Sir Gerhard heads to the Ballymore

Just nine remain in the Supreme and Sir Gerhard’s defection to the Ballymore on day two was the big news from Sunday’s declarations.

Willie Mullins still holds a strong hand in the Festival opener with Dysart Dynamo, Kilcruit and Bring On The Night all bidding to give the Irish Champion Trainer his sixth win in the race in just nine years. Dysart Dynamo now finds himself vying for favouritism with Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill and Henderson’s other runner Jonbon next in at around 4-1.

Honeysuckle (pictured) will face nine rivals in her bid for back-to-back Champion Hurdles with all 10 runners standing their ground for Tuesday’s Championship race. Henry de Bromhead’s stablestar puts her unbeaten record on the line against Appreciate It who bids to follow up last year’s Supreme success without a prep run and 2020’s winner, Epatante, who has two Grade 1 wins in the bag already this term.

It is a disappointing turnout for the finale on Tuesday’s card with just seven runners but the two big guns, Run Wild Fred and Stattler were both declared and the race has a competitive look to it, despite the small field, with last year’s Albert Bartlett, Vanillier, also prominent in the betting.