IT’S GOING TO GET STORMY
Mullins set to rain in Naas
WILLIE Mullins can continue his red hot run of form at Naas this afternoon where the champion trainer has every chance of notching up a treble.
Mullins can strike first with Stormy Ireland in the Grade 3 Limestone Lad Hurdle which has attracted a fascinating runner in the Australiantrained Big Blue.
The Southern Hemisphere raider will need to be at the top of his game to defeat the home team with Stormy Ireland looking a standout in this race.
The Cheltenham Festival runner-up has looked better than ever in two starts this season and she was especially impressive when winning a Grade 3 at Leopardstown over Christmas.
She has to take on the geldings here but that shouldn’t matter to the six-year-old who comes here at the top of her game.
Her biggest danger could come from her promising stablemate Franco De Port while Sutton Place is very interesting on his return from almost two years off.
Mullins is also expected to land the Grade 3 Naas Racecourse Business Club with Carefully Selected.
This gelding is making an unusually quick return to action following his Grade 2 success at Punchestown a fortnight ago.
However he needs to reach the first four in a race run over just short of three miles or further in order to qualify for the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham.
The quick return to action may not be ideal but even still Carefully Selected should be able to take care of these rivals.
He is a potentially high class staying chaser and he simply looks a cut above these opponents.
Mullins can complete his treble with The Big Getaway a likely winner of the second maiden hurdle on the card.
This gelding still held every chance when a last flight error derailed his challenge at Leopardstown over Christmas.
He possibly wouldn’t need to improve on that form to win but he probably will still progress from the run.
In the opening maiden hurdle the Gordon Elliott-trained Battle Of Wills might be the one to side with.
He lacks previous experience over hurdles but this doesn’t look a very strong race and he was quite a decent horse on the flat.
A case could be made for quite a few of the runners in the handicap hurdle but a chance is taken on Morning Skye who ran well last time out.
The hunters chase is a strong race with Dylrow getting the vote after beating a number of these at Down Royal last month. If he can turn up in similar form he will take plenty of beating. The former Irish Gold Cup winner Edwulf is a likely threat.