WILL HAS SIX CHANCES TO SALDLE MORGIANA WINNER

BY PETER O’HEHIR

WILLIE MULLINS is responsible for six of the eight acceptors for the Grade 1 Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday.

The champion trainer, who has won 10 of the last 11 renewals, has included two previous winners of the race in his possible raiding party, 2019 winner Saldier and Sharjah – who won in 2018 and again last year.

But it’s more significant that last season’s top juvenile Vauban and the exciting State Man and Sir Gerhard are also among the acceptors.

Gordon Elliott (inset), who doubled-up with Harmonya Maker and Gerri Colonge (both ridden by Jack Kennedy) in Fairyhouse yesterday, intends running Teahupoo while the Noel Meade-trained Jesse Evans will complete the Morgiana line-up.

And the Mullins-trained Flame Bearer, one of the most exciting novice chasers around, withdrawn from his intended chasing and stable debut at Navan on Sunday, is set to run in the Lily & Wild Beginners Chase at Punchestown on Saturday, on a card which features two Grade 2 novice chases.

Meanwhile, today’s action is in Dundalk, where Joseph O’brien’s unexposed Ribchester colt Bold Ribb might open his account in the Floodlit Fridays At Dundalk Maiden.

Third to Monsieur Jumbo in a

Newcastle maiden on his only start for previous trainer Roger

Varian, this fellow started 5/2 favourite for his Irish debut at

Killarney last month, but failed to make a significant impact, having to settle for fifth spot in the maiden won by The Vik.

But that form has been boosted by the subsequent success of the third, Fawkner Park, and fourth Apologise.

Bold Ribb is entitled to improve significantly from that stable debut and, if he does, he should be tough to beat here, with Jim Bolger’s Soilse, back in maiden company, among the obvious threats. The Ross O’sullivan-trained Samrogue has won four times, including twice on Dundalk’s polytrack, ridden on each occasion by Conor Hoban.

And the partnership might strike again and complete a hat-trick in the six-furlong DKITSU Race Night Handicap.

The four-year-old’s two Dundalk wins were achieved over five furlongs. But she has shown in her two most recent starts, clear-cut wins at Cork and Laytown, that she is equally effective over six.

She bolted-up at Cork in July and, after a break, scored readily at Laytown in September to reach a career-high mark.

Drawn six, Samrogue has excellent prospects, in a rematch with Collective Power, whom she beat here in March. Earlier, Paul Flynn’s Clever Currency, who ran a cracker over hurdles at Navan on Sunday, has solid each-way claims in thew two-mile Irishinjuredjockeys. com Handicap.