Cheltenham 2006

Cheltenham 2006 /

CHAILLE-CHAILLE UNVEILS FESTIVAL CONTENDERS 23/02/06

Zaiyad looks set to spearhead a possible five-strong raiding party for leading French trainer Arnaud Chaille-Chaille at next month's Cheltenham Festival.

Speaking at a Cheltenham Racecourse press day at his La Palmyre stables in south-west France this morning, Chaille-Chaille reported that Zaiyad was on course for either the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle or the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle. The trainer's other main hopes for The Festival are Oh Calin in the JCB Triumph Hurdle, Mid Dancer in the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy, Ambobo in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle and Sunspot in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

All five Festival contenders carry the colours of Chaille-Chaille's principal owner, Sean Mulryan.

Chaille-Chaille said: "My owner really wants to win at Cheltenham and it's an interesting challenge - firstly to please the owner but also to please myself.

"Zaiyad is probably my best chance. He is in the two races and I prefer the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle but we will make the decision late, depending on who is running in both races.

"I think Oh Calin will also do well at the course while Mid Dancer is an unbeaten horse."

Zaiyad could have a run on the Flat before Cheltenham and Herve Barjot, Mulryan's Racing Manager, added: "There is a possibility he could run in a Flat race in the next week or so just to keep him fit although he may go straight to Cheltenham. We'll look at the opposition before deciding which race he goes for, we will decide at the last minute. The trip is not a worry, we know he can stay but he also has the speed for two miles.

"I am disappointed he didn't get to run at Cheltenham in January because our main question mark is that none of our horses, except Ambobo, have run at Cheltenham before."

Mid Dancer will only run in the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy if the ground is sufficiently soft.

Barjot continued: "I am quite surprised at Mid Dancer's very big odds in the betting. He is unbeaten in nine starts. He needs a bit of cut and would not run if the ground was the same as it was at last year's Festival, but he will going to Cheltenham anyway and we will decide late on whether he runs.

"Oh Calin likes fast ground and the others should also handle it."

Referring to Ladbrokes World Hurdle hope Ambobo, winner of the Grade Two Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in January, 2005, Barjot commented: "Ambobo is a small, little machine. He is as good as he was last year and both the way he ran at Cheltenham last year and Barry Geraghty's view suggest that the Ladbrokes World Hurdle trip [three miles] is not a worry.

"He had a fracture in a joint last year and had to have two screws put in. He was just missing some condition when he was second last time out, but he was a beaten by a very good filly who won like a Group winner that day."

Sunspot faces a race against time to be ready for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle and Barjot added: "In his last race he made a big mistake and lost a shoe, then he was sore on his joint and he must have been a good horse to have still come third. He would have won otherwise that day and I hope he will get to Cheltenham."

Coral Prices:
Zaiyad - 12/1 Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle, 16/1 Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle
Ambobo - 12/1 Ladbrokes World Hurdle
Mid Dancer - 20/1 Irish Independent Arkle Trophy
Oh Calin - 33/1 (from 40/1) JCB Triumph Hurdle
Sunspot - 66/1 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle

ARNAUD CHAILLE-CHAILLE

Arnaud Chaille-Chaille has been one of the rising stars among French National Hunt trainers in recent years, sending out a succession of big-race winners from his select but talent-packed stable by La Palmyre racecourse close to Royan on the Atlantic coast in south-west France.

The 41-year-old originally worked as a lad and jockey with trainer Francois Nicolle from 1986 to 1991 before beginning training three Arab horses in 1992.

He enjoyed great success as an Arab trainer, winning races at Newmarket, Kempton and Newbury in Britain, as well as other major contests in countries such as Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and at Delaware Park in the USA.

His string gradually grew and he soon began training jumpers, winning his first race in that sphere with Nika Mia at Auteuil in 1996.

Horses such as Belle Maison, Sunny Flight and Karly Flight cemented Chaille-Chaille's reputation and his stable now houses some of France's best jumpers, many owned by Irish businessman Sean Mulryan.

These include Cyrlight, winner of 13 of his 15 starts in France, Bonbon Rose, Kiko, and Cheltenham Festival contenders such as Ambobo, Mid Dancer and Sunspot.

Chaille-Chaille had his first jumping runners in Britain at Cheltenham in January last year and made an immediate impact when the first of them - Ambobo - was an impressive winner of the Grade Two Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Novices' Hurdle.

Chaille-Chaille finished fourth to Guillaume Macaire - whose stables are on the opposite side of La Palmyre racecourse - in both the 2004 and 2003 French trainers' championships (in terms of prize money) and last year, with 120 winners and more than 2.9 million euros in prize money, came second to Macaire.

The trainer's main hobbies away from racing are rugby and shooting and he is a big fan of the local oysters, often bringing a supply when he goes racing.

