SHATTERED TO FIND GOLD
JLT hero can land the big novice contest
In what promises to be a pivotal three days in the Irish National Hunt trainer’s championship, Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins supply all nine of the runners for this contest.
On this occasion, Elliott looks to have the edge with his team headed by a pair of Cheltenham Festival winners.
Of the duo, Shattered Love makes most appeal following her decisive win in the JLT Novices’ Chase last month.
Earlier in the season, she won a threemile Grade 1 against the geldings at Leopardstown over Christmas and she seems effective over most trips and ground.
Provided Cheltenham hasn’t taken too much out of the daughter of Yeats, she is taken to see off Al Boum Photo.
This one looks the pick of the Mullins team on the form he showed to chase home Monalee in a Leopardstown Grade 1 two months ago.
He fell at Cheltenham, but had he completed he would have been a good third to Presenting Percy in the RSA Chase.
In the day’s other Grade 1 event, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Novice Hurdle Championship Final, it is impossible to oppose the Mullinstrained Laurina.
She is unbeaten in three starts since coming to Ireland and was a brilliant winner of the mares novice hurdle at Cheltenham.
There is nothing in the field that comes close to matching the form shown by Laurina and it will be a huge surprise if she fails to collect.
Scarpeta could also strike for the Mullins team in the Grade 2 novice hurdle over two and a half miles.
This gelding is another who was in action at Cheltenham and he posted a superb effort to finish fourth to Samcro.
That run puts him ahead of stablemate Duc Des Genievres, who was fifth in that same race, and he progressed really well with every run over hurdles.
Scarpeta gets the vote over Blow By Blow, who is looking to follow up his front-running heroics in the Martin Pipe just over two weeks ago.
Another possible winner for Mullins is the talented Bon Papa in the novice handicap chase, while Sizing Pottsie is a clear choice in the valuable bumper.