10 star names in Ireland this week including State Man, Flooring Porter, Galopin Des Champs & Gaelic Warrior
Matt Brocklebank flags up 10 big names and potential stars set to run in Ireland this week.
KLASSICAL DREAM – 12.10 Thurles, Thursday
What a week it promises to be for Willie Mullins, who you sense is really going to come out punching after title rival Gordon Elliott dominated the recent high-profile meetings at Down Royal and Navan.
It all kicks off for Ireland’s champion trainer on Thursday lunchtime when the seven-time Grade 1 hurdle winner Klassical Dream makes his first public outing over fences in the beginners chase at Thurles.
This two and three-quarter mile contest looks an ideal launchpad for Joanne Coleman’s nine-year-old, who was well held in last season’s Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham but won the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers at the Punchestown Festival, before signing off with a gallant third in the big one at Auteuil in May.
"It's hugely exciting, I can't wait"@DaveOrd caught up with @Dazjacob10 after he picked up the ride on Bravemansgame in the @Betfair Chase at @haydockraces on Saturday 🏇 pic.twitter.com/tEls7xfcZx
— Sporting Life Racing (@SportingLife) November 20, 2023
MISTER POLICEMAN – 12.55 Fairyhouse, Friday
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From a standing dish at Closutton to a relatively fresh face in Mister Policeman, who has been talked about in glowing terms by those closest to him this autumn and already sits as a best-priced 8/1 chance in the antepost books for the Arkle.
A five-year-old son of Triple Threat who won on his second start for former trainer David Cottin in March 2022, Mister Policeman was only seen the once for Mullins last term but delivered as the even-money favourite under Michael O’Sullivan in a two-mile event at Cork in April.
He successfully gave 2lb and a two and a quarter-length beating to 142-rated stablemate Cash Back that day and is widely expected to become one of the top novice chasers around this season.
GAELIC WARRIOR - 12.48 Punchestown, Saturday
Sticking with Mullins and the famous pink and green-spotted silks of Susannah and Rich Ricci, Gaelic Warrior is entered up to make his own chasing debut in the beginners’ event over two and a quarter miles at Punchestown on Saturday.
A monumental gamble on the French import was memorably foiled by Brazil in the 2022 Boodles Fred Winter at Cheltenham but he made up for it last year with three short-priced victories en route to finishing second behind stable companion Impaire Et Passe in the Ballymore back at the Festival in March.
He went on to justify 4/5 favouritism in the Grade 1 novice over three miles at Punchestown the following month and is all set to switch to fences, having briefly been considered a potential Stayers’ Hurdle candidate.
That race could come back on the agenda if things don’t pan out for the five-year-old as hoped and, given his tendencies to jump out to his right when hurdling (markedly so at times), it will be fascinating to see how he copes with this sort of test.
INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN – 12.48 Punchestown, Saturday
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It’s not just Mullins and Elliott unleashing his top-quality horses at the moment and Gavin Cromwell has been enjoying success both at home and in Britain following a double (from just seven starters) at Cheltenham’s November Meeting last week.
Inothewayurthinkin is entered in the same beginners’ chase at Gaelic Warrior and, unlike that one, he has the benefit of experience following a creditable second behind Imagine at Fairyhouse earlier this month.
Mark Walsh explained that eyecatching, fast-finishing effort by suggesting the ring-rusty horse was simply getting his “second wind” a little too late in the day, but that won’t be an excuse now he’s had a spin over fences and he always looked capable of making the grade as a novice hurdler last season.
FLOORING PORTER – 1.23 Punchestown, Saturday
In the very next race, the Grade 2 Florida Pearl Novice Chase, Cromwell will have extremely high hopes that Flooring Porter can follow up last month’s chasing debut success at Cheltenham.
He’s not always been at his very best at the start of the season but did progress through the handicap ranks to win two Stayers’ Hurdle titles at the Festival and he was far from disgraced when fourth to Sire Du Berlais back there in the spring.
