Impaire Et Passe set to test Festival credentials at Punchestown

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Willie Mullins will test runaway maiden winner Impaire Et Passe among Grade Two company in the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday.

The five-year-old joined the Mullins stable with a six-length French bumper win under his belt and made his debut over hurdles in a Naas maiden shortly before Christmas.

Carrying the double green silks of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, he was a leisurely 18-length victor from a busy field that included 23 rivals.

A step up in class now follows in the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle, a race Mullins has historically dominated with horses such as Vautour, Douvan, Min and most recently Dysart Dynamo.

“I think Impaire Et Passe is the obvious candidate for the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle,” said Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father.

“He is a big scopey horse who won well at Naas the last day.

“He had been working well at home going to Naas but certainly nothing like what he showed that day and that surpassed our expectations.”

The Mullins stable have a second entrant in the race in the shape of Tax For Max, a more experienced six-year-old who will represent the same owners.

Guetapan Collonges expected to thrive for Warwick stamina test

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Charlie Longsdon’s well-related Guetapan Collonges is preparing to line up for a tilt at Warwick’s Wigley Group Classic Handicap Chase on Saturday.

The JP McManus-owned seven-year-old has been making progress as a steeplechaser, winning three of his six starts over fences and continually improving while gradually stepping up in trip.

A fall at Sedgefield in March is the only defeat of his past four runs, the most recent of which was a Warwick success over three miles and one and a half furlongs in November.

A further step up in trip now beckons for Classic Chase, a premier handicap run over three miles and five furlongs.

Stamina will come to the fore over that distance and Longsdon’s runner comes from a family in abundant supply of that trait as he is from the same bloodline as 2012 Grand National winner Neptune Collonges.

The latter has a French-trained full-sister named Saturne Collonges who in turn foaled Guetapan Collonges – making Neptune and Guetapan uncle and nephew in human terms.

“It’s a big step up in grade, but he won nicely around Warwick last time,” Longsdon said.

“Soft ground and further distance should suit him, we’re looking forward to seeing how he gets on.

“The further he goes, the better he goes, and this will be an acid test of whether or not he’s good enough.”

Guetapan Collonges’ jumping seemed to have taken a step forward when he was last seen at Warwick, but he is still relatively lightly-raced and in a field of seasoned chasers he will carry a second-from-bottom weight of just 10st 3lb.

Longsdon said: “His jumping has definitely improved so all we can do now is hope, he’s under 10st 3lb and that is definitely the right end of the handicap.”

National hero Noble Yeats being aimed at famous big-race double

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Emmet Mullins has an eye on a famous Gold Cup-Grand National double with reigning Aintree hero Noble Yeats.

Still only an eight-year-old, the bay may have been pulled up on his seasonal debut at Auteuil in October, but convincing wins in Wexford’s Listed M.W. Hickey Memorial Chase and in particular Aintree’s Many Clouds Chase have put him in the frame for the Boodles Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

A visit to Lingfield will come first as Mullins is targeting the Fleur De Lys Chase at the Winter Million meeting on Sunday week – after which all roads will lead to Cheltenham for the sport’s blue riband event.

“All going well we’re heading for Lingfield, that’s the plan at the moment,” the County Carlow trainer said.

“Maybe half the reason we’re going to Lingfield is so we don’t have to take on Willie (Mullins) and Gordon (Elliott) here. We pick and choose our races I think fairly well and try to get the most out of them.

“The Many Clouds slotted in nicely and we’ll keep tipping away without showing our hand until the day that matters.”

A Randox Grand National defence is still in the works, however, with the Robert Waley-Cohen-owned gelding aiming to emulate Golden Miller and L’Escargot as the only two horses to have won both the Gold Cup and the Grand National.

Emmet Mullins points the way at his County Carlow base
Emmet Mullins points the way at his County Carlow base (The Jockey Club)

“The Gold Cup was on the radar for this year from the get-go. It was definitely on the agenda. We spoke with the Waley-Cohens and all going well he was going to be aimed for the Gold Cup and try to come back for the Grand National afterwards,” Mullins said.

