Henry De Bromhead had a vintage season last term winning the Champion Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup as well as numerous big winners on home soil.
He has now positioned himself at the very top of the training ranks in both the UK and Ireland.
Here is his stable tour for the 2022/23 season.
8yo Bay Gelding
A Plus Tard was one of the star horses across all yards last year, he raced three times and won twice, including a demolition job in the Gold Cup at the Festival. He took apart the Betfair Chase on his seasonal reappearance too, and he’s likely to take a similar route this season so all eyes will be on him at Haydock.
7yo Bay Gelding
Bob Olinger made a successful enough start to life as a chaser, winning two novices in Ireland in relatively decent fashion. There had been questions raised about his jumping, and this was put under pressure at the Festival, when Bob Olinger looked booked for a distant second in the Turners but for Galopin Des Champs spectacular fall. He was a fortunate winner of the Turners and he was pulled up on his final start. He’s a multiple G1 winner nonetheless and a super horse.
7yo Bay Gelding
Captain Guinness won two starts from six last year, and he did race in G1 company for the most part. He looked held towards the end of last season in G1 races, but he could be a real force dropped a level or two in grade. He’s a useful horse with a huge engine, if placed correctly he could well rack up a solid sequence.
9yo Grey Gelding
Capuccimix is a lovely genuine type, who will be looking to exploit what’s perhaps a generous mark of 136. He won a competitive Grade B handicap chase at Killarney on his seasonal reappearance. He ran twice more but failed to fire on both occasion. He could be a force in handicap company this year.
7yo Bay Gelding
Coeur Sublime was expertly placed last year, and he ran several cracking races in defeat. He finished his season with a good second in the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase behind Blue Lord, only a head bob separated them there and he’s unlucky not to be a G1 winner. He looks set to enjoy a good season this year.
8yo Bay Gelding
Eklat De Rire impressed on his seasonal reappearance last year, winning a Chase at Wexford in tough conditions. He was earmarked for all the top handicap chases but he didn’t run to plan on either of his two following starts. He remains a horse with a great deal of ability and determination, and I’d be surprised if he can’t run big races in all of the top staying contests.
8yo Bay Gelding
Envoi Allen, where do you start?! Once a horse with the world at his feet, perhaps he was found out when making the leap from novice to open company? All that said, he had just under a 50% strike rate last season, and he did manage to win a Grade 1 too. If he can get back to anywhere near his best, that’d make my season!
8yo Grey Gelding
Fully Charged got his season underway in good style with two successes at Gowran Park and Punchestown respectively. He fell at Leopardstown next time out and then ran a decent third in a competitive race before pulling up on his final start. He looks one for handicaps this year, and he’s clearly got ability.
6yo Bay Mare
Gin On Lime probably gave us one of the most exciting races of the season early last season, in a match race with My Drogo, both coming down at the second last, but Rachael Blackmore’s foot didn’t touch the ground so she was able to pull Gin On Lime off the floor and gallop home leisurely to win. She wasn’t quite the same after that, and if she’s recuperated over the summer, she may well run to a high level again.
6yo Bay Gelding
Grand Jury had won his P2P and his Bumper which put him on the best possible path forward as a youngster. He won a good maiden hurdle at Punchestown early last season but failed to fire again afterwards. Besides a few poor efforts, he remains a horse of ability, who’s ceiling we’ve not reached.
8yo Bay Mare
Annie Power, Dawn Run and of course now Honeysuckle. She’s right up there, if not eclipsing all of the other great national hunt mares in the game now, and of the past. She is a superstar mare who has made the 2m G1 races her own, and she will look to make it a third Champion Hurdle win in three years, she will have the exciting Constitution Hill to beat this year though if the vibes are correct. Sit back, relax (if you can!), and enjoy this wonderful mare racing whilst we still can, she is truly one in a million.
9yo Bay Gelding
Minella Indo is a grand old boy, he’s pretty much danced every dance throughout his career and last year was no exception. He ran his customary good race at Cheltenham in the Gold Cup, but was ultimately outclassed by his stable mate A Plus Tard. Minella Indo is still one of the leading staying chasers however, and he will get winnable opportunities again this year.
6yo Brown Mare
Magic Daze is a mare firmly on the up. She won two of five last year, whilst competing largely in graded company. She won a Grade B handicap chase on her final start of the season at Punchestown and she impressed with her jumping. She has improved for the switch to fences and she may well be aimed at something like the Mares Chase at Cheltenham.
9yo Bay Gelding
Notebook is a name you’ll all be familiar with, and with good reason, he’s a very solid horse. He didn’t have the easiest of seasons last year, and he went toe-to-toe with some proper horses throughout. He will look to regain winning ways early this season, as he’s usually the most productive October-January.
6yo Bay Gelding
Shantreusse had a good season last season, winning twice from four starts. He ran in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham but could only manage tenth, this too was on good to soft ground, he finished second on his first start on good to yielding ground. Both his wins came on heavy, so he will love it when things get testing.
5yo Bay Gelding
Life In The Park is by none other than superstar stallion, Walk In The Park (I presume you could have guessed, he’s well named!). He won both his maiden hurdles before winning a Beginners Chase over 2m6f at Listowel, when scoring comfortably. We’ve not seen him again since but he’s superbly bred and doing the right things on track. I’m really excited to see what he brings this season.
6yo Chestnut Gelding
Journey With Me ran four times last season, winning twice, before his final two efforts resulted in a fall, and 7th of 11. He will need to step up again from last season – all eyes will once again be on him on account of his pedigree and price tag. Can he live up to his reputation?
5yo Bay Gelding
Quilixios, formerly of Gordon Elliot, and Cheltenham festival winning horse will look to once again put his best foot forward. He failed to win last season, but he did run several decent races to finish in the places. It did look as though the world was at his feet as a bumper/juvenile horse, so he will have to improve should he be reaching the heights we thought possible.
8yo Brown Gelding
He is one from left field, having only made the track once last season. He did win that start though, and in good style on soft ground. He may have had his issues since, hence the lay-off, but he was also formerly very useful. If he’s sound, he may well pop up in a few nice handicaps somewhere along the line.
9yo Bay Gelding
Plan Of Attack is getting on a bit now, and he’s danced every dance for connections. Last season, he was revitalised by the switch to the cross country races, he competed in three cross country races at Cheltenham (including the festival) and finished 4,3,3. He now has plenty of experience in this niche division, he could be one of the more dangerous players this season.
7yo Bay Mare Telmesomethinggirl is a lovely mare, who’s showed her class on several occasion. She may well have won the Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham but for a crashing fall (Brought Down) towards the business end of the race when travelling sweetly. It’s likely she’ll take a similar route and she’s one of the better mares in the hurdling division.
