"I have no chance of winning it!" - Seven standout quotes from the week
By Alex Scott
Last Updated: Fri 13 Feb 2026
The Jockey Club hosted several informative press events in Ireland this week looking ahead to next month's Cheltenham Festival, including interviews with Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Barry Connell and Henry de Bromhead. Below are seven standout quotes over the three days.
“He’s been to Cheltenham twice, he’s won twice and hasn’t come off the bridle twice.”
Barry Connell was in bullish form at his Boherbaun Stables on Monday and said his stable star Marine Nationale did not have too much work to do with Majborough given the track and likely ground for the Queen Mother Champion Chase will play to his strengths more than his most recent race did at the Dublin Racing Festival.
"If you look at official ratings, Majborough is rated 174 and we were 170, and have dropped 1lb to 169. He’s run to 174 in perfect conditions, making no mistakes and on a galloping track that suits him," said Connell.
“You’ll see a different horse in March. That’s not just my opinion, that is backed up by the formbook. He’s been to Cheltenham twice, he’s won twice and hasn’t come off the bridle twice.”
“I have absolutely no chance."
© Lorraine O'Sullivan/The Jockey Club
Those were the words of Gordon Elliott at Cullentra on Tuesday morning when asked about the Irish Trainer's Championship, in which he holds a lead of around €480,000 over Willie Mullins.
"To be honest the horses are in great form, we've got a great bunch of owners, and we're trying to do the best for every horse. It's something we dream of but I think [winning the championship] is a long way away yet. I have no chance of winning it."
"He's probably the fastest I have ridden."
Jack Kennedy leads Gordon Elliott's string aboard Romeo Coolio on Tuesday morning. (Lorraine O'Sullivan/The Jockey Club)
On Tuesday in County Meath, Jack Kennedy, fresh from riding out Romeo Coolio, shared some of his time with the media before his journey to Limerick for three rides.
The 26-year-old said riding a winner at the Cheltenham Festival was like nowhere else and that, one horse going there this year could be the fastest he had sat on.
"[The Cheltenham Festival] is in a different league. You grow up dreaming of riding winners there and thankfully I've been lucky enough to experience it a few times. Once you get one you just want more.
"El Cairos gives me a very good feel. He's obviously a very fast horse, probably the fastest I have ridden anyway. I don't have any concerns about his jumping. The mistake at the last time was my fault."
Elliott echoed those sentiments about his speed a short while later, adding: "He works very, very well. We looked like he was going to be very impressive at Leopardstown and I thought what he did at Thurles on a track that wouldn’t suit him – ground that was nearly unraceable but I was very keen to get a run into him and we were kind of running out of time.
“He’s not a big, robust horse, but I think he’s a quick horse and I think the race will suit him so we’re looking forward to it.”
“He's some crazy price."
Envoi Allen has won three times at Prestbury Park, with his form figures at the track reading 11F3123. He got this season off to the perfect start by adding a remarkable tenth Grade One victory to his CV in the BetVictor Champion Chase at Down Royal.
There, he left subsequent Savills Chase winner Affordale Fury over three lengths behind, whilst third and fourth-placed finishers Western Fold and Food A Fifty have both since placed in Grade One chases.
He is now set to bid for Cheltenham Gold Cup glory, a race for which he is currently a best-priced 50-1.
© INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon
His trainer Henry de Bromhead could not hide his enthusiasm for the 12-year-old on Tuesday afternoon.
“I think he has a chance, I really do," said the County Waterford handler. "It’s sort of like Bob Olinger last year – you look at all the horses he has beaten and they are single figures and then you look at him and he’s some crazy price!
“I thought he was better than ever when he won on his comeback. People said it wasn’t a good race but you only have to look at the form since – if he stays that extra bit and don’t see why he won’t. I am kind of wondering why I haven’t run him in the Gold Cup for the past couple of years.
“The enthusiasm of him and Bob Olinger is amazing. I think it’s seven years ago that Envoi Allen won the bumper which is mad and I think he’s been there every year since."
"People say pressure is for tyres, but that’s a load of bollocks!"
© Inpho photography/The Jockey Club
Even the man who has trained more Cheltenham Festival winners that anyone else has admitted that the build up to the big one, whilst often fun, can also be full of dread.
“You’re wondering every morning when you come out is there going to be this horse injured or that horse injured and you’re hoping to God that it’s not one of the Grade A horses," said Willie Mullins at The Lord Bagenal Inn on Wednesday morning.
“But there are injuries, like any time if you manage a football team or a hurling team you’re always going to get injuries – you hope it’s not your star player.
“It’s fun getting ready but it’s a dread too. People say pressure is for tyres, but that’s a load of bollocks! It takes a bit of getting through and I’m lucky because I’ve got so many nice horses. I always feel for a trainer who maybe has one stable star and that goes by the wayside and I know what that feels like because I’ve been that way years ago. That’s so disappointing.”
"That puts you into Faugheen-type territory."
© Inpho photography/The Jockey Club
With several weeks still to go until the Festival, it was no surprise to see that Mullins, like many trainers, was still yet to make firm plans for many of his stable stars, and as a general rule, the master of Closutton downplayed his chances.
“I’m always fascinated when people say to me ‘how many this year, Willie? You’ve had six, seven, eight or ten’ and people expect us to have winners," he said. "We go there hoping for one and if we get the first one on the first day then hopefully we might get two or three, but we don’t go over expecting winners."
However once the topic of conversation turned to Mighty Park, a 38-length winner at Fairyhouse last month, the 69-year-old struggled to keep his confidence under wraps.
"When Mark Walsh got off him after he won at Fairyhouse, he said he looked at the big screen at the second last and couldn’t believe how far he was in front, having gone what he thought was a normal slow pace. Mark said his cruising speed must be huge and he’s a fantastic jumper. I think he must be right in the mix for the Supreme. He has to be a hell of a horse to do what he did and has huge natural ability.
“Winning by 38 lengths like he did the other day puts you into Faugheen-type territory. From day one I thought he was good enough to win a Champion Bumper with what he was showing me at home.”
He also gave a particularly positive mention to recent 24-length Naas bumper scorer Love Sign d'Aunou, who is currently 6-1 favourite for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, saying: “That win at Naas was a huge performance. I always love horses that can win at Christmas time or this time of year by 10 lengths.
"He hammered them. He didn’t beat them, he hammered them, and what I loved about it was that he never really showed me that at home.I have so many morning glories where you think they’re fantastic at home and you bring them to the racetrack and they let you down.”
"I don’t think he is finished yet."
Paul Townend and some of the press share a joke at The Lord Bagenal Inn in County Carlow on Wednesday. (Inpho photography/The Jockey Club)
Could history be made in exactly one month's time? March 13 will be the day that Galopin Des Champs bids to join Arkle, L’Escargot and Best Mate as a three-time winner of jump racing's blue-riband.
Paul Townend shared his thoughts on the dual champ over a coffee in Leighlinbridge on Wednesday, saying: "Nothing is impossible, but it would be hard to get off Galopin Des Champs and I don’t think he is finished yet.
"I’m not saying I would get off him, but if I did and he came by me up the hill then I would say keep a wide berth on the plane ride home!
“He’s got credit in the bank, which he deserves, and it would be ideal for me if they both didn’t turn up and they are decisions you do have to give a lot of thought. That is just the competitiveness of it and every decision is taken seriously.
“It would be right up there if Galopin regained the Gold Cup and I’d love it for the horse more than anything.
“I thought there was a lot to like during the race [in the Irish Gold Cup], just the feel I was getting from him."
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