Charlie McCarthy, owner of 2025 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Kopek Des Bordes, is confident of a second Cheltenham Festival victory.
His charge was a brilliant winner of the Festival opener last season. However, despite having only raced once over fences in his novice chasing campaign, plans for an Arkle tilt remain unchanged.
Indeed, McCarthy is unbothered by his horse’s interrupted campaign, with a recent schooling report suggesting Kopek Des Bordes is spot on.
“They tell me he’s absolutely squealing and couldn’t be in better form,” McCarthy said to the Racing Post‘s David Jennings.
“He went to Punchestown last week and Danny Mullins said it wasn’t just a schooling session for him, but that Paul [Townend] wanted to turn it into a race to get valuable experience into him, so that’s what he did.”
The schooling session going beyond a mere gallop pitted Kopek Des Bordes against some more experienced stablemates. However, McCarthy’s retelling suggests the six-year-old more than held his own against multiple Grade 1 winner Impaire Et Passe.
“Danny said he couldn’t keep up with Kopek on Impaire Et Passe, and you’d have to be excited when you hear stuff like that.”
McCarthy challenges Lulamba to “keep up with Kopek”
Kopek Des Bordes is only second favourite in the Arkle market behind Nicky Henderson’s Lulamba. That rival won comfortably at Newbury in open company on Saturday, but McCarthy was unfazed by the victory.
Of the Game Spirit Chase winner, McCarthy said: “Lulamba is a very good horse, but they’re going to go a fierce pace in the Arkle and I just wonder if he’ll be able to keep up with Kopek,” he said. “We might be able to put him under pressure early in the race, and he might not be able to catch us.”
The bullish owner did, however, qualify that it was difficult to excel at Newbury on Saturday.
“Lulamba’s time wasn’t great but, that said, conditions weren’t great so it was very hard for any horse to be very impressive in that sort of ground.”
McCarthy’s celebration of victory was a striking image to get the 2025 Cheltenham Festival off and running. Should Kopek Des Bordes deliver on the biggest stage once again, it is likely those celebrations will only double in magnitude.
“We were in the first race on the opening day last year and we’re in the second race this year – so we have to wait a little bit longer!
“It’s going to be a fantastic contest and we’re going there all guns blazing. We have a realistic chance and everything is back on the right track with Kopek now.
“I can’t describe the feelings we all had last year when Kopek won, there are no words for it. I’ll never forget the scenes of happiness.”