“I definitely wouldn’t rule him out of the Gold Cup. It’s a stayer’s race and I can compare him to something like Hedgehunter, who won the Grand National and was second in a Gold Cup afterwards. I think he can be there or thereabouts.

“We’re still heading for the National and I suppose after our performance in the Many Clouds in Aintree, we won’t be looked after too well in the weights, but I think a horse like him grows in that scenario and I can’t see any reason why we shouldn’t fancy our chances going back again.”

Noble Yeats crossing the line at Aintree
Noble Yeats crossing the line at Aintree (Steven Paston/PA)

He added: “I hadn’t realised until I heard over the weekend that only two horses have won the Gold Cup and the Grand National. I suppose it adds to it, but I’ll be blocking that out anyway.

“Lucky for me and the horse it won’t register with us!”

Lewis looks to Festival novice events with Straw Fan Jack

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Sheila Lewis will send Straw Fan Jack straight to the Cheltenham Festival with both the Turners Novices’ Chase and the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy on the Brecon trainer’s radar.

Straw Fan Jack has won two of his three starts over fences for owner Graham Wilson, including taking the scalp of Gordon Elliott’s Ash Tree Meadow when landing the two-mile squareintheair.com Novices’ Chase under Sean Houlihan at Cheltenham in October.

The grey then had his colours lowered by Frere D’Armes in the Fulke Walwyn Trophy at Newbury the following month, finishing a five-and-a-half-length fourth in that limited handicap, conceding weight all round in the extended two-mile contest.

Lewis, who gained fame in October 2020 when saddling a three-timer while also running a beauty salon, decided to bypass the Tingle Creek at Sandown with her eight-year-old stable star, who is as short as 40-1 with BetVictor for the Arkle and has been introduced at 66-1 with Paddy Power for the two-and-a-half-mile Turners.

Lewis said: “I think we will just go straight to Cheltenham. We will enter him in a couple of novice chases and maybe a handicap.

“He seems to run really well when he’s fresh. We will probably enter him for the Arkle. Maybe that is a big ask, I don’t know.

“He won at Ffos Las and he was an Irish pointer, so he jumps well and then we took him to Cheltenham while he was on his game and thought if there was any chance he would win at Cheltenham, it would be at that October meeting, as some of the big ones had not come out yet.

“He ran a really great race there and then we took him to Newbury and I think two miles there was a little bit quick. He probably needs further than two miles on a flatter track.

“On a stiff Cheltenham two miles, he can get outpaced, but then he comes back at them and outstays them.

“If it was good to soft or soft at Cheltenham, you’d take your chance, but he is just better on good ground.

“The Turners is probably more on the radar at the moment, but you’d look at the Arkle. I don’t think he’s good enough to beat Jonbon, but sometimes the race cuts up and just to have a runner and to be placed would be brilliant. He’s got the track experience, which helps.”

The son of Geordieland is very much the flagbearer for the yard which Lewis describes as “a work in progress”.

She laughed: “My husband said that if I have to put any more stables up for you, I’m divorcing you!”

Yet stable stalwart and fellow grey Volcano has won five times over fences and the nine-year-old heads to Warwick on Saturday for the Wigley Group Classic Handicap Chase, having been placed in two Ludlow handicaps on his most recent starts.

Volcano returns to his favourite track on Saturday
Volcano returns to his favourite track on Saturday (Tim Goode/PA)

Crucially, he has won four of his five chases at his favourite track and Lewis is praying for rain for the 115-rated son of Martaline.

“He is bottom weight and he just comes to life there,” said Lewis. “He is in great form and the race is over three miles and five (furlongs), which he has won over at Warwick before.

“We hope the rain arrives to get the benefit of being bottom weight. Soft ground may slow the others up a bit. In soft ground he is probably a 125-rated horse.”

