THE Willie Mullins stable has enjoyed a number of high profile successes since the inception of the Dublin Racing Festival, with 10 of the 30 winners between the 2018 and 2019 meetings hailing from the all-conquering yard in Closutton.
Leopardstown has been a happy hunting ground for the stable, and falls perfectly in the calendar for those crossing the Irish Sea in March. The success rate at Cheltenham of horses who have run at the Dublin Racing Festival is well known. Add in the significant prize money on offer at Leopardstown, and it is no surprise the Dublin Racing Festival is once again set to attract the cream of the crop of Irish jump racing.
Earlier this week the trainer’s son and assistant Patrick spoke about the stable’s horses that are pencilled in for the two-day meeting.
Appreciate It
Jeremy – Sainte Baronne
6yo b g (1-31)
Miss M A Masterson
He’ll run in the Grade 2 geldings’ bumper, I’m very happy with him. He’s a horse that has a bit of speed off a strong gallop or over a trip. He’s very laid back and I’d love to ride him at Cheltenham because, importantly, he has the head for it.
Patrick Mullins is looking forward to riding Appreciate It at the Dublin Racing Festival \ Healy Racing
Asterion Forlonge
Coastal Path - Belle Du Brizais
6yo gr g (1-11)
Mrs J Donnelly
He’s another horse that improved hugely from his first run to his second run. He jumped slightly to his right at Naas which would be a worry coming to Leopardstown. I think he wants a trip and 2m 6f would be an advantage to him. Although, the way he jumps, I think he’ll be a quicker horse than he was in bumpers.
Bapaume
Turtle Bowl – Brouhaha
7yo b g (4342-71)
Mrs S Ricci
I think he’s a horse that will have no problem dropping back to 2m 1f and I know that Ruby is very sweet on him. He reminds me of Footpad. He’s very low and rapid at his fences which delights Willie but is quite scary as a jockey! He wasn’t quite Grade 1 standard over hurdles despite winning one as a novice, but I think the way he jumps will improve him that few pounds to make him a proper Grade 1 chaser.
Bellshill
King’s Theatre – Fairy Native
10yo b g (41PU4-7)
Andrea and Graham Wylie
He’s not at his best going left-handed, I know he won this race last year but that was only a four-runner field. I’d expect him to improve on what he showed us at Leopardstown behind Delta Work, but the Punchestown Gold Cup will be his main aim this season.
Cash Back
Linda’s Lad – Holding
8yo b g (125-11)
Watch This Space Syndicate
Two mile chasing is his job, he jumps well and is quick over his fences. He was at Naas but you’d have to think a few in behind him probably underperformed, but what I loved about the run was that Danny (Mullins) couldn’t pull him up after the line which is very unusua. There was an awful lot left in the tank.
Chacun Pour Soi
Policy Maker - Kruscyna
8yo b g (11-2)
Mrs S Ricci
We’ve had him for three years, he’s very fragile. He put in an extraordinary performance at Punchestown, but you can temper that as the other horses had a hard season and he went there fresh.
He jumped spectacularly at Christmas, but we were a bit too forward on him. A Plus Tard got the run of the race and our fella just blew up.
He needed the run and you’ll see huge improvement from that. He still has to go and prove himself but he is a horse of huge potential.
Chacun Pour Soi - "He still has to go and prove himself but he is a horse of huge potential." \ Healy Racing
Cilaos Emery
Califet – Queissa
8yo b g (421-11)
Luke McMahon
He used to be very, very keen and that was his downfall but he settles a lot better now.
He won his beginners’ chase and then got injured, so he had to go straight into open company.
I don’t think the novice system is fair and it needs to be looked at. You should be able to have three runs as a novice regardless of time period. We’re not quite sure how good he could be, but he’s exciting.
Faugheen
Germany - Miss Pickering
12yo b g (F3PU-11)
Mrs S Ricci
It was magic riding Faugheen at Limerick. I didn’t think he’d beat Samcro and when we jumped the last, the roar from the crowd was phenomenal, it was like Hurricane Fly’s final few runs. On his day, he’s one of Willie’s best ever. I’m not sure he’s been the same horse since his injury, his consistency is gone but his run at Limerick was a huge performance.
The Flogas is his preferred option and I’d love to ride him, but I’d imagine Paul will want to throw his leg back over him! It’d be the highlight of the weekend for me if he won.
Faugheen - "On his day, he’s one of Willie’s best ever." \ Healy Racing
Kemboy
Voix Du Nord – Vitora
8yo b g (1UR11-4)
Kemboy/ Brett Graham/ KIen Sharpe Syndicate
He ran in a funny race at Christmas, him and Monalee got a freebie out in front, but Kemboy just blew up. I’d expect him to improve considerably and he came out of the race perfectly. He’s surprised us with how good he is. He was good but not Grade 1 standard as a hurdler and a novice chaser but a change in tactics and riding him handier has improved him a lot. He’s only just turned eight, so he was entitled to improve with age too.
The Mullins camp are hopeful Kemboy will improve from his Savills Chase run \ Healy Racing
Klassical Dream
Dream Well – Klassical Way
6yo b g (1111-35)
Mrs Joanne Coleman
He probably wants soft ground to be a Champion Hurdle horse. His best form, which was in the Supreme, was on soft ground. He looked to me at Christmas like he was a horse that was going a stride faster than he was comfortable with and that led to the mistake that put paid to his chances. If it came up soft in Cheltenham, you would have to take him very seriously.
I’d ride Sharjah over him at Leopardstown though as I might not make it down to the start on Klassical Dream the way he messes around!
Laurina
Spanish Moon – Lamboghina
7yo b m (114-1PU)
Sullivan Bloodstock Limited
She burst the last day, and that was the reason why she ran poorly. It’s worrying but we’ve seen horses burst on the day and recover. A few of ours ran badly over Christmas but we’ve had no problems with her since so, touch wood, that was just a once-off.
Lord Royal
Lord Du Sud – Tinoroyale
5yo gr g (2-1)
Paul Connell & Alan McGonnell
Another fine, big, tall horse. I’ve ridden him in a schooling hurdle and liked him a lot. He’s a horse with a real high cruising speed and a trip will suit him well. That was very soft ground when he won in Clonmel but he’s not a heavy horse so you would hope he’d go well on better ground too.
Melon
Medicean – Night Teeny
8yo ch g (42F7-21)
Mrs J Donnelly
I was disappointed with his overall performance at Christmas but I did like seeing him win a battle after making a mistake at the last. He jumps a bit to the right which is not ideal and I’m not sure he’s a sharp enough jumper to be a two-miler. I think we’ll see improvement in his form when he steps up in trip. He’s entered in the Flogas (2m 5f) as well and I’m not sure which one he’ll run in but, to me, he looks like a horse that wants further.
Min
Walk In The Park – Phemyka
9yo b g (11512-1)
Mrs S Ricci
He was very good in the John Durkan. He had the run of the race there but, the way a lot of our horses were running over the festive period, I think he won despite not being at his best. He made a few mistakes which is unusual for him. He’s the highest rated horse in the race and the one they all have to beat but it’s going to be a very competitive race.
Sharjah
Doctor Dino – Saaryeh
7yo b g (311BD-41)
Mrs S Ricci
I love riding him, he’s an easy horse to ride. You can ride him with your baby toe and your baby finger. He enjoys dry ground and is very adaptable as regards to the pace of the race. I was slagging Rachael Blackmore, telling her I hope we get a nice lead into the race off Honeysuckle! He’s a very laidback horse and probably needs a run more than most of ours because he wouldn’t stress himself at home. Leopardstown is probably his ideal track. I’ll hopefully get to ride him in this race.