I'll start by giving you a selection, and then below is the closest thing I could find for an update on Willie Mullins horses. It was a Racing Post article from the 14th November. Annoyingly, it is slightly incomplete, as he gave you a full stable tour, but I can't find the other horse comments. But at least its something, as we don't really get many updates from across the Irish Sea. It will all begin to unravel soon though as we approach Cheltenham. (Less than 9 weeks to go now) 4.00 Lingfield BLOWN IT 9/2 Looked a desperately unlucky loser at Wolverhampton LTO, snatched up when coming to stake his claim, and had previously ran on well in prior starts. Their will be a good clip here, not least thanks to Grand Stitch and Ability n Delivery. I just think this race might fall into his lap a little bit. Sherjarwy has claims but I think needs another furlong, and I suspect if Shane Kelly can get him a good mid division and sit and pull him wide down the straight, that he will pick off the pace-setters and hopefully not get swamped late on. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Hurricane ready to lead the big names into action.-a0272330827 "Hurricane Fly, who went through last season unbeaten, and Thousand Stars, whose consistency was rewarded when he won the French Champion Hurdle, will be in action soon. Quevega is back looking better than ever. Limiting her to two races - the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle and the 3m Grade 1 at Punchestown - has worked well in the past and it will probably be the same story. "Mourad will be aimed at top staying hurdles and we've decided on hurdling for Mikael D'Haguenet, who lost his confidence over fences. "We're also hoping Zaidpour, who started last season so well before going off the boil, will show what he's capable of and be competitive at a high level. "We have a nice team of novices and lots of promising young horses who will be starting off in bumpers." Sir Des Champs, one of three Cheltenham Festival taking the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, is going novice chasing. The novice hurdlers include Lovethehigherlaw, winner of the Grade 1 bumper at the Punchestown festival, and unbeaten three-time bumper winner Samain. Tony O'Hehir A Fine Young Man Pedigree: six-year-old gelding Snurge (sire) - Miss Platinum (dam) Owner: TJ Doran Form: 1/ Racing PostThe Racing Post is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting newspaper. It is owned by Sheikh Mohammed and published under a 10 year lease by Trinity Mirror. (c=chase, h=hurdle, b=bumper) Won a bumper at Naas on his debut in 2009-10 but met with a setback and had to miss last term. He's in pre-training and will be going novice hurdling. Staying will be his game.
Click the link for the full list of horses (it was quite extensivde so I haven't posted it as there is not enough room!)
Seriously, finding anything extensive from the Irish trainers is like hunting for Gold Dust. When I found that article my printer started printing me £20 notes and a message saying 'well done on finding this information'. But in all seriousness, it is a really good read, but we miss out on detailed descriptions on horses further down the alphabet, such as Hurricane Fly/Samain/Sir Des Champs etc etc. If anyone has that edition of the Racing Post or indeed knows where to locate the rest of this article online, please either scan it in or point us in the right direction
I use http://www.irishracing.com/ its pretty good for updating us with the trainers and horses, (but you probably read this anyway! lol)
One thing that's really puzzling me at the moment is the whereabouts of Go All The Way (Last years Champion Bumper 4th). Alan Potts (the owner) has moved a load of his horses back to Ireland and had his first winner with Willie Mullins recently. I managed to get a tweet from Willy Twiston-Davies the other week telling me that he was no longer with the Twisters yard and was in Ireland. No website anywhere lists him as anywhere else but at NTD's yard. Is he with De Bromhead, Mullins, or just bollocking across the Irish countryside on his own, giving middle fingers to passers by as they ask him when he will go novice hurdling?
What's your Twitter handle Toppy? Mullins has so many promising young horses that some really really smart prospects seems to drift into the background! Therefore, Go All The Way could easily be lurking in the depths of Willie's yard.
If you look on NTD website, he is not on his list of horses that he trains! Alan Potts confirmed that all his horses will be moving to Ireland to be trained by Henry De Bromhead and his new trainer Willie Mullins with a select few being trained in France. The main reason seems to be the complete underachievement of trainer with his stock and the pathetic prize money currently being offered to Owners.
