Road To Riches to lead Michael O’Leary’s bid for Cheltenham Gold Cup.

An astonishing four winners on the final day secured Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown Stud the leading-owner award at Cheltenham 2014 and Road To Riches is set to lead the Ryanair boss’s formidable team of festival hopes back to the Cotswolds in six weeks’ time.
It is nine years since War Of Attrition cemented the high-profile businessman’s relationship with National Hunt racing by landing the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the sport’s ‘blue-riband’ event remains O’Leary’s prime target.
Road To Riches has been a transformed character in the last six months since the Noel Meade-trained star overcame some digestive problems.
A big-race hot-streak comprising of the Galway Plate last summer, the Nicholson Chase at Down Royal in November and most importantly, an impressive Lexus Chase success at Christmas, currently makes him a general 8-1 second-favourite for the Gold Cup.
“The Gold Cup is everyone’s Holy Grail and it is definitely very significant for us,” said Eddie O’Leary, bloodstock advisor to his brother. “The horse has been on a break since the Lexus. The key to him looks to be keeping him fresh. Even though he’s been going all year, he has been kept fresh the whole time, and is starting to build up again now.”
Don Cossack has been another Grade One hero for Gigginstown already this season and remains a Gold Cup entry too although Eddie O’Leary confirmed: “The plan if all goes well is that Don Cossack would go for the Ryanair. But there’s an awful long way to go to Cheltenham yet. We’re taking nothing for granted and it could depend on nothing happening to the other fellah . . . .”
Gigginstown’s maroon colours were carried by 13 runners at the 2014 festival, with a famous four – Tiger Roll, Very Wood, Don Poli and Savello – exerting a remarkable degree of dominance on the final day.
Top owner
Early betting on who will be top owner at this year’s festival saw Betfair make JP McManus a 7-4 favourite with Rich Ricci on 15-8 while Gigginstown is a 5-2 third-best, clear of the 20-1 Graham Wylie.
The O’Leary team hope to have up to 20 runners at Cheltenham with Road To Riches and Don Cossack backed up by a powerful team of novice stars including Don Poli, winner of the Martin Pipe Conditional Hurdle last year, but now a joint-favourite with Kings Palace for the RSA Chase and also a clear favourite for the four mile National Hunt Chase.
Gigginstown’s strength appears to be in the novice chase division with any number of running permutations yet possible although they could become clearer after Sunday week’s Grade One Flogas Novice Chase at Leopardstown.
Both Don Poli and the Drinmore winner Valseur Lido are entries for that race and O’Leary said: “I would presume one of them will run in that and that will be a call for Willie (Mullins.) It’s too early to say who will run in what race at Cheltenham. Don Poli is favourite for the two races but we also have Wounded Warrior and Thunder And Roses as options for the four-mile.
Leopardstown
“Willie will decide too if Tell Us More runs in the Deloitte at Leopardstown or goes straight for the festival. We also have Sub Lieutenant and Identity Thief in the Deloitte as well so we will see. But I would imagine the Neptune is the race for Tell Us More at the festival if he gets there.”
Outlander is another Neptune option for Gigginstown after his Grade Two success at Leopardstown last weekend when eclipsing the owner’s apparent principal hope, No More Heroes. However the latter remains on target for the three-mile Albert Bartlett.
“He scoped rotten after the race so thankfully we have a reason for that performance,” said Eddie O’Leary. “He never travelled and never jumped a hurdle but now we know why so we hope the Bartlett is still on for him.”
The Weatherbys Champion Bumper was a race often bypassed by Gigginstown’s best young horses in the past.
A change of tack looks likely this season however with both the dual-winner, Stone Hard, a 12-1 shot in some ante-post lists, possibly being joined in the Day Two finale by another Willie Mullins-trained hope, Valerian Bridge, a triple-bumper winner last Autumn.
Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 01:00
First published:
Wed, Jan 28, 2015, 01:00

its amazing how many of these hyped horses scope badly or arent quite right after getting beaten...

i just wonder how many horses that get beaten scope badly but we dont hear about it on a regular basis?

im not saying its a lie but its said so often once a horse with a big reputation is beaten

Neither were scoped but they was amazed TUM got beat.

Petite Parisienne is the one they like currently, Not saying they dislike Kalkir but PP is expected to show its real worth nto where they may cross swords.

Not entered on Sunday for doilette anyone know his plans? Even going to Cheltenham?

Good to see Alvisio Ville in there.... he could go very short for the Supreme if he scoots up in this.

“Willie will decide too if Tell Us More runs in the Deloitte at Leopardstown or goes straight for the festival" looks like its straight to the festival then.

I think this is the perfect race for both TUM and Shaneshill Harry.

I've mentioned this a few times and it's getting annoying now. Mullins has so many good novices that he's not preparing them all properly by the perceived good ones all avoiding one another. There just doesn't appear to be enough races for him.

It's the same with Faugheen and him avoiding HF. He needs a prep run - for me the only thing that beats him is a lack of prep and match fitness

2 mile grade 2 novice hurdle still to come, I'd imagine Shaneshill will run in that and TUM will go straight to festival.

He needs a prep run

Says who? Faugheen went straight to Cheltenham after Christmas last season. Why change a winning formula.

Don't really recall any Giggi horses with Henry De Bromhead.

We'll see how it goes, I'm just a stickler for a nice formula. 3 races before chelt and having won over 2.4m+.

Both could have another race but doesn't look like it will be anywhere near the neptune distance.

They may of course go SNH but I'll be honest - I've backed both and obv want them running here. I also genuinely think it's the right race for both

The thinking must be 2m2f against the Supreme horses he'll be run off his feet as it'll be decent ground as no rain forecast and it's yielding currently. Not to mention Giggenstown call the shots with their horses.

Joined:   10 Nov 07      | Topic/replies: 3,547  | Blogger: harry callaghan's blog   




is he not prepping tell us more or shaneshill then?


he,s been reading the CH  thread and has decided not to prep his chelt runners, whats entered must be the punchestown mob

Just tried catching up on the CH thread - had 132 posts to go through and nearly gave up the will to live!!

Good Will Hunting popped in, but couldn't keep up.

its all just jokes anyway

i cannot wait for the CH looking forward to it more than anything else

Taken from first post on the champion hurdle thread -

Aside from those 7 mentioned the division lacks much depth to my eyes. Right now you can go back Vaniteaux 33/1, Irivng 33/1, Tiger Roll 25/1 all e/w and come out with a profit if any one of them even places. I think they do offer some great value and have backed all the on the nose. With a view to adding Jezki post soft ground slow run race defeats in Ireland.

And now you post this
It's not very complicated stuff tbf lads  Funny thing is I've pretty much zero financial interest in this years Champion Hurdle. Just backed Fly e/w and will cheer him on, hope he grabs a place at least so he can get cheered into winners enclosure.

So which one is it CVByrne?