Tony Bloom's Ile Atlantique is almost certain to participate in the Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle during the upcoming Cheltenham Festival.
Over the weekend, the novice hurdling division provided further clues, enhancing the excitement surrounding this event. Bloom, the prominent figure behind Brighton & Hove Albion, has enjoyed considerable success with his horses at Prestbury Park, with Energumene clinching the Queen Mother Champion Chase in the last two years and Penhill triumphing in both 2017 and 2018.
Trained by the renowned Willie Mullins, Ile Atlantique demonstrated immense potential by comfortably winning his first hurdles start at Gowran Park. In his most recent outing, he displayed resilience despite being narrowly defeated in the Grade One Lawlor's Of Naas Novice Hurdle. Opting to bypass the Dublin Racing Festival, the connections remain content with Ile Atlantique's performance at an intermediate distance. Racing manager Sean Graham confirmed the strong likelihood of Ile Atlantique competing in the Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle, emphasising that it aligns perfectly with the horse's preferred trip.
The team is optimistic about a promising outcome at the Festival, considering Ile Atlantique's impressive showing and the potential for further improvement. Although the picture regarding his pecking order may become clearer in the coming weeks, the victory of outsider Dancing City at Leopardstown highlights the formidable competition among Ile Atlantique's stablemates. Bloom's Festival lineup will also feature Bunting, who is set to challenge the highly-regarded market leader Sir Gino in the Triumph Hurdle after a notable fourth-place finish in a Grade One race at Leopardstown.