Capodanno Horse - Age, weight, trainer, owner, race record and form

After success at Cheltenham in January 2024, Capodanno is hoping to claim a first race victory at the Festival in March.

The eight-year-old clearly has a liking for the track at Prestbury Park and will head to Cheltenham looking to run a big race in the Ryanair Chase.

Capodanno owner

Capodanno is owned by Irish businessman J.P. McManus, who has been a racehorse owner for over 40 years, having had his first Cheltenham Festival runner in 1982.

McManus, whose colours are the famous green with yellow striped silks, has had over 70 winners at the Festival over the years.

Capodanno trainer

Willie Mullins is the trainer of Capodanno and with the Irishman’s record at the Cheltenham Festival, it’s no surprise that much is expected of this gelding.

Mullins is the most successful trainer in the history of the Festival and going into the 2024 edition he is looking for six more winners to reach the 100 mark.

Charlie Swann and Hubert Barbe originally purchased the French horse for 185,000 euros, before he moved to Mullins’ Closutton Stables.

Capodanno age

Capodanno is an eight-year-old and made his debut for McManus and Mullins in a 2m 3f Maiden Hurdle at Clonmel, in December 2020.

Capodanno official rating

The French gelding started his career over hurdles, before turning to chasing in December 2021 after a 231-day break.

Capodanno, who many feel still has work to do on his jumping style, currently has a rating of 160 ahead of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

Capodanno breeding

Capodanno was bred in France by Andre Hebert, with the gelding’s sire Manduro winning 10 of his 18 flat races.

His dam was Day Gets Up, who ran over hurdles and fences in France under trainer Francois Nicolle.

Capodanno cost

The chestnut gelding was a 12,000 euros yearling buy at the Osarus thoroughbred auction house back in 2019.

Hubert Barbe, from the Horse Racing Advisory, then teamed up with trainer Charlie Swan to buy Capodanno for 185,000 euros.

He was then purchased by J.P. McManus in November 2020, moving to the Mullins yard after just one race.

Capodanno official record

Following his switch to Willie Mullins, it took Capodanno just two races to get off the mark with a seventh-length victory in the Monroe Maiden Hurdle at Clonmel.

The gelding had three more races over hurdles, including a victory in a Grade B Handicap Hurdle at Punchestown in April 2021, before stepping up to fences.

After a lengthy break, Capodanno won his first race over the bigger obstacles - beating Embrun Mitja by 1¼ lengths in a Beginners' Chase at Naas, in December 2021.

A month later, Mark Walsh rode him to second place - behind Bob Olinger - in the Kildare Novice Chase at Punchestown. He then tried his luck at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022, finishing fourth in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

Capodanno’s next win came at the County Kildare track of Punchestown, with a 6 ½ length success over Lifetime Ambition over 3m ½ f in April 2022.

Connections decided to send Capodanno to Aintree to run in the Grand National, but he was pulled up by jockey Danny Mullins.

A couple of defeats in Ireland in late 2023 were then followed by a third chase victory, seeing off the likes of The Real Whacker and Stay Away Fay when winning the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.

Capodanno next race

Willie Mullins has said he feels Capodanno could be a future Gold Cup winner, but for 2024 the eight-year-old will take a crack at the Ryanair Chase.

Capodanno, only the second Irish-trained winner of the Cotswold Chase, looks set to come up against the likes of Fastorslow, Envoi Allen and Banbridge in the Grade 1 contest.

The Mullins charge can be backed at 8/1 to claim Festival success, with the Joseph O’Brien-trained Banbridge the current 3/1 favourite.

If Capodanno comes out of Cheltenham unscathed, there is a chance he could head to the Grand National again in April and the gelding is available at 33/1 to be victorious in the Aintree showpiece.