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Annie Power Champion Hurdle 4/1
Vroum Vroum Mag Ryanair 10/1I am confident RR will give AP a crack to defend her title. He always seems more emotional with her than any of his other horses and I think that CH performance, coupled with the comments that faugheen may go up in trip, leaves this the race for her. 4/1 is decent IMO
Vroum Vroum Mag will go chasing this season, I am confident of that and I think the Ryanair is the perfect race for her. The horses ahead of her in the market will all run elsewhere. Douvan will go CC, Vautour will both go GC – Black Hercules is the only one to worry about, but I think 10/1 is a decent
Read the below on betfair forum. Interesting
Meet Mullins’ trusted eyes and ears in France
BY SCOTT BURTON7:11PM 7 MAR 2016
MARCH 9, 2015, might be one of the more remarkable dates in Cheltenham Festival history, as Willie Mullins turned the sport’s most fiercely competitive arena into his own personal field of dreams.
As first Douvan and then Un De Sceaux returned to the winner’s enclosure, the silks and attendant scarves may have changed from pink to sky blue and orange but the central brains trust remained the same.
There was the gracious tip of the Mullins trilby and the beaming smile of wife Jackie, as well as loyal lieutenant and talent scout Harold Kirk. And there too was the man who had scoured the French countryside to unearth these irresistible talents.
“The first day of Cheltenham last year was unreal,” says Pierre Boulard, sipping on a fruit juice in one of French racing’s most famous breakfast joints, La Chasse a Courre in Chantilly.
“I sometimes think, ‘how are we going to do that again?’ Winning four Grade 1s and having the first three in the Champion Hurdle was perfect.”
Boulard also bought the middle part of that Champion Hurdle tricast in Arctic Fire, and would be back in the number-one spot later in the week thanks to Don Poli and Vautour.
He adds: “Willie is a genius and the competition is so high there. There are a lot of very good trainers in England and although it looks easy, it’s not.”
French horses have become a huge part of the Mullins armoury so it is easy to forget his first festival winning imports, Mikael D’Haguenet and Quevega, were only in 2009.
“I knew Quevega was for sale and it was quite special because I bought her as a two-year-old at the AQPS show in Cercy for her owner Monsieur Biraben. She won three bumpers at three. I was told she was for sale and I mentioned it to Willie, who was very interested because he’d had her brother Monvega in Ireland and thought he was a very good horse but he had training problems. So we made a deal and that’s how it started.”
And Mullins uses only Boulard in France, who in turn has a client list of precisely one trainer.
“When I started buying horses I was also agent to Stephane Pasquier, he says. “I didn’t want to get any other jockey – which probably wasn’t great for business – and I concentrated on him and we did very well for four years up until he won the Arc with Rail Link. I find it a problem to work for different people. I couldn’t put Willie in competition with other trainers.”
Such a policy must have been a big risk in the beginning, especially as Boulard had previously enjoyed success with a number of clients including France’s greatest jumps trainer Guillaume Macaire. Yet when Mullins came knocking in the middle of the last decade, he was rekindling a personal and familial relationship from 20 years earlier.
He explains: “I was working in Maisons-Laffitte at the yard of Jacques-Hubert Barbe – the father of agent Hubert Barbe – and Dawn Run came over with her trainer Paddy Mullins. Nobody else spoke English so I helped him. He said if I wanted to come and gain experience in Ireland to go to him.
“I went the next year, the year Dawn Run won the Gold Cup. Willie was there, in fact all four brothers were working for their father.”
The great mare won the Grand Course de Haies in 1984, only to be killed in the same race two years later.
Boulard credits Paddy Mullins’ spirit of adventure as the spark that has made his son a regular visitor to the Paris track as well as chasing glory as far afield as Japan and Australia. And he recalls a prophetic conversation from his time in Kilkenny that may explain the pipeline of success flowing between Chantilly and Closutton.
“I remember I was in the car with Paddy, going to the races. He said he could see that one day French-bred horses would be very good over the jumps. I wasn’t sure but he was right.”
What is surprising when you examine the records in France of many of Boulard’s most successful acquisitions is how few wins there are next to some of the names.
“We don’t want a store because we don’t know about the quality. But we don’t want one who is too exposed. They just need to have shown me something special.
