5 TOP IRISH RACE TRIALS FOR THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL Over the last two Seasons I've really been taking a real interest in the races leading up to the Cheltenham Festival to see which ones are most useful in pinpointing the winners and places for that meeting. This is pretty much the concept behind my recent Route 66 service and although that concentrates mainly on the UK races, we do also consider the challenge from over the Irish Sea. These 5 races are amongst the very best Irish race pointers run before the New Year with the Cheltenham Festival in mind.... IRISH RACE 1: MORGIANA HURDLE– PUNCHESTOWN A really good early indicator for the Champion Hurdle although it has also been a future pointer towards both the World Hurdle and Champion Chase. 2016 winner Nichols Canyon went on to win that Season's World Hurdle at 10/1. Nichols Canyon also caused a big shock the previous year when inflicting the only defeat on stablemate Faugheen before going on to run third in the Champion Hurdle. Hurricane Fly finished 1st-4th-3rd in the Champion Hurdle after his 3 Morgiana wins. 2011 winner Thousand Stars ran fourth in the World Hurdle that Season while dual winner Solwhit was off the track for nearly 2 years after his 2010 win but did win the World Hurdle in 2013. Future star chaser Sizing Europe finished 2nd in 2008. In 2005 Brave Inca won both here and the Champion Hurdle, the 4th place finisher Newmill went on to win The Champion Chase and last home Macs Joy was runner up in the Champion Hurdle. Braave Inca was beaten into 3rd the following Season but managed a second place finish in the Champion Hurdle. 2017 Result 1st: FAUGHEEN 4/11F 2nd: JEZKI 6/1 3rd: SWAMP FOX 20/1 IRISH RACE 2: ROYAL BOND NOVICE HURDLE– FAIRYHOUSE In recent years this has become a very important race trial and has provided plenty of Novice Hurdle winners at that Season's Cheltenham Festival along with a few future Champion Hurdlers. The form of this race in 2016 was upheld when 4th home Penhill won the Albert Bartlett at 16/1 while Labaik refused to race here but won the Supreme Novices at 25/1. The Willie Mullins 1-2 (Long Dog & Bachasson) from 2015 both unseated rider in the 2016 Albert Bartlett. The 2014 winner finished 3rd in that seasons NIM Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. In 2013 3rd horse home Arctic Fire ran 2nd in the County Hurdle that Season and 2nd in this years Champion Hurdle. But the best result from the 2013 race came from 5th horse home Very Wood who caused a 33/1 shock when winning the Albert Bartlett the following March. The 2012 winner was Jezki who beat Champagne Fever but it was a different story at Cheltenham where Champagne Fever won and Jezki was 3rd. Jezki then won the 2014 Champion Hurdle. Top bumper horse Dunguib won here in 2009 but was a beaten 3rd at odds-on in the Supreme Novices that Season while 2008 winner Hurricane Fly missed that Season's festival but won the Champion Hurdle in 2011 and 2013. 4th horse home Aura About You managed 3rd in the Mares race the same season. 2017 Result 1st: MENGLI KHAN EvsF 2nd: EARLY DOORS 7/1 3rd: HARDLINE 14/1 IRISH RACE 3: NOVICE HURDLE– NAVAN A race that usually throws up a lively contender for the staying novice hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival but it 's usually only the winner you need to concentrate on... In 2016 Labaik refused to race but won the Supreme Novices at 25/1. Monalee was runner up here and in the Albert Bartlett the same year. The 2015 winner Bellshill flopped in the Supreme Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham but came back to form when upped to 3 miles finishing second at the Aintree Festival and winning in a Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival. In 2014 No More Heroes turned over the odds on favourite Shaneshill and went on to finish 3rd in the Albert Bartlett later that Season while the runner up was also second in the Supreme Novices. Briar Hill won a match in 2013 but fell as the 2/1 favourite in that Seasons Albert Bartlett. Pont Alexandre took advantage of the fall of Don Cossack to win in 2012 and went on to finish 3rd in the NIM Hurdle. The faller would go on to win the Gold Cup in 2016. 