A CRACKING seven days lie in store at the Listowel Harvest Festival, kicking off tomorrow with a seven-race National Hunt card at 2.00pm.

Just four go to post in the €40,000 feature Kerry Group Chase but there are some smart performers in the line-up, notably the Willie Mullins duo of Saint Sam and Easy Game. The latter is chasing a third straight win in the race and must give weight to all rivals, while Saint Sam, the mount of Paul Townend, heads to the Kerry venue in red-hot form after routing his rivals by 13 lengths at the Galway Festival – his third consecutive chasing success.

Recent Ballinrobe winner Visionarian, second and third in Grade 1 novice chases at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival and Aintree Grand National Festival last season, adds depth to the contest, with 2023 Red Rum Handicap Chase winner Dancing On My Own completing the field for Henry de Bromhead.

Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father Willie, expects the demands of the track at Listowel to suit Saint Sam well, while rain would not be deemed a positive for the chances of Easy Game.

“This has turned out to be a proper little race,” the record-breaking amateur rider told The Irish Field.

“It’s not ideal that Easy Game has to give weight away and the biggest worry would be how much rain falls. He wouldn’t like it to turn too testing but if it stayed on the good side, his best form would make him the one to beat.

“Saint Sam has a very big rating [of 159] nowadays. Whether he’s achieved as much as Easy Game did to get a similar mark is another thing but he’s had a good summer for us. I’d imagine this track will suit him very well given his running style; he can be keen to get on with things and likes to go forward.

“If the rain arrives, Saint Sam looks like he would deserve to be favoured but Brian Hayes has won some nice races on Easy Game before too and hopefully they can both show up well.”