“When Djakadam ran at Compiegne I went ‘wow’! He could have won if the jockey hadn’t been so easy on him.”
As Boulard warms to his theme the names begin to tumble out of him. “Douvan won second time in a very good way,” he says. “Un De Sceaux won twice on the Flat in a nice, easy way. Vautour had two runs and did something even though he wasn’t fully fit, Vroum Vroum Mag the same.”
Perhaps the most compelling example among the festival first-timers will be the horse who bids to fire the starting flare in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, following on from Champagne Fever, Vautour and Douvan.
Min’s two runs at Auteuil for Yannick Fouin yielded a third and a fourth, neither effort screaming future star. “Min is a son of Walk In The Park and we had so much success with Douvan, says Boulard.
“Harold really believed in Walk In The Park when we bought Douvan and said go for it. I liked Min physically and the performances were good enough because Auteuil is the biggest test of stamina in France. It was important I liked him physically and then I add in the pedigree and his race. It was the three together.”
Rumours of flying work at home ensured Min had been favourite for the Supreme since last August, long before he made his debut for Mullins.
Surely there must be less expectation with Min than there will be 72 hours later, when the Boulard finds Vautour, Djakadam and Don Poli present Mullins with his best chance of a first win in the Timico Gold Cup?
“Because I’m not English I maybe don’t realise the importance of the Gold Cup,” says Boulard. “Of course I know it’s the race, but for me the other Grade 1s are very important. It was great with Vautour [two years ago] and then there was a lot of pressure with Douvan because he was the ante-post favourite. I don’t see the difference between those Grade 1s and the Gold Cup. On Tuesday, when Min has been favourite for a long time, I’ll be more anxious.”
If the bookies have it right then Boulard will have already followed in a hatful of winners by the time the Gold Cup is run. Perhaps then he will let the excitement win out over the anticipation, but you half suspect he will already be thinking about how to maintain the ‘new normal’ chez Mullins for 2017 and beyond.
That was my thinking Nathan. A Vautour (CC) & Douvan (GC) double is 338/1. If Willie annouced plans to drop down Vautour and up Douvan (which would come as no surprise, treble figure doubles vanish immedietely
If Douvan turns up he wins, its as simple as that and 10/11 is short, but fair enough.
I would love to see Douvan v Sprinter, although I think Douvan would win all day.
Could they drop Vautour down though? I know he fell in the JLT Melling Chase at Aintree and then came second to God’s Own over 2m in the Champion Chase at Punchestown, but does dropping him to 2m signal their intent for how they campaign him this coming season?
I have only just watched Zig win in Auteuil and am even more puzzled as to why this is 20/1 and very happy i have that price. Pushed from 2 out 20 lengths off the pace and showed a real staying ability.
Glad you agree Venture to Cognac – will be interesting to see how runs in Auteuil and the Long Walk Hurdle affect the price.
Ptit Zig @ 20/1 in the World Hurdle.
Loads of horses ahead of this in the market likely to run elsewhere. Didn’t take to fences so its back to hurdling. Won over 3m1f at Auteuil and has some really impressive hurdle form.
Black Hercules is 10/1 TBP in the GC.
That is a very good bet IMO. Almost all the horses ahead of BH in the market have age, injury, going and distance concerns – BH has none of those, so i’l take 10/1 TBP all day as surely GC bound.
I know some think Ante Post betting on Willies horses this far out is ludicrous, but it really isn’t. Sure, horses have to get there in one piece, but WPM horses are not campaigned too heavily and we know a lot about them before we see them this season, so why not take a chance on some double figure prices before prices half / go odds on after one or two runs.
I think they will up Douvan in trip with an eye on the GC. They have a wealth of riches and this is their best horses. They have been saying ‘he could be anything’ for a while now and I think we will see Douvan over 2m5f in Ireland before he contests in the King George. I am of the opinion he will stay all day long and have backed him multiple times for the King George
I think they will give Annie Power the chance to retain CH, which could mean upping Faugheen in trip to the World Hurdle.
I would like to see Vautour down in trip and think they may go for the Champion Chase if Douvan can handle 3 + miles.
