RACING/PUNCHESTOWN SUNDAY:THOUSAND STARS can provide the perfect finale to an eventful week for Willie Mullins by winning the Grade One feature at Punchestown tomorrow.
A week that began with the champion trainer given a reception by Carlow County Council honouring his achievements also included the blow of stable star Hurricane Fly being ruled out of tomorrow’s Ladbrokes.com Morgiana Hurdle.
With the champion hurdler now being kept in reserve for Christmas, the strength in depth of the Mullins team can be seen by how Thousand Stars is likely to start favourite to successfully substitute for his stable companion.
A Champion Hurdle winner himself, in June’s Grand Course De Haies D’Auteuil, Thousand Stars hasn’t run since then, and is also reverting back to two miles. But the huge positive behind him is the white-hot current form of the Mullins team in general.
At the last three National Hunt fixtures in Ireland, Mullins has saddled 11 runners with a remarkable seven of them winning. That tally has taken him past the half million euro mark in prize money already this season and Thousand Stars can add to that by taking home the biggest chunk of the €80,000 Morgiana prize fund.
Just four line up including Pittoni, bidding to give Charles Byrnes and Davy Russell a hat-trick of Morgiana victories, and Oscars Well who should improve significantly for his seasonal debut at Down Royal. The bare ratings though suggest they have up to a stone to find with Thousand Stars and while the grey’s very best form might be at two miles plus, Paris was just reward for a series of placed efforts in the very top class at Leopardstown, Cheltenham, Liverpool and back here at the festival. Liverpool apart, they were all at the minimum trip, and with the form Mullins is showing at the moment, Ruby Walsh’s mount should prove hard to beat. Mullins has entered 16 runners this weekend, including five others at Punchestown tomorrow. The bumper performer Make Your Mark and last season’s exciting novice So Young should be major contenders in both the first and last races.
Thankfully for the opposition, there are no Mullins representatives in the Grade Two novices chases although Noel Meade has chances to repeat last year’s double in the two events.
Meade has Donnas Palm in the Florida Pearl Chase and the former high-class hurdler got his new career off to a good start at Wexford. Preference though is for Last Instalment who won at Galway and who Philip Fenton has always regarded as a top novice chaser in waiting. Kerry trainer Tom Cooper has turned to old ally Barry Geraghty to ride Lucky William in the Craddockstown Chase as his son Bryan is currently on the injury sidelines.
A frustrating performer last season, Lucky William has made up for lost time this term with wins here and at Listowel. Whodoyouthink is 3lb better off for their last clash but the Cooper runner has always promised to make his mark over fences.
Our Girl Salley and Dare To Doubt top the weights in the handicap hurdle but another mare, Dazzling Susie, may be a value alternative now that she has got a run under her belt at Down Royal.
