CLASSY MIN IS THE ONE TO FOLLOW

LEOPARDSTOWN PREVIEW MIN must be strongly fancied to retain his unbeaten record over fences in today’s Grade 1 Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase in Leopardstown.

The Willie Mullinstrained six-year-old is deputising for injured stablemate Douvan, which landed this prize last year, and should register his second Grade 1 chasing success.

Min is three from three over the bigger obstacles and built on his fencing debut win at Navan when slamming Ordinary World in the Grade 1 novice event at this Christmas meeting last year.

Leading the opposition to Min will be Gordon Elliott’s Ball d’arc, which beat another of today’s rivals Ordinary World (making his seasonal debut) in a Grade 3 at Naas last month. There won’t be much between this pair today.

And the Jessica Harrington-trained Woodland Opera, winner of a Grade 2 ‘novice’ at Punchestown last month, comes into calculations too. But it’s hard to look beyond Min.

The Elliott-trained Mengli Khan, a three-time winner over hurdles already this season and successful in the Grade 1 Royal Bond at Fairyhouse last time, sets the standard in the other Grade 1 on today’s card, the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice

Hurdle.

Successful twice in Navan, the selection brushed aside the challenge of Early Doors at Fairyhouse, with Hardline well-held in third, Le Richebourg sixth and Makitorix pulled up (after a bad mistake).

Long before Min goes into action the Mullins-trained hurdling debutant Mr Adjudicator should win the opening juvenile hurdle and Bunk Off Early is fancied in the Paddy Power Cash Card Plus Beginners Chase.

And the Paddy Power Chase can go to the Gordon Elliott-trained Squoateur.