A tough task but fences are in his Blood
IMPRESSIVE on his chase debut in Naas, Blood Destiny will be expected to follow-up in the Grade 3 Betting Better With Sky Bet Novice Chase in Punchestown tomorrow.
The Willie Mullins (inset) trained five-year-old, who disappointed in the later stages of his juvenile hurdling campaign last season, looked a natural over the bigger obstacles in Naas and sets a decent standard, stepping-up in trip to almost two and a half miles.
Successful over hurdles in Cork and Fairyhouse, Blood Destiny was keen and faded late when finishing in mid-division behind stable-companion Lossiemouth in the Triumph at Cheltenham.
And he was a beaten odds-on favourite on his final start of last season when outpointed by 33/1 shot Enjoy The Dream in a Grade 2 in Fairyhouse at Easter.
Word from Closutton in the autumn suggested that Blood
Willie Mullinstrained Blood Destiny
Destiny’s schooling over fences had gone very well. And he lived up to expectations at Naas in mid-december, making all and jumping impeccably (apart from brushing through the top of the second last) before seeing off Heart Wood by nine lengths.
The runner-up had bumped into subsequent Leopardstown Grade 1 winner Grangeclare West on his fencing bow on the same track.
There was no doubting Paul Townend’s enthusiasm following that Naas win by Blood Destiny, when he was receiving a significant four-year-old allowance.
But it’s going to be a lot tougher tomorrow when he faces two penalised Grade 2 winners, plus Jimmy Mangan’s Spillane’s Tower, conqueror of Firm Footings last time.
Imagine, narrow winner over Lucid Dreams here, faces a tough task under an 8lb penalty while Con O’keeffe’s mare Silent Approach must shoulder a similar extra burden for her defeat of Harmonya Maker in Cork.