‘Spear’ to send arrow through Mullins trio
WHILE Willie Mullins has managed to lower the colours of Galway specialist Dermot Weld – 31 times champion trainer – in recent years with back-to-back title wins, both may play second fiddle to Tony Martin on the opening evening.
Mullins has a trio of runners in tonight’s headline act, the Connacht Hotel Handicap, with each having obvious claims in their own right but Meath handler Martin may have a trick up his sleeve with Ballybrit ace Golden Spear.
Course form is particularly noteworthy around Galway’s unique undulations and Golden Spear has it in spades and can spring a shock to turn the tables on Mullins’s mare Limini and deny Closutton successive wins in the Monday showpiece.
Limini is a warm-order favourite in the hands of the trainer’s son Patrick, but hasn’t raced in nearly 18 months and is without a run on the Flat in 1,424 days and Golden Spear can strike a blow at big odds.
Mullins is expected to leave punters smiling after the opener, however, as the return of Ruby Walsh takes centre stage after more than four months out of the saddle following a leg break in a fall aboard Al Boum Photo in the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
5.20 GALMONT.COM & GALWAYBAYHOTEL.COM NOVICE HURDLE 2M130YDS 4YO
Willie Mullins has won three of the last four runnings of the Festival opener and it’s very hard to look past the master of Closutton once again as he saddles a quarter of the 12-runner field.
His trio are likely to vie for the top three spots in the betting and all eyes will be on Walsh, who returns after more than four months out aboard the ironically-named Easy Game given the horrible injuries he has suffered in the last year.
Four of the last five favourites have obliged in this contest and there was a lot to like about the French recruit in his comfortable win at Killarney two weeks ago.
His stiffest competition is likely to come from some familiar faces in stablemate Cool Colonnade – a comfortable maiden hurdle winner at Sligo earlier this month – and Tipperary winner Shoulda Lied.
Gordon Elliott’s consistent Count Simon is probably the best of the rest, but with Walsh having the choice of the Mullins stable, Easy Game is the selection to get punters off to a flyer. VERDICT: Easy Game to welcome Ruby back with a winner.
5.55 EASYFIX HANDICAP HURDLE 2M130YDS
It says a lot about Denis Hogan’s rise through the ranks that he saddles five of the 20 runners in this ultra-competitive handicap, while the Tipperary trainer/jockey also takes the mount on Golden Poet.
The recent Kilbeggan winner is unlikely to be up to taking this, however, and it looks like quantity over quality for the Cloughjordan native, who currently lies seventh in the Irish trainers’ championship.
Niall Madden’s 2016 winner Shake The Bucket comes back for another tilt, while Motcomb Street steps into handicap company for ‘Shark’ Hanlon and Rachael Blackmore and is an interesting contender.
Outsiders have a great record in this race – no horse shorter than 7/1 has prevailed in the four renewals – and while trading at the front of the market, bottom-weight Viking Hoard is definitely worth a second look in this contest.
Any Charles Byrnes runner in a handicap is a danger and after breaking his duck over hurdles at the tenth attempt in fine fashion at Killarney, he is the one to side with in the hands of capable conditional jockey Kevin Brouder, who takes a valuable 7lbs off the selection.
VERDICT: Viking Hoard is open to huge improvement and can take a tricky affair.
6.25 CLAREGALWAYHOTEL.IE (C & G) IRISH EBF MAIDEN 7F 2YO
Dermot Weld has won seven of the last ten runnings with only last year’s winner Andrew Slattery and Aidan O’Brien (twice) having denied the master of Rosewell House.
He comes armed with Curragh fourth Third World while O’Brien is represented by Mount Tabora, which was a beaten favourite on his three racecourse runs, but it may pay to look outside the big two.
O’Brien’s Land Force has been third in the Group Two Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and taken a Listed prize at Tipperary since finishing ahead of Fozzy Stack’s third-placed Wargave on debut at the Curragh in May.
Wargrave was heavily punted to land the odds on that occasion – the second home, Jim Bolger’s Vocatus, has since disappointed – but having kept on well over 6f on that occasion, the extra furlong will play to his strengths. VERDICT: Wargrave can take an openlooking renewal under Chris Hayes.