Hukum back in training after injury break

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Coronation Cup winner Hukum will be kept in training, with a mid-summer return in mind for the lightly-raced six-year-old.

Hukum gave trainer Owen Burrows a first Group One success in June when landing the Epsom contest under Jim Crowley.

After beating Pyledriver, who had won the same prize in 2021, thoughts turned to a run in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

However, those plans were short-lived. While Pyledriver took the King George, the Shadwell-owned horse required surgery on an injury picked up during his Epsom success, having been found lame when he returned to Farncombe Down Stables in Hungerford.

The injury, which required three screws inserted into a hind leg, has now healed and Hukum is likely race on in a bid to add to a tally of nine wins from 15 starts and earnings of over £630,000.

Shadwell’s racing manager Angus Gold said of the six-time Group winner: “He has been back in training a while now, so as long as he stays in one piece, he will remain in training.

“There isn’t a plan. There is no point having a plan in January, as we don’t know if he will be sound in the middle of February.

“I would think he will be out from the middle of summer onwards. We need to take one step at a time with him. There is no point making a plan in case it all goes wrong.

“Hopefully we can stay on track.”

Sweeney considering the possibilities for Churchstonewarrior

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Jonathan Sweeney could send Churchstonewarrior to the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham following his creditable runner-up in Grade One company over Christmas.

The lightly-raced eight-year-old has had just three starts over fences and he has been placed second on each occasion.

Upped to three miles at Leopardstown in the Neville Hotels Novice Chase, Aidan Coleman’s mount jumped well throughout, although was no match for the winner, the Willie Mullins-trained Gaillard Du Mesnil, who scored by seven and a half lengths and now heads the market for the National Hunt Chase on March 14.

Sweeney said: “We were very happy with the run – he ran well. You couldn’t say he isn’t a Grade One horse. The winner has had an awful lot of experience.

“I suppose we had a lot of luck on the day, but that’s racing.”

There are no firm plans for the son of Mahler, although a possible return to Leopardstown for the Ladbrokes Novice Chase on February 5 is under consideration by the County Cork handler.

“He might go back to Leopardstown for the Dublin Festival. He’ll go back in trip – there is a two-mile-five-furlong race – but there are a few other options which we need to discuss.

“He came out of the race the last day well. He is not entered at Cheltenham yet, but there is a possibility he will go there. He might get an entry in the Brown Advisory, although we’d probably head to the National Hunt Chase more than the other option.

“We’ll see what the owners say. There are no hard and fast plans at the moment. We will try to progress from that.”

Comfort Zone possible for Leopardstown ahead of Cheltenham challenge

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Finale Juvenile Hurdle hero Comfort Zone will have one more run before a possible tilt at the Triumph Hurdle, trainer Joseph O’Brien has revealed.

The Churchill gelding was a neck superior to Dixon Cove in the Grade Two event at Chepstow over Christmas.

The JP McManus-owned four-year-old had previously finished third at Fairyhouse to Triumph Hurdle favourite Lossiemouth, who subsequently franked that form by winning a Grade Two at Leopardstown on Boxing Day.

The Owning Hill handler is keen to head to the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, with the €150,000 Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle on February 4 a likely landing spot.

O’Brien said: “It was a good performance at Chepstow and he has come back from that race well.

“He has an option of going to the Dublin Racing Festival in Ireland and he has an option of going to Cheltenham, but we are considering the Dublin Racing Festival and then, after that, we will look at further plans from there. But that is as far as we’ve got.

“He’s had three runs over hurdles now and his jumping is pretty good. We are potentially looking at Leopardstown, but nothing has been set in stone. It is a long time from Christmas to the Triumph Hurdle.”

Home By The Lee, who sauntered to a three-length success in the Jack De Bromhead Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown, has taken the Grade One contest in his stride, according to O’Brien.

He will head straight to Cheltenham for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle in which he was beaten seven and a half lengths in sixth by Flooring Porter last year.

