Cheltenham clues on offer in Tetretema Cup

 Image © Healy Racing

Ahead of next week’s Cheltenham Foxhunters, Saturday’s INHSC Tetretema Cup at Gowran could provide clues towards that upcoming blue-ribboned race in the point-to-point and hunter chase sphere.

Panda Boy currently sits in third position in the ante-post market for the Foxhunters, following consecutive hunter chases successes, the latest of which came at Naas last month, and his credentials could be boosted if Hunters Yarn was able to frank the form at Gowran on Saturday.

Pat Doyle’s nine-year-old had a mark of 153 when contesting the 2024 Arkle for Willie Mullins, but since returning to the Suirview Stables operator, he ended a 22-month winless spell by defeating another Cheltenham contender, Wrappedupinmay, at Moig South in late November.

The former listed hurdle winner also added consecutive victories at Aghabullogue, when defeating the former Irish Gold Cup winner Conflated by 20 lengths, and Dungarvan, before coming up second best to Panda Boy on his first try in hunter chase company at Naas.

The re-opposing Ryehill was five-and-a-half lengths adrift of him at the Kildare venue last month and will have the addition of cheekpieces in what will be the third time this season that Ross O’Sullivan’s nine-year-old has encountered Hunters Yarn. The nine-year-old had finished half a length in front of Hunters Yarn at Dromahane at Christmas.

Lets Go Champ is a horse with a potential Aintree Foxhunters bid on his agenda, and the 11-year-old, who is a new addition to Mags Mullins’ stable, having previously won at the Punchestown Festival for Henry de Bromhead.

The Jeremy gelding had recently made a winning stable debut at Oldtown when defeating last season’s Troytown winner Stuzzikini by eight lengths under Sophie Carter, who will again be in the saddle.

Thurles winner Cold Old Fire has seemed to take a step forward in recent outings, as he followed that wide-margin victory by finishing a fine third behind Asian Master at Kildorrery, and like Lough Derg Spirit, their connections favour this target instead of alternative point-to-point entries that they held over the weekend.

Cold Old Fire was also entered in the Castlelands open, whilst the 14-year-old veteran Lough Derg Spirit, was also engaged in the banks race at Lingstown, a venue he was successful at in November 2023.

The Tetretema field is completed by Macs Charm, Occupational Force and Padraigs Boy.