Paul Hennessy riding crest of a wave with On Land And Sea

Paul Hennessy cannot hide his excitement at again readying a horse for the “pinnacle of National Hunt racing”, as Of Land And Sea targets Weatherbys Champion Bumper glory.

Hennessy, who is a highly successful greyhound trainer, with victory in the English and Irish Derbys on his CV, only has three horses in training at his Gowran base, but his star five-year-old is primed for a trip to Prestbury Park after a nine-length success at Limerick in the hands of Patrick Mullins.

“He’s grand, he came out of his race at Limerick lovely, no bother on him, it’s just a matter of grinding him into the Festival. He’s well and in good form,” Hennessy said.

“It was a brilliant win at Limerick and Patrick added to it to make it great. It was a good performance, a lovely honest horse, I’m delighted with him.

“I was looking for a horse for a bunch of people, he looked a nice horse after his first race and he’s coming forward lovely. He’s settled in well and he’s doing his work, I couldn’t be happier.

“It’s great fun. The excitement of it, to have a runner at Cheltenham. That’s the pinnacle of National Hunt racing and to be able to have one to take part is just wonderful.

“I’ve only got three horses in training and he’s one of them, it’s wonderful. We got to go over a couple of times before and to be able to go back over again it’s great, it really is a pleasure. He has won a bumper so he’s entitled to go into it –

With Closutton powerhouse Willie Mullins set to have a number of runners in a race he has historically dominated and which concludes racing on Ladies Day, Hennessy is hoping for another member of the famous family tree to be in the saddle for Of Land And Sea.

“When he (Patrick Mullins) got down off him at Limerick I said ‘any chance of you riding on him the next day?’ and he started laughing,” Hennessy added.

“It was lovely to get a winner for Patrick because we wouldn’t get the privilege of using him too often and it was great to have him, he added to the whole fun of it. The owners had a great day out.

“I’d be waiting for Danny (Mullins), but the chances of getting him are probably slim now, but if not, Richie Condon will ride him. He’s ridden at Cheltenham winner for us before.

“We are lucky to have a horse in the Bumper anyway, it will keep us going. We are looking forward to it, he’s a good honest horse and he will give it a go, there’s no doubt about it. We just need a bit of luck on the day.”

Hennessy has already had his moment at the Cheltenham Festival when homebred mare Heaven Help Us stormed to a nine-length triumph in the 2021 Coral Cup.

“That’s once in a lifetime that lasts you a lifetime. Those memories last you a lifetime and last the family a lifetime,” he added.

“The chances of that happening were next door to nil, but it happened. That’s just a once in a lifetime thing to happen.

“It was a privilege happened to us and happened with her. She’s homebred and everything else.”