Solwhit 'may have the edge'

RACING NEWS ROUND-UP:CHAMPION TRAINER Willie Mullins is hoping to fill in a rare big-race blank with Hurricane Fly on Sunday, but he reckons his star hurdler faces an uphill task against his old rival Solwhit.

The pair dominate betting for the Hattons Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse, the €85,000 Grade One centrepiece of Sunday’s winter festival card which Mullins has yet to win in his illustrious career.

It is one apiece between Hurricane Fly and Solwhit in their career clashes, with the Mullins horse emerging best in a memorable finish at last season’s Punchestown festival. However, he missed out on another clash in the Morgiana Hurdle this month and Solwhit took full advantage to record a smooth success over Voler La Vedette.

“He takes his time to get fit, like most racehorses, and that’s why we missed the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown,” Mullins said. “He had a little bit of a cough before that so we’ve taken our time with him and we think we’re ready to run now.”

However, he added: “Solwhit has the benefit of a good race under his belt and that might just give him the edge in this race.”

Hurricane Fly will be joined by stable companion Mourad in Sunday’s contest, and their trainer said: “He’s been working well. We’ll probably aim him at the World Hurdle at Cheltenham, but this will be his first run this year as well.”

The Hatton’s Grace crown is currently held by Mullins’ brother Tom, who plans to give Oscar Dan Dan the chance to record back-to-back victories in the Fairyhouse feature.

Oscar Dan Dan picked up the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan on his last start, and Tom Mullins said: “He won well the last day and is in good form, so we’re hoping he can put up a career-best performance on Sunday. Obviously Solwhit is a good bit ahead of him on ratings and so is Hurricane Fly, so that means we can only be hopeful.

“He could run the race of his life and finish third, but he will take his chance and see how we go. He seems to have improved a bit since last year.”

Willie Mullins will also be a major player in the Drinmore Chase, a race he won 11 years ago with Alexander Banquet, as Mikael D’Haguenet continues to be rated a hot favourite for his first start over fences in Ireland.

The former Cheltenham and Punchestown festival hero hasn’t run in over 18 months but is ready for a long-awaited return.

“He had a problem with splints last year and then, trying to mind his splints, which are in his forelegs, he got problems in his lower back. One thing led to another and we were never happy with him all year so we decided to give him the season off.

“We did a lot of work with him in the off-season to get him back right again and Paul Townend, who rides him, is very happy with the horse’s movement and says he’s good and back in form,” Mullins reported.

Sivota looks best at Thurles

ONE OF the most famous sets of colours in British racing get an outing at Thurles today where the Irish Grand National runner-up Oscar Time could find Sivota too good in the conditions hurdle, writes Brian O’Connor.

Oscar Time has a first run for his new owner, Robert Waley-Cohen, whose high- profile amateur jockey son, Sam, travels to Co Tipperary for the ride. The Waley-Cohen silks have been carried by top-class racers like Katarino, and the King George candidate Long Run is their current star performer.

Oscar Time won last season’s lucrative Paddy Power Chase for trainer Martin Lynch but faces a tough task today against Sivota, who ran just 11 days ago when third to Askanna at Punchestown and comes out ahead on figures.

Catch Me is another clear figures pick in the three-mile chase, and although he doesn’t always impress as a completely natural jumper of fences he did run better than his final position suggests in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.