Home By The Lee will head straight to Cheltenham
Home By The Lee will head straight to Cheltenham (Niall Carson/PA)

The Sean O’Driscoll-owned eight-year-old cruised to success over Bob Olinger on his seasonal return at Navan and travelled sweetly in beating Ashdale Bob over three miles on his next start.

O’Brien said: “He has had a very good season so far. The plan is to go straight for the Stayers’. He wasn’t beaten far in it last year and he does look a better horse this year, so hopefully he will go there with a live chance.

“He jumped and travelled well the last day, so we are pleased with his season and looking forward to Cheltenham.”

Another who will make a return to the Festival in March is Scarlet And Dove, who went down by just half a length to Elimay when third in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase last year.

The Gigginstown House Stud-owned nine-year-old overturned the form with that rival in no uncertain terms when romping to a 15-length success in a Grade Two at Punchestown in April.

She showed her well-being with a cosy success in a Grade Three contest over two miles and five furlongs at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day. O’Brien is set to run her once more before Cheltenham.

He said: “She’ll have another run in Ireland, in the Opera Hat, which is a mares’ chase at Naas (February 11), and from there she will go straight on to Cheltenham.

“She ran well there last year and we are hoping she will run well there again this year.”

Epatante ‘still a possible’ for Mares’ Hurdle after Henderson mistake

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Nicky Henderson believes Epatante must be treated as “still a possible runner” in the Mares’ Hurdle – despite her not featuring among the initial entries for the Cheltenham Festival contest.

The winner of the Champion Hurdle in 2020 before placing behind Honeysuckle the following two years, Epatante has been given the option of a third crack at stablemate Constitution Hill as one of 17 to put their name in the hat for the Unibet Champion Hurdle on March 14.

But Henderson admitted she should also have been given an entry for the mares-only Grade One 40 minutes later on the opening day card and is keen to point out the supplementary system gives her just as much chance of lining-up in that contest as the Champion Hurdle – and therefore should still be considered as a potential runner for betting purposes

He said: “She should have been entered, she was meant to be entered and as far as everyone is concerned she is still a possible runner because she can be supplemented.

“She should have been entered, it was my mistake, which is embarrassing.

“She is still a possible runner in the Mares’ Hurdle. Just because she is not in it, doesn’t mean she can’t run in it and she has got as much chance of running in it this afternoon as she had this morning.”

He continued: “The supplementary system is very good and she can still be supplemented, therefore she should be considered as an entry in my opinion. It’s my mistake and I apologise, but she should not be excluded from the betting in the Mares’ Hurdle.

Nicky Henderson and Epatante during the visit to Nicky Henderson’s yard at Seven Barrows in Lambourn, Berkshire
Nicky Henderson and Epatante during the visit to Nicky Henderson’s yard at Seven Barrows in Lambourn, Berkshire (Tim Goode/PA)

“Now I have no idea what race the intention of running in is, she should have been entered in both and she will run in one of the two, god willing. I can’t say which it will be because we don’t know and we wouldn’t know even if she had the entries for both races.

“But she must be considered as if she has been entered (for the Mares’), because we can supplement her at the five-day stage and we will do so if that is the race we want.”

Henderson, who is the Champion Hurdle’s leading trainer, could also be represented by Gerry Feilden winner First Street in the opening day feature while the Seven Barrows handler’s only other possible for the Mares’ Hurdle is defending champion Marie’s Rock, who is the current market leader at a best price of 5-2.

Willmount looks a star in the making with Doncaster victory

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Willmount made a dream start under rules for Neil Mulholland with an effortless success in the Good Luck “Beep Beep Burrow” Open Maiden National Hunt Flat Race at Doncaster.

The Blue Bresil gelding won his sole point-to-point start as a four-year-old and then changed hands for £340,000 before being sent to Mulholland’s yard.

The 5-2 favourite from a field of 14, the Jamie Moore-ridden bay made light work of both the testing ground and his rivals to saunter home 13 lengths ahead without ever needing to hit top gear.

