Willie Mullins column: Saturday runners

By Willie Mullins

Sporting Life Plus

Sat January 25, 2025 · 2M ago

Our star columnist reflects on his recent winners and looks ahead to Saturday's team at Fairyhouse.

It was a great day at our local track on Thursday, winning the Thyestes Chase. It’s a day that always brings out a big crowd and is a real good day’s racing and a great atmosphere.

We were lucky enough that Nick Rockett got away to a good start in what was a messy one for two of our runners, who were put out of it almost straight away.

Then in the beginners’ chase Paul was shown to great effect winning on Quai De Bourbon over two-and-a-half miles. He looks to be a horse who could go right up in trip and I think he’s one for the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham.

Chapeau Du Soleil was second and ran a cracker, I hope it won’t be long before he gets a win to his name while Blizzard Of Oz in third looks like he could go back in trip to win. He showed a fair bit of speed around the third last to take up the running but was just outstayed.

Ocastle Des Mottes in fifth is another who ran a cracker. He made a huge mistake at the fifth last and did well to be in the leading bunch three out. He got tired from there and is another given a clear round who won’t be long before rewarding his owners.

We were very pleased that Appreciate It came back to win the Horse And Jockey Hotel Chase. He was very good. We were worried about the ground but he’s an 11-year-old and very hard to place so we let him take his chance and were pleasantly surprised how well he acted on the surface. That opens a lot of doors for him in the spring.

We had a good week in the north of England with Jarrive De Mee winning in Catterick and Chart Topper in Wetherby – both for Patrick. It’s nice to keep the flag flying on both sides of the Irish Sea.

Lossiemouth didn’t travel over to Cheltenham, we decided with the storm and potential traffic complications and were very happy to go to Leopardstown instead in our preparation for March.

All our Dublin Racing Festival runners are in good shape and on course for the meeting. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

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Fairyhouse Saturday

13:38 Aurora Vega

I think she has a tough task with 11 stone and with Fairyhouse getting 10mm of rain on Thursday night into Friday morning, that hinders her chances too.

13:38 Baby Kate

We have to look towards her on her win at Naas, I think that form probably leads the way for us. Brian Hayes retains the ride on her. She’s owned by school pals of Patrick’s and they’ve retained Brian to ride the horse. She looks the one at the weights.

13:38 Fancy Girl

The mount of Danny Mullins. She’s coming back from a break and while it looks like a tough task, I do think the ground will suit her.

14:13 Kawaboomga

Ran very well at Christmas and that should really put him in the picture here. It is going to be a cracker of a race with Koktail Divin and William Munny also having their chances but we’re very happy that our horse has improved a good bit from his Leopardstown run and hopefully enough to see off the challengers here.

15:57 Fillyoureye

A half-brother to Colreevy who does things nicely at home. We’ve been looking forward to getting him out and we’ll know if he’s as good as his sister after Saturday but all the indications at home are that he’s not too bad.