RACING:AS EXPECTED Willie Mullins looks to have plenty of Grade One bases covered for the upcoming Christmas action but the champion trainer also looks to be in hot pursuit of the plum big-money handicap pot with On His Own.
Top English owner Graham Wylie scored a top-flight victory with Boston Bob at Navan on Sunday and his well-known colours could also be carried by the market leader in next Tuesday’s €190,000 Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown.
On His Own was heavily backed into 9 to 1 favourite (from 14 to 1) with the big race sponsors for the most valuable prize of the holiday action after yesterday’s forfeit stage.
On His Own has yet to run for Mullins but is currently on a mark of 10.5 – number 30 among the entries — for the hugely lucrative handicap in which Mullins and Wylie also look to have a major contender with the beaten Troytown favourite Prince De Beauchene.
The latter has been given 11st 9lb by the handicapper and has only the topweight Ad Idem (11st 10lb) ahead of him on the scale.
On His Own might be something of an unknown factor in handicap calculations but a Paddy Power appearance would come exactly two years after a first ever racecourse start at the Leopardstown festival when he landed a bumper for Oliver McKiernan.
Bought by Wylie, On His Own was with Howard Johnson until that trainer was banned by the British authorities for animal welfare issues last summer. He was one of seven horses sent to Mullins on the back of that.
Last year’s Paddy Power runner-up Becauseicouldntsee is on target to try and go one better and is rated a 16 to 1 shot by the sponsors. His trainer Noel Glynn reported: “It’s all systems go for Becauseicouldntsee and he’ll definitely run barring a setback between now and then. The last race brought him on a bit and he needs four miles really. He’s not fast enough for two and requires three miles plus.”
Glynn is not worried that his stable star will have to run off a 6lb higher mark this time and added: “It doesn’t really bother me. He’s a very big horse, 17.1 hands, who can carry weight and I’m not worried about what he has to carry. He’ll be fine.”
The Paddy Power is the most valuable race over the four-day Christmas racing period in which well over a €1 million will be up for grabs at Leopardstown and Limerick with Down Royal also hosting a St Stephen’s Day card.
A total of €830,000 will be up for grabs at Leopardstown alone which kicks off its biggest meeting of the year with a traditional St Stephen’s Day fixture.
The Day One feature will be the €85,000 Grade One Racing Post Novice Chase for which 13 entries were left in yesterday.
Willie Mullins can pick from a squad of four for the race although Sir Des Champs, Call The Police and Lambro also hold entries for the Grade Two €37,500 Greenmount Park Novice Chase on the same day.
Bog Warrior could drop back in trip from his impressive Drinmore display at Fairyhouse in Monday’s feature since ground conditions at the Foxrock course were officially “soft” yesterday with an unsettled weather forecast expected.
Such going will be no trouble to the Royal Bond winner Sous Les Cieux who dominates the seven-strong entry for the Future Champions Novice Hurdle next Tuesday. Even though Noel Meade has four of the possibles, including Formidableopponent, Sous Les Cieux is as low as 1 to 2 with some bookmakers to complete a quick Grade One double.
On the same day, Willie Mullins’s Golden Silver is set to defend his crown in the €100,000 Dial-A-Bet Chase where his old rival Big Zeb and the Cheltenham winner Noble Prince are also likely to line up.
The main support event on St Stephen’s Day at Leopardstown will be the Grade Two United Arab Emirates Embassy Juvenile Hurdle which has a dozen possibles left in.
They include the Fairyhouse Grade Three winner Sam Bass and an interesting newcomer to jumping in Dermot Weld’s high-class flat horse Celebrity Sevi who is now owned by JP McManus.
Ground conditions at Limerick and Down Royal yesterday were officially “heavy.” Monday’s Grade Two Chase at Limerick has attracted 19 entries including the highly rated Last Instalment who has won both his races over fences so far in impressive fashion.
PADDY POWER CHASE (Paddy Power bet):
9 On His Own, 10 Beautiful Sound, Smoking Aces, 12 Linnel, 14 Groody Hill, Prince De Beauchene, 16 Becauseicouldntsee, Cross Appeal, Four Commanders, Quadrillon, Rivage D’Or, Sea Bass, Some Target, Sona Sasta, Sweeps Hill, The Hard Hat, 20 bar.
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