“He’s a very nice horse, whatever he did today he’ll improve from it,” Mulholland said.

“He’s only a baby but he cost a lot of money so I was a little bit harder on him, trying to get him ready first time out.

“That took the edge off him, so whatever he did today he will improve from.

“He’s a long-term prospect, he won’t be going novice hurdling this year. The owner is very relaxed, he’ll just go in bumpers because he’s just a baby.

“We’d go for one of the good bumpers – I’ll have to talk to the owners, but definitely. Why not?”

Mulholland had another victory on the card with Feel Good Inc, who built on earlier promise shown to land the Betting Better With Sky Bet Maiden Hurdle under Richie McLernon.

The gelding, a five-year-old by Westerner, fell when holding every chance in his sole Irish point-to-point start and was then third on his hurdles debut at Uttoxeter in November.

Feel Good Inc and Richie McLernon
Feel Good Inc and Richie McLernon (Simon Marper/PA)

The form from that race has panned out well, and at Doncaster he was a good winner at 9-1 when finishing a length and a half ahead of Nicky Henderson’s Issuing Authority – the 4-6 favourite.

“He’s a very nice horse and we’ve always liked him, hopefully he can continue on an upward curve,” Mulholland said.

“He’s a big baby but he’s a nice horse. When he was placed last time out, the horse behind him came out and won a Listed bumper and the winner has come out and won since – the form seems pretty good.”

Henderson’s Bold Endeavour claimed another chasing success when taking the Sky Bet Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

He was trained to bumper and hurdle wins by Laura Morgan before being pulled up on his debut over fences and subsequently moved into the care of Henderson.

His first run for Seven Barrows came in a Leicester handicap chase in early December, where he prevailed by 10 lengths against a field of six rivals.

That performance made him the 5-6 favourite on Town Moor, and under Nico de Boinville he came home seven lengths ahead despite losing ground on occasion with his jumping.

“The ground was plenty soft enough for him,” said the jockey.

Bold Endeavour and Nico de Boinville
Bold Endeavour and Nico de Boinville (Simon Marper/PA)

“He’s probably also better going the other way round but I was pleased that he knuckled down the way he did.

“They’ve gone a nice, even gallop, everyone was happy with the pace behind me and it suited him to run like that.”

Rose Dobbin’s Aazza was an easy winner of the Taj’s Time To Design ‘Hands And Heels’ Handicap Hurdle under 3lb claimer Dylan Johnston.

The seven-year-old was a 7-2 shot when looking to better a second-placed effort at Newcastle last time out, a run that left her on the same mark of 90 when lining up for this latest assignment.

From a field of 19 the mare was a facile winner, taking an unchallenged lead and crossing line with barely a rival in sight to secure a 20-length victory.

Bold Endeavour and Nico de Boinville
Rose Dobbin’s Aazza (Simon Marper/PA)

“That was very nice, very nice indeed, she’s a lovely horse with lovely owners,” said Dobbin.

“She’s very genuine. She’s probably going up a stone for that!

“She will go back over fences in spring at Hexham, she likes Hexham and I wouldn’t run her at a big track over fences. I think we’ll stay over hurdles for the moment.”

Hidden Beauty returned to the winner’s enclosure for Fergal O’Brien when triumphing in the Betting Better With Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle.

The six-year-old won her bumper debut at four and was well-regarded at this point in the season last year, but atrial fibrillation interrupted her progress and she was carried out when making her hurdles debut in October.

Hidden Beauty and Paddy Brennan
Hidden Beauty and Paddy Brennan (Simon Marper/PA)

A fourth-placed run last time was a step forward and under Paddy Brennan she was a four-and-a-half-length winner at a price of 12-1.

“She’s a very, very nice mare. She was favourite for the Listed bumper at Cheltenham last year and then she suffered from the atrial fibrillation,” said Nick Brown of owners Nick Brown Racing.

