Once the finish line came into sight, Teahupoo found a second gear. Streaking clear of the chasing pack, the Gordon Elliott-trained horse produced a commanding finish to win the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park by a dominant 11-length margin.
The five-year-old is a hugely exciting talent, and with three wins in three since returning to Elliott’s stable after the Irishman served his suspension from racing, it’s easy to see why Teahupoo is the name on everyone’s lips as far as promising hurdlers are concerned.
The win at Gowran Park provided the latest exhibition of his talents. Having won at Limerick by just half a length in his previous outing, many were expecting another close-run thing, but Teahupoo proved that he is a horse who is developing at a rapid pace, and is learning with every outing.
Now, questions are being raised as to whether Teahupoo could do the unthinkable and win the Champion Hurdle at the upcoming 2022 Cheltenham Festival. With defending champion Honeysuckle the clear odds-on favourite to defend her crown, the race is pretty much seen as a done deal by those keeping their eye on every Cheltenham offer.
But if horse racing has taught us anything over the years, it’s to never count our chickens before they’ve hatched, and Teahupoo’s regular jockey Robbie Power is optimistic about the five-year-old’s chances, even up against the might of the undefeated Honeysuckle.
“He’s definitely a Champion Hurdle contender now and deserves to take his chance,” Power said. “It’s going to be difficult to give 7lb to Honeysuckle as she looks exceptional, but the thing about Teahupoo is that we still don’t know how good he could be. He goes into the race as the unknown quantity.
“He’s a very professional horse and does everything the right way. He’s relaxed and would probably stay further than two miles if you asked him to. He is incredibly laid back and you would never know how good he is from his homework. He just does what he is asked to do and that’s it. It’s always been very hard to get a read on him from his homework.”
Only two five-year-olds have won the Champion Hurdle since 1986, so that is the scale of the challenge facing Teahupoo. However, the most recent of these was only two years ago, when Espoir d’Allen claimed victory for trainer Gavin Cromwell. Sometimes, a horse builds momentum at just the right time, and Elliott will be hoping that Teahupoo is on a roll towards something special.
Of course, Honeysuckle is not the only talented competitor Teahupoo will need to outstrip to claim victory. 2020 Champion Hurdle winner Epatante will be in the mix once again, along with the Willie Mullins-trained Appreciate It. These are high-calibre horses, and it will take some doing if Teahupoo is to overcome them all.
His powerful performance at Gowran Park, and the subsequent slashing of his odds for Cheltenham have caused many racing fans to sit up and take notice. The Champion Hurdle will be by far the biggest race of this fledgling’s career, but if the stars align on the day, it could mark the arrival of a new star in racing.
