HEAD FOR THE PORT FOR A NATIONAL WIN

RYAN MCELLIGOTT

ON the eve of a massive week at Cheltenham Willie Mullins can land the €100,000 Baroneracing. com Leinster National Handicap Chase with Franco De Port.

The highlight of this afternoon’s action from Naas looks to present the Mullins inmate with an excellent opportunity to bag another good prize.

Franco De Port is going to have to give weight all round but he is still hard to look past after running a fine second in the Thyestes Chase last time.

On that occasion he was beaten just three parts of a length by Longhouse Poet and a repeat performance should suffice.

It is also worth remembering that this gelding won at Grade 1 level as a novice chaser last season.

He made seven consecutive starts at the top level prior to contesting the Thyestes and this looks a much easier level of competition for him.

In the Grade 3 novice hurdle Deploy The Getaway will be a popular choice to reverse last month’s Punchestown form with

Slip Of The Tongue.

There was very little between the pair on that occasion and Slip Of The Tongue now has to give away four pounds.

However, the Padraig Roche inmate could well be up to the task at hand as he made quite a bad mistake at the last at Punchestown.

Only for that he would have won a good deal easier which is something to bear in mind this afternoon.

The day’s other black type contest is the Grade 3 novice chase where West Cork Wildway is a hopeful choice to carry the day.

This gelding was beaten over 30 lengths into fourth by Bob Olinger in a Punchestown Grade 3 on his last outing.

That form makes for good reading as the horses that finished in front and behind him have both gone to frank the form.

If West Cork Wildway can match that form he might just be able to upstage the classy mare Jeremys Flame.

She has won two of her last three starts and enjoyed an easy success in a useful mares event at Thurles a couple of weeks ago.