“Fergal and the team have done a fantastic job to get her confidence back, that’s what she needed. The quality has always been there, it’s just that she needed the confidence.

“She also needs better ground, when he came here we were a little worried about the ground, but it was more of a confidence builder and it’s all worked out really well.”

The Questioner made his chasing debut a winning one with a hard-fought success in the Sky Bet UKs No.1 Betting App Novices’ Handicap Chase.

The Questioner and Craig Nichol (left)
The Questioner and Craig Nichol (left) (Simon Marper/PA)

Trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero and ridden by Craig Nichol, the chestnut has been progressive in hurdle contests and was the 7-4 favourite to retain that form when tasked with jumping a fence for the first time.

Standing in his way was Charlie Longsdon’s Lyrical Genius, who battled him all the way to the line to miss out by a short head as the rest of the field came home 31 lengths or more behind.

“He was a little bit careful, but as the race went on he built up confidence and he was very good,” said Nichol.

“Once he gets out and gets his space, he’s very good. He just had a bit of a habit of lugging right and today he’s left it behind him a little bit.

“He’s battled, the second horse wasn’t going to let me be. The two of them have had a great battle.”

Lavelle backing Paisley Park to close gap with Flooring Porter

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Paisley Park is reported to be in “great order” ahead of a fifth run in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Emma Lavelle’s stable star won the Paddy Power-backed Thursday feature in 2019 and his name was among the 28 possible runners for the contest when the entries were released on Tuesday.

Last seen defying the tight turns of Kempton when landing the rearranged Long Walk Hurdle on Boxing Day, the 11-year-old will attempt to win the Dahlbury Stallions At Chapel Stud Cleeve Hurdle for a fourth time on January 28 as he completes his on-track Festival preparations.

And his trainer is proud to see him still competing at the highest level despite his advancing years.

“It just goes to show that you should never pigeonhole Paisley and I couldn’t have been happier with him on a track (Kempton) that probably doesn’t play to his strengths,” said Lavelle.

“I was very proud that he’s still winning at that level as a 10-year-old.

“Touch wood, he’s in great order – good, fresh and well and he’ll go to the Cleeve Hurdle first and the Stayers’ Hurdle is his big aim as ever. He’ll do one more piece of work on the grass next week (ahead of the Cleeve) but he’s in good form.”

Paisley Park has finished placed behind Gavin Cromwell’s hat-trick seeking Flooring Porter in the past two years, but Lavelle has hopes of a reversal this time.

Jockey Aidan Coleman (right) in the parade ring after winning the Long Walk Hurdle on Paisley Park at Kempton on Boxing Day
Jockey Aidan Coleman (right) in the parade ring after winning the Long Walk Hurdle on Paisley Park at Kempton on Boxing Day (John Walton/PA)

On turning the tables with the defending champion, she continued: “I certainly hope so – I do think so far this year that he has been performing better than last year and if he can keep that up, I’d like to think we’ll be finishing closer or hopefully in front of him.”

The Paddy Power market is dominated by Irish-trained entries with Flooring Porter heading the betting at 5-1 and closely followed by Joseph O’Brien’s Christmas Hurdle scorer Home By The Lee and Willie Mullins’ Klassical Dream.

The latter is one of eight for the Closutton handler with the possible Mullins runners including the Rich Ricci-owned pair of Chacun Pour Soi and Monkfish and last year’s Ballymore winner Sir Gerhard.

Charles Byrnes won the race with Solwhit in 2013 and could be represented by Blazing Khal, while the shortest-priced British-trained entry is Nicky Henderson’s Marie’s Rock, despite last year’s Mares’ Hurdle champion most likely to defend her title over shorter on the Tuesday of the Festival.

However, one whose name was missing from the list of entries is Seven Barrows stablemate Champ, who will bypass Prestbury Park in favour of a trip to Merseyside.

“Champ is on a little break so he won’t be running at Cheltenham,” said Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus.

“He will be freshened up for Aintree, that is the plan with him.”