Joyeux Machin leads Irish hopes for breaking new ground in Newbury

Unusually there isn’t a single Irish runner at Cheltenham’s New Year’s Day programme but by then the final cross-channel Grade One of 2022 could have supplied a little slice of history for the visitors.

Newbury’s New Year’s Eve feature, the Coral Challow Hurdle, includes both Paul Nolan’s Joyeux Machin and Kansas City Star from Gordon Elliott’s team.

No horse trained in Ireland has won the two-and-a-half mile novice contest that in the past has thrown up star performers such as Denman and the current King George champion Bravemansgame.

Their trainer Paul Nicholls will try to secure a record fifth win in the race with the hot favourite Hermes Allen.

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The horse part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson was impressive on his last start at Cheltenham and is the shortest priced cross-channel horse in current ante-post betting for the festival’s Ballymore Hurdle.

With so much Grade One action at home over Christmas, Irish raiders on the Challow are rare although Elliott’s Gringo D’aubrelle was third to Stage Star a year ago.

He has booked James Bowen to ride Kansas City Star this time although the maiden looks to be among the second tier of Elliott’s novice crop.

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Joyeux Machin, however, had his compatriot 13 lengths behind when winning a maiden at Fairyhouse earlier this month. He had previously been third on his jumping debut at Wexford.

Sean O’Keeffe’s mount mixed it with Facile Vega at bumper level last season and has always shaped as a stayer likely to appreciate going out in trip.

“He went to the line well in Fairyhouse. I think the way he went to the line over two means the step up in trip won’t be an inconvenience anyway,” Paul Nolan reported.

“He had a hold-up before Wexford and with the ground being a little bit good, we couldn’t really get a gallop in on grass.

“We thought he’d improve from there to Fairyhouse and hopefully he has the potential to improve again – he’ll have to,” he added.

The final Irish action of 2022 takes place at Punchestown’s traditional New Year’s Eve programme.

Last year’s card saw wins for the subsequent Irish Grand National hero Lord Lariat as well as a significant three-year-old maiden result that saw Pied Piper edge out Vauban in a close finish.

Both went on to strike at the top level which is a high benchmark for Saturday’s runners to try and reach.

Jack Kennedy has opted for Teagarden Jazz from Gordon Elliott’s trio while Morning Soldier also looks a player for Tom Mullins.

The sole Willie Mullins hope is Sinbad Le Marin, winner of his final start on the flat in France at Chantilly in May.

[ Willie Mullins and Paul Townend pull off Leopardstown hat-trick on festival’s final day ]

It’s not as impressive a profile as Vauban brought from the flat in France but the strength in depth of Mullins’ juvenile team again looks impressive.

The transferred €40,000 Tote Tara Handicap Hurdle has a bumper 19-strong field that is without a Mullins runner but does contain the fancied Hgranca de Thaix.

Barry Connell appears confident of a very good show from a rising talent who sluiced up by 17 lengths at Galway in October and whose 15lb penalty still leaves him on the right end of this scale.

Throw Michael O’Sullivan’s 5lb claim into the mix and the Connell runner shapes as the one to beat.

The Grand National runner up Any Second Now is part of a conditions hurdle field that presents quite a puzzle.

Cheltenham festival winners and an English Cesarewitch scorer in Run For Oscar also figure although a switch back to flights could ultimately pay off for Saint Sam.