AMBOBO (USA)
6 b g Kingmambo (USA) - Bold Bold (IRE) (Sadler's Wells (USA))
Form: /111211-2
Owner: Sean Mulryan
Breeder: Wertheimer Et Frere

Ambobo was bred by the Wertheimer Brothers and ran in their colours when trained by Criquette Head-Maarek. He took part in 10 races on the Flat in France, with his best effort during that time coming when successful over an extended mile and a half at Deauville in July, 2003.

He was subsequently sold to Sean Mulryan for 65,000 euros at the Goffs France Arc Sale at Saint-Cloud in October, 2003.

Then trained by Eric Libaud, Ambobo won his first three starts over hurdles at Gramat, Clairefontaine (where he defeated My Way De Solzen, subsequently a Grade One winner for Alan King) and Cholet in August and September, 2004. His first reversal came when he was defeated by Rigoureux at Bordeaux Le Bouscat. However, he soon bounced back to form, winning a Listed contest at Enghien-Soisy on November 5, 2004.

Ambobo then moved to Arnaud Chaille-Chaille and headed to Cheltenham on January 29 last year for the Grade Two Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Novices' Hurdle over an extended two and a half miles. Partnered by Barry Geraghty and starting at 14/1, he ran out an impressive winner and defeated the favourite Brewster, previously winner of the Grade One Challow Hurdle, by a length and a half. The form worked out superbly but Ambobo had to miss the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after pulling up lame at home just before the race.

After a long lay-off, the Kingmambo gelding returned to action on February 3 at Pau, where he was not disgraced when finishing five-lengths second to Neriette in a 2m 4 1/2f Listed hurdle.

Ambobo, who is also entered in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, is expected to contest the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at The Festival.

MID DANCER (FR)
5 b g Midyan (USA) - Dancer Lady (FR) (Pink (FR))
Form: 111/111111
Owner: Sean Mulryan
Breeder: G Gilles

Mid Dancer's success over hurdles at Auteuil on December 4 extended his unbeaten record to nine and came on the back of two victories over fences at France's premier jumping course.

He had previously landed the Grade Three Prix Morgex on November 27 at Auteuil by 15 lengths from stablemate Benefique and earlier that month had recorded a Listed success. Both races were over an extended two and a half miles and run on heavy ground.

He is entered in The Irish Independent Arkle Chase and Royal & SunAlliance Chase, with the former his preferred target.

OH CALIN (FR)
4 b c Alamo Bay (USA) - Soicaline (FR) (Olmeto)
Form: -1212F12
Owner: Sean Mulryan
Breeder: J Duvaldestin & Herv Duvaldestin

A useful Flat performer, Oh Calin has seven starts over hurdles and fences under his belt prior to a possible visit to the Cheltenham Festival.

His last three outings have all been over fences, most recently when finishing second to Un Nononito in the Grade Two Prix Congress at Auteuil on November 5.

Oh Calin's most recent outing over hurdles came on very soft ground at Auteuil on September 6, when he ran a creditable five-lengths second to Jonathan Jay's subsequent Grade One winner Tidal Fury over two and a quarter miles

He is entered in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

SUNSPOT (GB)
6 b g Peintre Celebre (USA) - Schezerade (USA) (Tom Rolfe)
Form: 1111-13
Owner: Sean Mulryan
Breeder: Compagnia Generale SRL

A fair Flat performer when trained by Alain de Royer Dupre, Sunspot has had just six outings over hurdles.

A pleasing victory on his hurdling debut came over two and a half miles at Guerlesquin in July, 2004. Sunspot proceeded to make it five victories in as many outings, when securing a narrow success on his seasonal debut in the two mile, two and a half furlong Grade Three Prix Carmarthen on very soft ground at Auteuil on October 9.

He suffered his only defeat over obstacles last time when, stepped up to three miles, he finished third to the Francois Doumen-trained Millenium Royal in the Grade One Grand Prix d'Automne at Auteuil in November.

Sunspot is engaged in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle and the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at The Festival, with the former his likely target.

ZAIYAD
5 b g Sadler's Wells (USA) - Zaila (IRE) (Darshaan)
Form: 112211
Owner: Sean Mulryan
Breeder: H H The Aga Khan

Zaiyad holds entries in the big three novice hurdles at The Festival - the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle and Brit Insurance Novices' Hurdle - after securing four wins and two seconds from his six outings over obstacles.

After two wins on the Flat for trainers Alain du Royer-Dupre and Eric Libaud, he made a winning hurdles' debut for Arnaud Chaille-Chaille over two miles and one furlong at Chateaubriant in May 2005.

Zaiyad proved himself a Grade One performer at Auteuil in November, when going down by a length to Royal Athenia in the Prix Renaud du Vivier, over an extended two and a half miles on heavy going.

Zaiyad subsequently saw off Joly Precy in the Grade Three Prix Leopold d'Orsetti at Enghien on December 2 and showed himself to be in fine form ahead of The Festival, when landing a comfortable victory over just short of two and a half miles at Cagnes-Sur-Mer on New Year's Eve.

Entered in the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle.