The Festival kicks off on Tuesday just weeks after the tragic passing of Michael O'Sullivan.
Barry Connell is expecting next week's Cheltenham Festival to be emotionally charged as he looks to honour the life of Michael O'Sullivan with a win.
The Supreme will this time be run in O’Sullivan’s name, with William Munny set to sport Connell’s yellow silks and dark blue sash in the Festival opener and the County Kildare handler admits it will be a different feel to usual at this year’s Festival. “It’s been a massive shock and tragic and it has hit everybody. Going to Cheltenham with the Supreme being named after him and Marine also running in the Champion Chase, it’s going to be very emotional.
Second to Solness in Grade One events in Ireland the last twice, he is the general second-favourite to Jonbon in the Champion Chase betting, with his trainer feeling we are still to see the best of the eight-year-old over the larger obstacles. “Solness, who has beaten him the last twice, has had 17 runs over fences and Marine Nationale’s profile is that he improves as the season goes on.
“He’s by Westerner and they just tend to be a bit keen, but he has an awful amount of talent,” Connell said of William Munny.
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