7.05 CLAYTONHOTELGALWAY.IE HANDICAP 7F 3YO
Favourites have an appalling record in this race with no hotpot obliging in the past ten years, but there have been plenty of winners prominent in the betting.
One which fits that bill is Weld’s Tashman, which could have a nice bit up his sleeve dropping back to 7f on good ground in his handicap debut for the ‘King of Ballybrit’.
Gelded since he last raced 278 days ago, he is a major player, while Tim Doyle’s Krispen is one to fear under Ronan Whelan having lowered the colours of Weld’s hot favourite Wentwood in good style at Sligo last month.
The Joseph O’Brien pair of Palace Guard – unlucky in running at Leopardstown – and Rapture’s Delight are both respected but Weld is the man to follow and Declan McDonogh can steer Tashman home in front. VERDICT: Tashman should be well capable of scoring on his handicap bow.
7.40 CONNACHT HOTEL HANDICAP 2M179YDS
The ‘Amateur Derby’ is one of the few prizes which has eluded Patrick Mullins in a stellar amateur career and he will have shed a few pounds to make 11-3 to ride Limini as he attempts to break his duck riding for his father Willie in the €100,000 contest.
A Cheltenham Festival winner two years ago, Limini has been off the track since finishing third behind Apple’s Jade and stablemate Vroum Vroum Mag in the 2017 Mares’ Hurdle at the Cotswolds.
It’s nearly four years since she notched a hat-trick on the level in France, but the seven-year-old is expected to run better than her mark of 89 and has a big chance.
Only one favourite has obliged in the last ten years, however, and stablemates Chelkar – which ran a cracker when chasing home another Closutton runner Lagostovegas at Royal Ascot after 20 months off the track – and the lightly-weighted Uradel are highly respected.
Batts Rock looks the pick of the Gordon Elliott pair under Lisa O’Neill having taken the ‘Ladies Derby’ at the Curragh nine days ago, while course form certainly comes into play when looking at Harry Rogers’ Benkei with Ballybrit form figures of 3-2-1-3-8-3.
Another course specialist is Martin’s Golden Spear, which has never been out of the top two in his three Festival appearances (2-1-2) including when taking the valuable Guinness Handi-
cap two years ago and he may reward each-way punters on this occasion. VERDICT: Golden Spear can reward each-way punters at double-figure odds.
8.10 EVENTUS HANDICAP 1M4F84YDS 3YO
Imrana is a worthy favourite for Weld based on last month’s Limerick maiden success and is one of few unexposed types in the race, but she did look a bit green on that occasion and short odds should be avoided.
Baba Boom bids for a hat-trick of wins for Johnny Murtagh and Shane Foley, but a 21lbs rise in the handicap may undo him and preference is for another potential improver in Nibiru.
A winner on his debut at Naas over 6f, he stepped into Group Three company in the Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown over 1m 1f last October and was far from disgraced in seventh behind the likes of O’Brien’s Giuseppe Garibaldi and Weld’s Hazapour.
The step up to 1m 4f is an unknown, as is the 275-day lay-off but getting one ready is never a problem for Martin and Billy Lee can spring a surprise. VERDICT: Nibiru looks progressive and can oblige at a big price.
8.40 MONAMI CONSTRUCTION INH FLAT RACE 2M130YDS
NO horse priced bigger than 8/1 has won this race in the last ten years and the market principals are likely to play out the finish of the lucky last once again.
Royal Rendezvous prevailed at the third time of asking at Castletown-Geoghegan in the point-to-point sphere, easily accounting for Stuart Edmunds’ subsequent dual novice hurdle winner The clock is tic king.
That sets a decent bar given that he’s now in the hands of the champion trainer Mullins – and ridden by his son Patrick – but Exit Poll may be better value for Jessica Harrington and Barry O’Neill.
Well regarded by the Moone handler, the four-year-old son of Elusive Pimpernel is a big brute of a horse which should definitely improve from an excellent debut effort when a close third at Down Royal three months ago and he may lower the Mullins’ colours. VERDICT: Exit Poll can leave punters in good spirits.