I fancy old boy Kinkeel to get his head in front today. He squeaks in off bottom weight in the 2.50 at Huntingdon after running a good second off the same mark last time out. 3/1 on the tissue
Morning all, Was just wondering what race Fingal Bay will go for at the Festival? I want to get stuck into the AP prices on offer but until they go NRNB cant! Cheers
From Hobbs after his last race: "I am slightly regretting saying he could potentially be the best horse I've ever trained, but he could be," Hobbs told At The Races. "He's a lovely horse. He stays very well, he's not a speed horse but he does jump very well. "He'll be more of a three-mile chaser next year but nevertheless he looks very good in the novice hurdle ranks this year. "His best trip will be three miles but for the moment two and a half to two-mile-six is OK. "I'd say the Neptune is the most likely (race at Cheltenham) but the Albert Bartlett is a possibility, depending whether we run him again or not. "If he doesn't we'd look a bit silly going up to three miles when we're not certain about that."
Morning all Wooly touched on this last night but has anyone seen the prize money at Huntingdon today ? Don't think there's a winning pot of £2k on offer - up at Musselburgh there's a seller that pays more to the winner than any race at Huntingdon, how can that be ??? Just one bet for me today and it's not very original - Mangonel 3.20 Huntingdon. Novice handicap hurdles aren't usually the road to a fortune but Jim Bests charge has been a revelation since joining the yard and is 3 from 4 now having gone almost 4 seasons with Howe. His only disappointment came at Uttoxeter but he was having his 3rd race in 9 days so I'm prepared to ignore that run. His latest win came in a weak Folkestone novice hurdle race where the horse bolted up and was heavily eased down still winning by a wide margin and obviously value for much much further. Tom Scu takes the ride again and even with a 7lb penalty this looks such a bad race that Mangonel is the only answer, a short price no doubt but any odds against and this will be a decent play. Good luck
Guess we all can't fecking wait either. Am not at all sure whether the extra day is a good thing or not. Some of the extra races jammed-in are, possibly, not worthy of the Festival?
Morning, forum faithfal. Nothing for me today as the racing has that look of ‘dullsville’ about it. All being well I’ll be crossing the county line and be off to Newbury next Wednesday and I’m delighted to see that at the meet Mr Henderson has entered the ‘forgotton horse’ of the sport – Trozulon. Could be a potential star as his one run to date (back on New Years Day last year) oozed potential and now looks very good. Will be delighted if both Mr Henderson and Trozulon turn up next week. Don, William Hill are going 4/1 re Fingal Bay winning any race at the Festival. Tough call to guess, at the moment, whether he will go Neptune or Albert Bartlett. If I had to guess it would be the latter but certainly with no conviction. I do wonder if in future years the Neptune will turn into the ‘Ryanair’ of novice hurdles and be the one that no-one really wants to win as the speedsters go for the Supreme and the stayers the Albert Bartlett.
Sir Barney I think Peddlers Cross has been a good advertisement for the Neptune - went on to win a Fighting Fifth and second in the Champion Hurdle and of course those great champions Istabraq and Hardy Eustace both took the race. The Supreme hasn't exactly throw up hatfuls of Champion Hurdlers (Brave Inca and Hors La Lois III in recent memory). I actually think the Neptune is the better trial as you need stamina to win a Champion Hurdle
L15 Sambelucky 13;29 H Bowdlers Magic 12;40 M Watercolours 14;40 M Everaard 15:10 M Why all the fuss over willie, you all know he texts me daily, the man is an open book, just ask Oddy and Mech Stay Frosty
Nap today goes to Flavia Tatiana in the 8.20 at Dundalk this evening. Has a 7lbs pull with Master Melody for 3/4L on previous running over C&D.
Quite day so how about a bit of Nicky Bomba on drums at the Byron Bluesfest? He's the guy in black. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtVm6Was18o
