MULLINS EYEING INCREDIBLE RUN
WILLIE MULLINS was king of Cheltenham and he can continue his incredible week at Uttoxeter this afternoon.
His quirky stayer MR INCREDIBLE (3.00) is fancied to take the bet365 Midlands National.
The horse, described as an equine lunatic and certainly has his own way of doing things, has not been sighted since an unlucky tilt at the Aintree Grand National last April.
He was creeping into the race when his saddle slipped after the Canal Turn on the second circuit.
Fast forward almost 12 months and the eightyear-old and Brian Hayes bid for compensation in the £150,000 (€175k) marathon over 4m 2f.
He has run only 10 times in his career, with two wins, and will have to do it the hard way with top weight of 12 stone.
Mr Incredible, who has refused to race and has also pulled himself up, has a strong record when running fresh after a break and he certainly has the talent, as he showed when second in Warwick’s Classic Chase in 2023 and third in the Kim Muir last March.
Autonomous Cloud, Guetapan Collonges and Iron Bridge are among the dangers in a smaller field than normal.
The ground will be testing at Uttoxeter, suiting the progressive Saint Davy (2.25, nb), who is on a hat-trick after victories at Ludlow and Sandown.
Eyecatching
CASTLE RUSHEN (1.50) put in an eyecatching run on his return from a break and will appreciate the drop in trip to 2m 4f, while FORTUNEFAVORSBOLD (3.35) is in great heart for Christian Williams, who does well with progressive young staying chasers.
ITV are also at Kempton where BEAU BALKO (1.35) can score for Paul Nicholls and TITAN DISCOVERY (2.10) looks ripe to continue his progression.
FLEGMATIK (2.45), from the red-hot Skelton yard, loves Kempton and should not mind the drop in trip although he won’t want too much rain.