Willie Mullins Stable Tour
06 Mar 2008
NO Irish trainer commands more respect at Cheltenham than Willie Mullins who notched his tenth success at the meeting when Ebaziyan sprung a 40-1 surprise in the curtain-raising Supreme Novices Hurdle last year.
While it may have been a shock to many, attheraces.com followers were certainly not in the dark as the County Carlow trainer had revealed on the Cheltenham microsite days in advance that the former Aga Khan-owned gelding had shown at home that he was "definitely Festival material".
Recent history suggests that there is a good chance at least one winner will emerge from the list below - Fiveforthree and Uncle Junior receive particularly strong mentions - as Mullins discusses his main contenders for this year's honours.
Punters itching to back the stable's horses should note that a final decision over running plans will not be made until as late as possible in some cases, so the safest policy is to follow the non-runner no-bet route.
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TUESDAY
2.00 Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices Hurdle
"FIVEFORTHREE would have a definite chance if we stick to our original plan and go for this but we do have the option of switching him to the Ballymore. I'm inclined to leave a decision until as late as possible and we'll see how both races are shaping up nearer the time. A high-class bumper horse last season, he was held up by a rib injury this autumn but was very impressive on his delayed hurdles debut at Fairyhouse last month. I thought it was a huge performance from a horse coming back from a layoff. He jumped well until lack of experience told at the last two and showed a fantastic turn of foot on the run-in. He's my best novice and should improve a lot for that experience."
2.35 Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase
"SCOTSIRISH looked a useful prospect when he beat Wins Now in January and I think he was still remembering his fall in the Baileys Irish Arkle when making a couple of mistakes in the Flyingbolt at Navan last time. He finished with such purpose there though that I'm expecting a more confident display at Cheltenham. He didn't jump as well as he can in his recent schooling session after racing at Leopardstown but we'll give him more practice at home and I'm hoping he might surprise a few people."
3.15 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
"EBAZIYAN appears to have got fed up with racing on bad ground in Ireland but has to go for the Champion because he got within one-sixth of a second of Sublimity's time when winning the Supreme Novices. Conditions at Cheltenham clearly suit him and, like last year, he continues to show lots of class at home. He was never striding out properly in the AIG last time but hopefully he's a spring horse who has saved his best for the Festival again."
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WEDNESDAY
2.00 Ballymore Properties Novices Hurdle
FIVEFORTHREE - see Tuesday
2.35 Royal & Sun Alliance Chase
"POMME TIEPY is a possible as she stays very well and is a fantastically slick jumper but I'm not sure that running a five-year-old in this race is the right thing to do at this stage of her career, especially as the age allowance has been reduced from 10lb to 2lb. She's also in the Arkle, in which her jumping would be her main asset over the shorter trip, but she has been winning in soft ground and conditions are likely to be very different at Cheltenham. A terrific buy from France and unbeaten in four races for us, she would be kept for the Irish festivals if we don't bring her over."
4.00 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle
"ALEXANDER TAIPAN is a horse we've still got high hopes for over fences and he could go back to Punchestown, where he won a decent novice handicap last spring. So far this season though we've kept him over hurdles and he's run better than his form figures might suggest in Graded races on his last two starts. He stayed on well over 2m5f behind Kazal and Aitmatov at Navan, so this race might suit him on decent ground. JAYO has Cheltenham experience, having finished eighth in the Fred Winter last year, and might improve for stepping up in trip, but he needs to as he's badly handicapped in England judged on his run in the Totesport Trophy. I'll study the weights and general running plans before deciding whether to let either horse take its chance."
5.20 Weatherbys Champion Bumper
"APT APPROACH looked a smart prospect when winning on his debut at Gowran and was impressive considering he doesn't light up the gallops at home. He worked after racing at Leopardstown the other day and Ruby was happy with him. DRIVE ON REGARDLESS galloped with him and needs plenty of work but, as his record suggests, he's getting better with each run. COUSIN VINNY shows plenty of gears at home and did well to win on his only start at Punchestown. Everything went wrong that day but his ability got him out of trouble. LILYWHITEDANCER is a horse who keeps his best for the track and it was always the plan to go straight to Cheltenham after he won easily on his debut at Gowran in December."
THURSDAY
5.20 Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle
"SHARE OPTION has been steadily progressive in staying handicaps this season and has had a break since running a bit flat at Leopardstown in January. He's a good, fun horse who won at Leopardstown over Christmas and will probably go for this race, though he's also in the Coral Cup and I'll make a decision after I've had a good look at the weights for both races."
FRIDAY
2.00 JCB Triumph Hurdle
"C'EST CA proved disappointing on the Flat for a horse who has always worked well but going jumping has been the making of him. He's won his last two starts over hurdles impressively and this was the race we had in mind for him after Fairyhouse, though he does have other entries at the meeting. He's got a classy pedigree, so quicker ground shouldn't unduly bother him."
2.35 Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle
"UNCLE JUNIOR is a very good, progressive stayer who has been kept fresh for Cheltenham as he loves decent ground. Conditions were softer than ideal when he failed by a short-head to complete a four-timer at Clonmel in December but that was still an excellent effort on his first run in Graded company and he'll continue to improve back on better ground. He needed the work more than my other horses at Leopardstown the other day, so I was pleased with what I saw. He wasn't a natural jumper to begin with but has improved markedly with experience and we expect him to run very well in a race we went close to winning with Black Harry (fell at the last when a clear second to hot favourite Wichita Lineman) last year."
5.45 Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle
"It's the right sort of race for VISO as a strongly-run 2m on good ground is ideal but he couldn't make the frame when we fancied him to go well in The Ladbroke at Ascot and is harshly handicapped in England on that evidence. We've freshened him up for a spring campaign but I'd need to be convinced he's at the top of his form to bring him over again."
- attheraces.com
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