Weekend racing preview: Willie Mullins on team
Our star columnist is back to look ahead to another big weekend with Cialos Emery among his team for Naas on Sunday.
It was great to see True Self win in Riyadh on Saturday – it was a big prize for the owners and she deserved it.
We’re closer to home this weekend and here are my thoughts:
1.10 Fairyhouse – Farout
A son of Dark Angel but he looks more of a jumps horse than a flat one He’s a fine big type who is a bit novicey at home but will have the run for experience on Saturday. He’s probably one for next season rather than this but we’ll see what he does on the racecourse.
1.10 Fairyhouse - Tax For Max
He had a high rating on the flat and while he wouldn’t be the biggest horse in the world, he jumps well. We’re hoping for a good run here as it might be a prep run for the Triumph Hurdle if he shows enough ability.
2.52 Fairyhouse - Acapella Bourgeois
He won this last year and likes the track, trip and ground. He ran a good race at Tramore two starts ago and they went very fast in the Thyestes in very testing conditions and he didn’t see it out. Back to a track where he has good form on drying ground I hope he’ll come back to the form of his win in 2020.
2.52 Fairyhouse – Burrows Saint
He’s been a little disappointing and I’m hoping a return to fences on a track that he took to so well when winning the Irish National will benefit him. This race is usually an idea prep for the Randox Grand National at Aintree and while he would have to leave his recent hurdles form well behind here, I’m hoping he bounces back.
5.10 Fairyhouse – Glengouly
A nice recruit from Pat Doyle’s where we sourced Appreciate It among other good horses. We’ll give him his opportunity to see what calibre of horse he is and qualify him for the Cheltenham bumper if needs be. He’s owned by the Roaringwater Syndicate and wears the colours of Archie and Violet O’Leary, made famous by Florida Pearl.
Patrick rides him but it’s been a disappointing week for him – and all the other Irish and British amateur riders who’ve been told they can’t ride at Cheltenham.
He is toying with the idea of turning professional as he had a nice book of rides but he has a lot of thinking to do before making a decision.
Sunday team:
2.00 Naas - Cilaos Emery
He comes here in good form, his defeat by Bachasson in the Clonmel Oil looks alright now. I think this trip will suit him and he’ll handle the ground. Even though he’s three pounds wrong with Daly Tiger he comes here with a winning chance. He appears a horse who runs better in the spring time.
3.00 Naas - Echoes In Rain
She won here two starts ago albeit only about three hurdles were jumped in the circuit that day. It was a bit of a farce of a race and from what we saw of her that she jumped well. I like horses that have track form and it gives her a good chance here.
4.00 Naas - Egality Mans
He brings good form into this race but has been off the track for a long time. I still hope he can finish in the first four.
4.30 Naas - Micro Manage
We’ve got a hood on him here after he was keen at Leopardstown in December. It’s taken forever to get a run into him with the weather cancelling meetings but if he can bring his flat form to this contest he should be hard to beat.
4.30 Naas - Rambranlt'jac
He’s third reserve and has had training problems but if he gets in we hope he can run well with a view to improving on better ground in the spring.
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