2011 winner Boston Bob was second in the Albert Bartlett as the 6/5 favourite. The 2010 winner Oscars Well was 4th in the NIM Hurdle. The last home in 2009 Summit Meeting was fourth in that years NIM Hurdle. The easy 2008 winner Mikael D'Haguenet won that Seasons NIM Hurdle while the 3rd home Aura About You was third in the Mares Hurdle. 2007 winner Trafford Lad was third in the NIM Hurdle. 2005 runner up Nicanor won the NIM Hurdle from Denman! 2017 Result 1st: NEXT DESTINATION 10/11F 2nd: CRACKING SMART 7/4 3rd: JETZ 16/1 IRISH RACE 4: CHRISTMAS CHASE - LEOPARDSTOWN Over the years this race has proved an extremely valuable pointer to the Cheltenham Gold Cup and although the Irish record in the Ryanair chase is extremely poor this race has provided its fair share of the placed horses for that race. The 2016 3rd Djakadam was 4th in the Gold Cup as the 3/1 favourite while 5th home Taquin Du Seuil was 2nd in the Coral Cup. Don Poli won in 2015 and finished 3rd in the Gold Cup. The 2014 winner went on to finish 3rd in that Season's Gold Cup but in 2013 the well beaten 7th Lord Windermere caused a big shock when taking the Gold Cup the following March. The 2012 runner up First Lieutenant was also runner up in that Season's Ryanair while the 4th home Sir Des Champs ran second in the Gold Cup. The 2011 winner, Synchronised, also won that Season's Gold Cup as did the 2007 winner Denman. The 2008 winner was third in the Gold Cup while the 2007 runner up Mossbank was also 2nd in that Season's Ryanair Chase. 2005 winner Beef Or Salmon flopped when favourite for the 2006 Gold Cup but the horses that had finished 2nd (War Of Attrition) 3rd (Forget The Past) and 4th (Hedgehunter) to him in the Lexus filled the top 3 places in the same Gold Cup 3 months later! 2017 Result 1st: ROAD TO RESPECT 8/1 2nd: BALKO DES FLOS 66/1 3rd: OUTLANDER 16/1 IRISH RACE 5: NEVILLE HOTELS NOVICE CHASE - LEOPARDSTOWN A very important pointer to the Festival Novice Chases, especially the RSA Chase and the 4 miler. Disko was third here in 2016 and third in the JLT at Cheltenham while the pulled up Alpha Des Obeaux managed 4th in the RSA Chase.The 2015 winner No More heroes was 4th in the RSA Chase but 2014 winner Don Poli went on to win that Season's RSA Chase while the runner up, Apache Stronghold, went on to fill the same placing in the JLT Novice Chase. In 2013 the runner up Morning Assembly did the best of the runners and managed 3rd in the RSA but the 2012 winner, Back In Focus, went on to win the NH chase later that Season. Tofino Bay could only manage 4th in this race that Season but got closer to the winner when finishing runner up in the NH Chase. Another horse to come out the race was the faller Lyreen Legend who later ran 2nd in the RSA. The 2011 runner up First Liutenant also ran second in the RSA but Bostons Angel went one better in the 2010-11 season by winning both here and the RSA Chase. That same Season Chicago Grey won the 4 mile NH Chase after running 5th in the Topaz. The 2009 winner didn't make it to Cheltenham but the runner up, Weapons Amnesty, did and won the RSA Chase at 10/1 while the 5th home China Rock ran 4th in the novice handicap chase. In 2008 the well beaten 5th Drumconvis ran a mighty race to finish 2nd in that seasons NH Chase at a big price. The 2005 third Tumbling Dice also ran 3rd in the Novice Handicap Chase. 2017 Result 1st: SHATTERED LOVE 10/1 2nd: JURY DUTY 6/1 3rd: BON PAPA 12/1.