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Douvan – Champion Chase
Min – Champion Chase
Nichols Canyon – Stayers Hurdle
Djakadam – Gold Cup or Ryanair
Yorkhill – Whichever race
Faughen – Champion HurdleAll bar Un De Sceaux of Willie’s horses for the big races seem to be falling away… And Penhill 10/1 for the stayers is yet to run this season too.
Value Is EverythingFootpad, sharjah, and bumper horses look to be shaping nicely though. Add in the likes of great field, penhill, killutagh Vic, arctic fire, Wicklow brave, getabird, benie de dieux, let’s dance, limini, etc he still wont be too far away I think.
As things stand anyone who fancies backing Mullins horses at the festival is going to get decent value for a change. Of all the grade 1’s he will probably only have the favourite for the Arkle the way things are looking. I feel most of his horses ran below par this week, as did Harrington’s and as did Elliot’s. Elliot was gifted 2 grade 1’s today but up until that it had been a poor week. The King George was poor enough as well. Gonna be an interesting Cheltenham this year.
Yes, he still has plenty for the other races. Am really only talking about the big 5 races for established chasers, Novices generally have to make improvement to reach that level… And Sarjah, great field, penhill, killutagh Vic, arctic fire, Wicklow brave, getabird, benie de dieux, let’s dance, limini, none of them are the quality of Douvan, Nichols Canyon or Faugheen.
Has Willie ever run a novice in a Championship race? If Min can’t get his act together would Footpad go for the Champion Chase? Or will Un De Sceaux come back in trip?
Value Is EverythingDo you think that there may have been a problem, given all the big guns underperformed?
Faugheen wasn’t right. He looked ok at the start; he just didn’t want to go up to 4th gear when the time came so he was pulled up.
Djakadam had a stinker by his standards. He’s usually a slick jumper; he was all over the place; clearly not right.
Yorkhill had questions to answer on his staying ability and being too keen and in the end the majority came to the conclusion that he’s not a stayer. Anyone who has anything to do with Yorkhill says he has a massive engine. He didn’t look like a horse with a massive engine this week
Min was off the bridle to deal with an 11 year old. Clearly below his best
We didn’t get to see Rathvinden finish but he was jumping ok; sadly we didn’t get to see Nichols Canyon at the business end either.
Saying that the Bumper horses and Footpad did well but you would have to think that when so many horses from the same stable all under-perform that something isn’t right.
Could just be a coincidence; but I doubt it. The 4 horses mentioned above didn’t become bad horses overnight and I will be backing all of them if they turn up in March.
Odds on he’s got a virus i’d Say.
Horses that would normally be getting piled into are drifting also, I think they know there’s an issue.
No issue IMO.
Most of the flops were horses coming back from a break. Mullins hasn’t been shy in saying that his best will be saved for the superfestival – Cheltenham – Punchestown – Auteuil bangbangbang you get in the spring.
Min was spoiled by Tell Us More’s early antics, Djakadam has had a hard life and may have finally recoiled, Yorkhill and Ballyward shaped nicely and I’ve been banging on about Faugheen being a toxic ante-post price for ages.
Mullins has had a slew of winners this week and I think Yorkhill, Melon, Ballyward, Voix Du Reve and many of his other ‘disappointments’ will reward his strategy in the coming months.
Footpad, sharjah, and bumper horses look to be shaping nicely though. Add in the likes of great field, penhill, killutagh Vic, arctic fire, Wicklow brave, getabird, benie de dieux, let’s dance, limini, etc he still wont be too far away I think.
Great field, Penhill and Arctic fire are yet to run after setbacks.
Killutagh vic has been out for a few years and is declared for a 2m4 hurdle on Sunday – the amount of ability he retains is to be seen.
Arctic fire is a tough horse to keep right and yet to be seen this season.
Lets Dance and Limini aren’t good enough to beat Apples Jade in the mares division. At grade 1 level I’m not sure there is a race for Benie.As a Mullins fan i’m quite deflated afer the last couple of weeks.
Douvan and Faugheen were coming back from injury, I’d be surprised if something doesn’t come to light with Faugheen.
Djakadam had a hard race on reappearance/very soft in the John Durkan and may not have fully recovered.
Yorkhill a) doesn’t stay, b) has a dodgy temperament, c) isn’t the most fluent of jumpers – so didn’t run too badly and still has potential if all comes together.
With Min, I just wonder how good he really is, at least at this early stage; still inexperienced this being only his fourth chase. Many novices have had more starts over fences. Gowran was a three horse race and started 1/9 fav, so what did he achieve there?… And people under-estimate how good Simply Ned is at his best. Although hasn’t been at his very best recently, if he were to return to that level it would be here given his record in this race. Finished third to Douvan and Sizing John and beaten just a length by Flemenstar. … And split Fox Norton and Special Tiara in the shloer. So I don’t think Min had to be that far below his best to be second best here.
So yes, I do think it’s probably a coincidence. One thing that might not be a coincidence is the threat from Gordon Elliott. I know Mullins says he’s in no hurry with his horses; but he has to say that. Judging by the way some of his best have run I’m sceptical, seems to me he has possibly taken more risks.
Value Is EverythingBamako Moriviere is another high class horse he has. Probably JLT bound
Min would be torn a new one by Altior. Again. I’d expect UDS stays for the Ryanair no matter what happens with anything else
Its been a strange week for Mullins, he has still had quite a few winners, but people forget that whilst horses might win, they can still be under a cloud…
For me, Min pulled his chance away early doors in the 2miler.
Yorkhill pulled his chance away also, and who knows could well be a doubtful stayer anyway. He needs cover, as we see when Ruby rides.
Faugheen god knows.Not really sure it’s easy to be certain on whether theres a virus or not…but one things for sure…don’t bother backing Mullins for a week or so.
Twitter: Jackh1092
Hindsight is 20/20 so make the most of it!Impressive return by killultagh Vic after 713 days off. Hardly jumped an hurdle properly at all, made mistakes all the way around, jumped many hurdles as if they were fences too, yet still comfortably brushed aside a very good field including 2016 coral cup winner diamond king,and current galway hurdle winner Tigris river
Updates in tomorrows racing post –
– Arctic Fire retired
– Limini – out for the jumps season. If they can get her ready she will have a summer flat campaign else she will be covered and retired.
– Great Field is back in pre-training. He’s due back in Willies next week and the target is to get a run at Leopardstown in Feb ahead of Cheltenham.Cheers for the update Sprinter, that’s a shame about Arctic Fire. I had considered him as a realistic outsider for The Champion Hurdle. Looks like the injuries have taken their toll.
Be good if Great Field comes back the same horse, he looked the real deal last season.
Shame about Arctic fire and Limini.
I always thought Arctic Fire was an underrated horse.
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