The first run over fences was not completely without flaw but he jumped adequately in the main and was well on top at the finish, coming two and a half lengths clear of Broadway Bob (conceded 5lb), who franked the form in no uncertain terms with a 20-length novice chase success at Prestbury Park last Friday.
SANDOR CLEGANE – 1.23 Punchestown, Saturday
With no Mullins runners entered, it could be down to Galway one-two Affordable Fury and Favori De Champdou to put up most resistance for Flooring Porter, though an improved effort from Sandor Clegane would come as no surprise either.
Third in the two and three-quarter mile novice hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival and again behind Stay Away Fay in the Albert Bartlett, he didn’t have to better that form to win on his final start of last season at Punchestown in April. That win came over two and a half miles but the drop right back to two didn’t do him much good when fourth behind Imagine (and Inothewayurthinkin) on chasing debut at Fairyhouse.
His sheer size is enough to make one believe he’ll strip a good deal fitter for an initial outing this time around and going back up in distance on testing ground are other positive factors when it comes to Paul Nolan’s smart prospect.
STATE MAN – 2.35 Punchestown, Saturday
With Impaire Et Passe looking likely to wait for the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, the way is paved for State Man to repeat his comeback win from last year in Saturday’s Grade 1 Unibet Morgiana Hurdle.
State Man won four times in total on his first campaign outside of novice company and appeared to run close to his very best when beaten nine lengths by Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
It would appear he could struggle to ever get the better of Nicky Henderson’s superstar but there are plenty of quality prizes to be mopped up at home and he shouldn’t have too many issues here if resuming close to fully wound-up.
The Elliott-trained Pied Piper is at least fit from the Flat and ran a fine race when second to The Shunter in last month’s Cesarewitch at Newmarket, but he has around 10lb to find with the favourite.
TULLYHILL – 12.10 Punchestown, Sunday/12.35 Cork, Sunday
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Two for the price of one here as Mullins is likely to split Tullyhill and Readin Tommy Wrong (more on him below) across Sunday’s maiden hurdles at Punchestown and Cork.
Both emerged from the point-to-point scene and will handle the ground perfectly well, but Tullyhill has the Grade 1 bumper form in the book so perhaps it’ll be he heading to Punchestown for the two and three-quarter mile event.
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned five-year-old didn’t make his Rules debut until March but duly bolted up as the 4/6 favourite under Patrick Mullins before finding only Cheltenham hero A Dream To Share too good in the Champion I.N.H. Flat Race at the Festival here in April.
He looks to have plenty of natural ability and could develop into a leading Ballymore/Albert Bartlett type as the year goes on.
READIN TOMMY WRONG - 12.10 Punchestown, Sunday/12.35 Cork, Sunday
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Readin Tommy Wrong – in the silks of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede – was runner-up to the now 128-rated Out Of Office in a Belharbour point-to-point when trained by Robert James and clearly took a little while to come to hand for Mullins having not made his bumper debut until May.
He rattled off wins at Ballinrobe and (under a penalty) at Tipperary during that month, after which Patrick Mullins referred to him as a “winter horse”. The bumper form will need improving upon, even if he’s to win an Irish maiden hurdle first time out, but that looks highly possible and he’s one to monitor closely wherever he pitches up.
GALOPIN DES CHAMPS – 2.30 Punchestown, Sunday
Mullins will be hoping to have laid down some significant markers by the time Sunday afternoon comes into view but either way it doesn’t get much bigger than the return of the Gold Cup winner.
Galopin Des Champs ended last season on a slightly low note having been beaten by Fastorslow in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup towards the end of April, but I’m not sure anyone will try to argue that Martin Brassil’s horse – who looks set to reoppose – is the biggest attraction in this year’s John Durkan Memorial Chase.
If he beats Galopin Des Champs again over this two and a half mile trip then the Ultima runner-up will obviously suddenly be thrust right into the mix for all the major staying prizes this season, though Fastorslow has tended to be more of a spring campaigner anyway so it could be a lot to ask first time back for him.
Galopin Des Champs shouldn’t be too inconvenienced by the shorter distance, while he’s made successful (and impressive) starts to his past two chase campaigns so he’s without question the one they all have to beat.
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