a galaxy of stars for the upcoming end-of-season Punchestown Racing Festival. Henry captured the Champion Hurdle, the Champion Chase and saddled the first two home in the Cheltenham Gold Cup — the first time all three championship races had been won by the same trainer at the Festival — and then added the icing on the cake by sending out the first two home in the Grand National.
While he is quite happy for his jockey Rachael Blackmore to take most of the plaudits, the Knockeen handler is finding it hard to stay in the background with the sheer number of brilliant horses at his disposal. “The whole thing feels surreal,” said De Bromhead. “I was just getting my head around Cheltenham and then we went and won the National. They are the races you grow up watching and dream of having runners in. “Everyone is sick of my superlatives and I’ve run out of things to say, it’s just brilliant. “We’ve all watched the National again, but it’s just a busy time of year — we’re flat out. “Hopefully when things calm down after Punchestown we’ll be able to savour it even more, but the times we are in we’re not able to celebrate much — but that is better for my liver anyhow.
"If it was a normal Cheltenham, I’m not sure if I’d have even seen Cheltenham. Everyone gets on a run, but it is incredible ours has happened now. We’ve got years of experience in the teams at home, we’re always developing, it’s a great team, owners have confidence and faith in us and we’ve brilliant jockeys. “It’s a combination of a lot of things, but no one is more surprised than I am.”
Henry hopes to run some of his Cheltenham winners at Punchestown, including Gold Cup hero Minella Indo and the brilliant unbeaten mare Honeysuckle. Minella Indo is set for the Gold Cup on Wednesday, with Jack Kennedy keeping the ride as Rachael partnered A Plus Tard at Cheltenham.
“He’s really good, he’s so laid back. We backed off for a few days afterwards and he started getting chubby, but we started back with him again and he seems in great form and we’re happy with him,” said De Bromhead.
The Kenny Alexander owned Honeysuckle has the prospect of going novice chasing still in the background, but for now, her sights are firmly fixed on the Champion Hurdle on Friday.
“She seems really good, came out of Cheltenham really well and we’re really excited about it and looking forward to the race,” said De Bromhead. One rare setback in recent weeks for the yard was when recent arrival Envoi Allen came a cropper at Cheltenham, but he is on target for a mouth-watering duel with the Willie Mullins trained Monkfish in the Champion Novice Chase on Tuesday.
De Bromhead said: “He’s on course, he’s in great form and worked really well at the Curragh recently. “Obviously Cheltenham was unfortunate, it was a novice mistake but he seems in great form and we’re good to go.”
Cheltenham festival heroes Bob Olinger and Quilixios are also entered at the County Kildare venue which will also decide who is champion jump jockey, with Blackmore chasing Paul Townend. Rachael partnered four winners at Kilbeggan on Thursday and Friday, which means she is now just four winners behind Townend in the title race.
It’s not yet certain whether Paul Townend will be fit enough to ride at Punchestown having damaged his foot at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival. “I’m not sure what Paul’s situation is, I don’t know if he’ll be back. It’s going to be tough even if he’s not back, but we’ll be trying to do our best and support her the best we can,” said De Bromhead, who was represented by Plan Of Attack and Ornua at Sandown on Saturday, with Blackmore aboard both.
While Put The Kettle On is also an intended runner with County Cork-born Aidan Coleman set to ride. “You can all see for yourself (what her strengths are), in the National, it was like she could see around corners; she saw dangers before they happened. “She’s brilliant to work with and knows how hard you have to work to succeed. She gets on with everyone and knows how to ride winners.
“I’ve said it all before, but I think she’s just brilliant — we’re very lucky to have her.”