One horse that hasn’t had much of a mention and doesn’t seem to get as much attention is Vroum Vroum Mag. For me this is the best ante post bet of Willies. Given their wealth of riches over hurdles and VVM’s proven ability over fences, I think chasing is inevitably on the cards which means we can narrow down potential targets:
Ryanair @ 10’s
Champion Chase @ 16’s
Gold Cup @ 33’sTheatre Guide – impressive 3rd at cheltenham in Jan, hacked up last time out off the back of an unbelievably strong 2nd in the Hennessy. How this horse is 14/1 I will never know. Getting closer to Cue Card on the gallops as well. He is a beast, jumps well and stays all day
I have been waiting for confirmation on where Annacotty runs before placing a bet, and fortunately Alan King obliged at On The Line on ATR tonight.
£25 ew @ 40/1 in the Ryanair Chase.
I am genuinely excited about this bet, for a number of reasons.
Firstly, a number of the market principals will run elsewhere, most noticeably, Vautour, Valseur Lido, Vroum Vroum Mag and possibly even Road to Riches.
Secondly, the trip. Annacotty’s trip is not 3m. In the 2014 RSA he tanked along in front to about 20f and then ran out of steam. Did the exact same in the Ultima handicap in 2015. 2 1/2 miles is his trip which makes the Ryanair ideal.
Thirdly, Cheltenham form. Setting aside the festival runs over 25f, he has won 3 out of 4 starts over his preferred trip at Cheltenham – he loves the place.
Fourthly – Alan King is in form. He smashed Cheltenham trials day, is taking a number of strong hopes and I think this one is under the radar.
Taking all the above into account, I am happy firing in @ 40/1
__________________Good write up.
Personally, not going anywhere near MTOY. If I was on @ 25’s or he was available at a big price then I would perhaps be tempted, but 8/1 about a horse who hasn’t been seen for a year and has lost twice when favourite at his (assumely) absolute peak is not for me.
The New One @ 8/1 will do.
This is a great thread.
I think its hard to narrow in on one, I am looking at a number in the hope that one or more will deliver.
I was going to suggest Taquin Du Seuil @ 14’s in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate and Village Vic @ 20’s for the Ryanair, but that doesn’t fit the brief of poor build up, but hacks up. Both won last time out and look solid.
Saphir Du Rheu @ 16’s looks interesting. Post wind op, ran well last year, will want better ground and should get it.
If I had to pick one horse, it would be Special Tiara. 4th @ Navan, 2nd in the Tingle Creek and would have won if not for SDG stopping him at the last. Before people call me a complete lunatic for taking on UDS with Special Tiara, these are my thoughts on horses shorter in the market.
Sprinter Sacre – does not find as much as he once did and they leave him with too much to do in his races. I don’t need to back him either, if he won I would be over the moon and happily celebrate it, so win win from that perspective.
Vautour – is surely Gold Cup bound
Dodging Bullets – prep concerns me. I think it took a lot for PN to get him to where he was last year and he is not there this year.
Sire De Grugy – won the Tingle Creek from ST (perhaps when he shouldn’t), has not won since and looks more laboured in his races than he has in the past.Then you have the mighty Un De Sceaux. First off, I am always going to pick holes in an odds on favourite, and the one question mark, or perhaps better put, potential weakness, is his jumping as we all know. Ruby has stopped asking him at fences now and basically lets the horse find his own stride. From the front unchallenged, it works, as proved in the Arkle last year. That being said, I don’t think Special Tiara will let him have it his own way. I am sure someone will prove me wrong, but I can’t remember ever seeing Special Tiara taking the first behind anything, and I don’t see the QMCC being any different. He will put pressure on UDS by front running and whilst UDS has all the ability to stay there and and fly past him, he is more likely to make a mistake if the race is not run his own way. He has fallen twice, he corrected himself repeatedly @ Ascot and I think those points alone are enough to take him on with the less glamourous Special Tiara.
Taquin Du Seuil, was mighty impressed with his novice chase season, showing he’s a horse who can jump, travel at a high speed, has a nice turn of foot and can hold his own in a battle up the Cheltenham hill. Very disappointing at the festival last year and this season but has been racing over 3m which he doesn’t want. Came back to form last time out and is now favourite for the 2m5f Brown Advisory Plate (between 10/1 and 14/1).
This.
