VINDICATED
Willie’s choice to prove correct
RATHVINDEN should continue the impressive strike-rate of Willie Mullins at the Listowel Festival by landing today’s Allman Contracts Ltd Novice Chase. The nine-year-old, whose career has been interrupted by injury since finishing a creditable third to star stable-companion Faugheen in the Neptune at Cheltenham in 2014, has done little wrong over fences this summer and should prove too strong for his three rivals. Pulled up on his fencing debut behind subsequent Irish Grand National victor Our Duke at Navan in December, he chased home Modem when reappearing at Ballinrobe in late May. Tried over an extended three miles next time, in Wexford, he duly opened his chasing account when slamming Fly Rory Fly. And he followed-up when outpointing Wednesday’s Guinness Kerry National winner Potters Point and Peregrine Run at the Galway Festival. Last time, he failed to complete the hat-trick. Sent off slight odds-on he finished a close third behind Peregrine Run and Conrad Hastings in Killarney last month, 16 lengths clear of one of today’s rivals SEA LIGHT. Today’s task looks less demanding. And Ruby Walsh’s mount is a confident choice to outstay THREE WISE MEN, which beat Bamako Moriviere (disappointing in Killarney but a last fence faller when looking an assured winner here this week) in Galway last time. Rathvinden’s form looks much stronger. And he’s likely to prove more effective than his chief rival over this two and a half miles in heavy ground. Mullins and Walsh might also land the opening John Lynch Memorial Maiden Hurdle with hurdling debutant MAKITORIX, successful once from seven flat starts in France (at Cholet) before being purchased for €115,000. The grey Makfi gelding has Joseph O’brien’s 110-rated, but exposed, Big Ben, a distant second to the exciting Mullins-trained Sayar at Kilbeggan, to beat. The Sean T Mcelligott Memorial Novice Hurdle has attracted just five runners, but looks a tricky puzzle to solve. Beaten a length and three quarters by Housesofparliament at Galway, Gordon Elliott’s MORGAN must have excellent prospects of turning the tables, on 11lb better terms, when taking Chris Meehan’s 7lb claim into consideration. But, in the prevailing testing conditions, I’ll side with another Mullins runner MINELLA BEAU, successful over an extended two miles in Galway (when beating Turbojet and Castello Sforza) This King’s Theatre gelding looks a stayer and, if Ruby can take the sting out of his rivals, Minella Beau might be tough to pass in the closing stages. And, having coped well with conditions when scoring on the flat here on Thursday (off a mark of 67), the Gavin Cromwell-trained HIGHLAND FLING has solid credentials as he bids for a Festival double in the M J Carroll ARRO Handicap Hurdle.