MIN’S STEP UP
Mullins’ French ace poised to emulate stable companions
FRENCH import Min, which is already favourite to start the Cheltenham Festival in style once more for the Willie Mullins stable, is the horse all eyes will be on this weekend when returning to the scene of his runaway Irish debut success at Punchestown.
The Ricci family’s latest classy recruit to the formidable Mullins team has star stable companions Vautour and Douvan to emulate this afternoon at the Kildare venue when long odds-on for the featured Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle.
This Sky Bet-sponsored Grade 2 affair, in which Henry de Bromhead’s Attribution looks the pick of the hotpot’s four surviving rivals, previously showcased the talents of both Vautour and Douvan on their second starts for Mullins and it will be something of a sensation if Min fails to bring up the hat-trick.
Ruby Walsh enjoyed a bloodless victory over subsequent Leopardstown bumper hero Gurteen when Min made absolutely no mistake on his eagerly-awaited initial outing here a month ago when starting at what seemed prohibitive odds of 4/11 on the back of some impressive schooling sessions at home.
Another emphatic success for the multiple Irish champion on the freegoing Walk In The Park gelding will only serve to strengthen the claims, and indeed further shorten the price, of this five-year-old ahead of Cheltenham’s Supreme Novice Hurdle.
Then it’s the turn of Union Dues, absent for 892 days since landing a flat maiden from Darwins Fox at the 2013 Galway summer festival, to step forward for Mullins and Walsh in the David Trundley Artist Maiden Hurdle.
Dermot Weld’s former smart flat handicapper Stuccodor tries for an elusive maiden win over timber here while Gordon Elliott introduces a well-bred Yeats gelding, Wolfslair, for Gigginstown House Stud in what should be quite an informative heat.
The experience over the larger obstacles picked up by Andrew Lynch’s mount Arctic Skipper when leading in the pack at Fairyhouse behind another Mullins high achiever Killultagh Vic may prove crucial when opposed by the latter’ s stablemate Measure of my dreams and Mr Diablo, in the opening Beginners Chase.
Mckinley, which Mullins withdrew from this event, competes instead at Fairyhouse tomorrow over a shorter trip in another Beginners Chase and likewise the mount here of David Mullins is bound to have learned from his initial ‘chasing outing at Navan last month when beating all except favourite Walk To Freedom.
Gordon Elliott supplies talented Kerry claimer Jack Kennedy with clear chances of recording another double at the Meath venue as Tocororo has done enough in his two outings over jumps to date to merit selection for the opening juvenile hurdle and Bright New Dawn looks the pick of the Gigginstown House Stud trio for the day’s highlight.
The Underwriting Exchange back this €100,000 Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase, which went to Mallowney a year ago, and young Kennedy’s valuable claim can help Bright New Dawn improve on his Navan second to Felix Yonger four weeks ago.
Presuming Tramore survives an inspection, Robbie Hennessy’s veteran Rubi Light is taken to land the At The Races Chase in the hands of the visiting Brian Hughes after a fine Thurles second to Sir Des Champs.