Henry de Bromhead: Still sizing up the field

Henry de Bromhead has five runners going into the first day of Cheltenham. Willie Mullins's team apart, no other trainer can have more to look forward to. It might make a more combustible character talk up his chances. That's not de Bromhead.

If character is revealed under pressure, definitive proof of the Waterford trainer’s mettle came at Cheltenham in 2012 with a notably equable public response to the shambolic final fence bypassing incident which deprived Sizing Europe of the chance to properly defend his Champion Chase crown.

In the circumstances of that memorable swerve, de Bromhead’s ‘regrettable, but that’s racing’ tone got officialdom off the hook, even though privately he must have been seething.

Those two wins by the now retired star remain de Bromhead’s tally to date at National Hunt racing’s greatest festival, but today he throws most of his major cards immediately on the table.

Supasundae has slipped under the radar with so much concentration on Min for the Supreme, although in comparison his name has been in floodlights compared to Sizing John, who will try for a fifth time to get the better of Douvan in the Arkle.

Surprise

Shanahan’s Turn is lumbered with topweight in the Ultima Handicap Chase, but Domesday Book could surprise a few in the finale given better ground. Topping it off is Identity Thief’s challenge for the

Champion Hurdle

.

It is eight years since Sizing Europe travelled to the second last in the Champion Hurdle looking not so much a winner as an outstanding winner. A few strides later, after a penultimate flight mistake, he was all but pulled up with muscle problems.

A year later he was all set for another crack at the Champion Hurdle only to come down with travel-sickness on the morning of the race.

What might have beens are luxuries de Bromhead prefers not to indulge in. The future is what counts and Identity Thief is it.

“Europe was a relentless galloper. This guy has a lot more pace than Europe did. He isn’t as big and scopey but he does have more toe. Having said that, he is a good size and he’s already schooled over fences at Pat Doyle’s, and with us,” de Bromhead said.

Pat Doyle, along with Gordon Elliott, moulds young talent for Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown Stud. The aim is usually to go over fences. Identity Thief has already bucked the trend by being the Ryanair boss's first runner in a Champion Hurdle.

For a horse with just eight career starts, the first of which was just over 15 months ago, it has been a remarkably quick rise to prominence.

“I hope there’s more to come from him. He looks a type of horse that should improve again, even though he’s already come a long way this season.”

What he hopes for with Supasundae is that extensive schooling has improved the regally-bred gelding’s jumping. A hugely disappointing opening effort at Gowran was followed by a maiden win at Christmas which was much more encouraging.

Concern

“His jumping is a slight concern but I think he’ll be fine. Once he heated up in his last race he jumped really well. He’s looking really sharp at the moment and I like how he led to almost a furlong down in last year’s bumper, whereas the winner [Moon Racer] came from last in a very fast run race,” de Bromhead said.

Sizing John has failed to Douvan four times, but again takes on the Arkle hotpot rather than wait for Thursday’s JLT over half a mile further.

“I think he’ll stay the extra distance, but I’m not sure, and Cheltenham isn’t the place to find out. We’re used to being beaten by Douvan, and well beaten on heavy, but we really want to see Sizing John over two miles off a good gallop and on better ground.”