Fakir D’oudairies faces formidable weight carrying challenge in Cheltenham handicap feature

It is 50 years since a horse has carried 12 stone to victory in Saturday’s Cheltenham handicap feature but that is the formidable task ahead of Joseph O’Brien’s Grade One star Fakir D’oudairies.

The four-time Grade One winner is topweight of 15 entries left in the Virgin Bet December Gold Cup at Monday’s acceptance stage.

Fakir D’oudairies and another JP McManus-owned hope, So Scottish, are the Irish-based challengers for a prestigious prize memorably won by the Mick Winters-trained Chatham Street Lad in 2020.

The last successful topweight was Frodon, who carried 11.10 to victory in 2018. But one needs to go back to the race’s golden period, when it was a target for some of the sport’s top names, to find a winner carrying even more.

City Of Troy faces date with Classic destiny in Newmarket 2,000 Guineas

---

Willie Mullins becomes winning-most Irish trainer of all time with Grade One double taking him to 4,378 victories

---

Punchestown: State Man aiming to complete spotless season and record 10th Grade One success

---

Teahupoo takes Jack Kennedy a step closer to landing first jockeys’ championship

---

That was when Pendil humped a massive 12.7 to success in what was then known as the Massey Ferguson Gold Cup.

Two years previously Ireland’s Leap Frog won under 12.1 while the legendary Flyingbolt scored under the massive burden of 12.6 in 1965.

It will be a first handicap start for Fakir D’oudairies, who hasn’t been in action since chasing home Pic D’Orhy when bidding for a third success in last April’s Marsh Chase at Aintree.

“The plan is for him to run at Cheltenham,” O’Brien said on Monday. “It will be nice to get him back started this season and it looks a good place for his reappearance. Hopefully he goes well dropping in class.”

Fakir D’oudairies was a gallant runner-up to Allaho in the Ryanair Chase at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival and his top-class CV also includes the 2022 Ascot Chase as well as a Drinmore victory at Fairyhouse in 2019.

Emmet Mullins is responsible for So Scottish, who is rated 1½ stone lower than Fakir D’oudairies. He was initially installed a 6-1 chance with some firms behind the Olly Murphy-trained favourite Thunder Rock.

Cheltenham’s Christmas meeting starts on Friday with several other star Irish performers potentially facing handicap tests of their own in the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country event.

Gordon Elliott’s Grade One pair, Conflated and Galvin, are in the mix to line up as is the 2021 Gold Cup hero Minella Indo. Henry de Bromhead has left him among 17 entries still in Friday’s contest.

‘Shark’ Hanlon is contemplating going for glory in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day with his stable star Hewick.

With the defending champion Bravemansgame beaten on both starts this season, and Gerri Colombe not certain to travel, Hanlon fancies a tilt at the race if ground conditions are suitable.

“A lot will depend on the ground and with the weather the way it is at the minute, if we don’t have goodish ground, I won’t run him. He wants good ground.

“We’re after getting a month of rain in the last fortnight and meetings are still being called off in England this week.

“If the ground is anywhere near good at Kempton he will go to Kempton. With the results over there in the last couple of weeks you would have to think he would have a real chance,” said Hanlon.

Hewick hasn’t been seen in action since finishing out of the money in the Galway Plate. Prior to that he’d run an honourable fourth in the French Champion Hurdle.

Punchestown hosts Tuesday’s domestic action where a Listed mares’ novice hurdle features. The regally-bred Jetara could hardly have won her maiden any easier at Fairyhouse and should be up to progressing from that.

It’s a push to describe it as a cloud hanging over the country’s most powerful yard right now but Willie Mullins himself expressed a little disquiet over some performances at the weekend.

The champion trainer sends seven runners to Punchestown and there will be particular interest around the chasing newcomer Embassy Gardens in a Beginners event.

His most likely rivals, Cool Survivor and Lets Go Champ, both have experience but the Mulryan-owned runner looks to have a lot of potential over fences.

The opening novice chase looks a competitive affair with both Captain Conby and Firm Footings in the mix. Arctic Bresil’s hurdles campaign fizzled out last season, although he can be a much more formidable proposition now he’s switched to the bigger obstacles.

• Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
• Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
• Our In The News podcast is now published daily - Find the latest episode here