A suicidal chihuahua, ice buckets and armagnac… a diary from the pre-Cheltenham press trip to Ireland

THIS week marked the annual pre-Cheltenham trip to Ireland for His Majesty’s intrepid press corps.

As Gordon Elliott put it a few years ago: “There is nowhere you lads won’t go for a free lunch.”

PAWillie Mullins and his chihuahua, Munchkin, on the gallops in Ireland[/caption]

Quite right he is, too. It’s thirsty work writing about horses running around a field.

Willie Mullins, Shark Hanlon and big Gord were on the Jockey Club’s itinerary this time, via the DRF which is well worth a visit if you’ve not been.

My antenna was set off when Willie slated Paul Townend for a couple of iffy rides on two odds-on favourites at Leopardstown’s big meeting.

He hammered him for giving Triumph favourite Lossiemouth a hard race after her chance had gone and for his madcap ride on Supreme jolly Facile Vega.

As we’ve seen in the past, once cracks start to appear in a jockey-trainer relationship, things tend to end messily.

This is just a gut-feeling of mine, but I reckon Townend is an underwhelming Cheltenham away from being given the tin-tack, with Rachael Blackmore or Danny Mullins tailor-made replacements.

Anway, Willie didn’t let a couple of poor results take the wind out of his sails and he drank long into the night at his favourite watering hole, the Lord Bagenal Inn.

The travelling party were invited along and I can confirm that the Irish outperform the British at the bar as well as on the race track.

Shortly after Willie ordered the armagnac be opened, one of our band wiped out an ice bucket when unsuccessfully trying to stay vertical. They shall remain nameless.

The legendary trainer told us to arrive at 10.15 the next morning ‘and not a minute earlier’ – but he still emerged around half an hour late and with eyes like pee-holes in the snow.

He bravely battled through his hangover and paraded 20 of his Festival squad – probably a third of the number he will bring over in March – before putting them through their paces.

It was a pretty sedate piece of work, spiced up considerably when Willie’s frisky chihuahua, Munchkin, decided to join in as they came up the gallops.

“I think he’s got a death wish,” Willie observed.

HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON HORSE RACING

He gave updates on his Festival squad and admitted that, on the odd occasion, he’s realised when about to board the ferry to England that a horse or two had been left behind.

Like an equine version of Home Alone.

Then, totally unprompted, he said: “You want to keep an eye on a horse called Diverge who won at Punchestown the other day. He looks the real deal.” One for your notebook.

A short five-minute drive from Closutton and you arrive at the yard of Shark Hanlon, who was in typically fine form when discussing his Gold Cup dark horse Hewick.

There aren’t many bigger characters in racing than Hanlon, whose mind can wander while answering a question.

The distant revving of an engine made him pause and grin: “I’ve a lad rolling the fields in a tractor down the road – he’s only 12-years-old but he’s grand.”

If training a fan favourite for the biggest jumps race of the year brings any added stress, Hanlon isn’t showing it.

In fact, the thing that is currently keeping Hanlon up at night is the closure of his favourite Cheltenham nightclub.

Hanlon wasn’t impressed with Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown, and he reckons his horse will be right in the mix if getting his favoured good ground.

Then onto Gordon’s, who unsurprisingly failed to notify the press pack that he was about to be hit with BHA anti-doping charges.

It was suggested that an old tube of Bonjela could have been to blame for Zanahiyr’s positive test for a banned substance – at least there wasn’t an ulcer-ior motive.

Elliott is especially sweet on the chances of Delta Work in the Cross Country and Mighty Potter in the Turners.

When asked which horse was his number one for the Martin Pipe – a race he always wants to win – he said without hesitation: “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

If the Guinness doesn’t get you, turns out Gordon will.

FREE BETS GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chases their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamcare – www.gamcare.org.ukGamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org  Read More