Brookhouse eyeing Aintree prep for Aslukgoes

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Ben Brookhouse is keen to give Aslukgoes some more experience as he works towards his main spring target at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.

Unbeaten in three starts, the son of Yorgunnabelucky scooped Listed honours at Newbury in his most recent outing – a performance that brought big-race targets in the spring into the equation.

On that occasion the Roger Brookhouse-owned five-year-old stayed on strongly in the hands of Jack Quinlan and his handler is confident he is one of the best bumper horses in the UK.

However, with Cheltenham quickly ruled out in the aftermath and still remaining unlikely – and a trip to Ireland for the Punchestown Festival also dismissed – it is the Grade Two Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race on Grand National day where Aslukgoes will get the opportunity to prove his quality on the big stage.

“I haven’t noticed a bumper horse yet in the UK which travels at the speed he does and can also produce a finishing effort like him,” said the Newmarket-based handler.

“Jack (Quinlan) was very confident on him at Newbury and he was nowhere near finished at the line. He idles when he gets to the front, as he showed at Worcester and at Fontwell, hence why we are keeping him in bumpers for a long time, just to help his mentality and educate him.

“He is a horse with a lot of ability and a very good attitude. Three days after Newbury he was back to his old self which is unbelievable.

“We straight away ruled out Cheltenham, but when he was bouncing after Newbury I had a conversation with dad and said ‘look, I’ve got to train this horse for Cheltenham’ because I have to maintain and manage his mentality.

“So we are training him for Cheltenham, but he probably won’t get entered for Cheltenham.”

He continued: “He might go to Uttoxeter for the bumper on Midlands National day. He will have a penalty and Daire McConville will probably take 7lb off him, or there is a bumper at Kelso (March 25) on a big day that is worth quite a lot of money he could go to.

“We toyed with the idea of Punchestown, but that probably won’t be the place to take him because it is a trip away and it is all about maintaining his mentality and energy levels.

“He is a horse with lots of natural ability, a good moving and, touch wood, a very sound horse.

“Aintree is the goal for him and it would do the stallion good. I would like to think we would finish the season unbeaten with him as a bumper horse and then we will focus on getting him jumping and making some nice shapes before worrying what trip he would want over hurdles.”

Hermes Allen backed for Ballymore glory

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Paul Nicholls is confident he has picked the right Cheltenham Festival contest for his hugely-impressive Challow Hurdle winner Hermes Allen.

The six-year-old, who was an expensive £350,000 purchase following victory between the flags at Kirkistown, holds entries for both the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett over further at Prestbury Park.

But it is the shorter of the two Grade One contests that has always been identified as the preferred option and the son of Poliglote is the general 9-4 favourite for the two-mile-five-furlong event.

Nicholls has seen Gold Cup contender Bravemansgame and the admirable Stage Star both turned over in the day two opener on the back of success at Newbury in the past two years, while Denman is another famous Ditcheat name to suffer defeat in the contest.

However, the champion trainer is bullish his unbeaten charge heads to the Festival as one of his best chances of the week.

He said: “He surprised me first time out when he won at Stratford. He then went to Cheltenham and won very nicely and then went to Newbury and won very nicely on heavy ground.

“I didn’t think he’d want that ground, but he was the only one with the ability to go through it and plenty of those that finished behind him have won since – it’s turned out to be a very good race.

“He’s obviously got huge ability and I’m excited about him going to Cheltenham of course, but I’m as excited about the future with him as he’ll be a lovely horse to go chasing.

“He’s working nicely and is in good shape. He’s in the Albert Bartlett, but I’ve always thought the Ballymore over two-and-a-half (miles) would suit.

“It’s a very good race, the Irish have got some very good horses in there but he’s got a great chance.

“He jumps and can be ridden forward and, on paper, he’s our best chance of the week.”

Nicholls also hopes Tahmuras’ staying prowess means he will be a live candidate in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

The race has an open feel following the defeat of Facile Vega at the Dublin Racing Festival and the champion trainer believes the Tolworth Hurdle winner – who is a best-priced 10-1 for success – gives him similar vibes to the previous Ditcheat winners of the Festival opener, Noland and Al Ferof.

“He looks fantastic and is three from three this year,” continued Nicholls.

Tahmuras with trainer Paul Nicholls during a visit to Manor Farm Stables, Somerset
Tahmuras with trainer Paul Nicholls during a visit to Manor Farm Stables, Somerset (Adam Davy/PA)

“He’s surprised us a little bit to be honest. He won a bumper at Wincanton and we thought he was a nice horse who would win plenty of races, but I never dreamt he’d be going for a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

“He didn’t really enjoy the ground that much in the Tolworth, but he had enough ability to gallop round and win nicely.

“The ground will be much better for him at Cheltenham, which will suit. I’ve won the Supreme with Al Ferof and Noland who weren’t going to go on and be Champion Hurdlers, they were staying chasers and he is very much the same as them.

“Those horses that stay can actually run very well in the Supreme and he has a lot of ability.

“He’s right in the mix in a very open race.”

One Ditcheat inmate that could be swimming slightly under the radar is Stay Away Fay, who heads to the Albert Bartlett on the final day of the meeting.

Stay Away Fay with a stable hand during a visit to Manor Farm Stables
Stay Away Fay with a stable hand during a visit to Manor Farm Stables (Adam Davy/PA)

In his Lingstown point-to-point, he drew six lengths clear of Henry de Bromhead’s Monty’s Star and the pair may lock horns again at Prestbury Park. However, whereas Monty’s Star is single-figure odds for the gruelling three-mile Grade One, Stay Away Fay’s price ranges from 16-1 to 25-1.

He has looked worthy of his £305,000 price-tag since transferring to Ditcheat, claiming a Newbury maiden in good style before just falling short in the Grade Two River Don at Doncaster last time.

“He’s a nice horse and is not that far behind Hermes Allen, he’s just had one run less,” added Nicholls.

“Lorcan (Williams) will say it probably wasn’t his best ever ride the last day at Doncaster. He got into trouble from the start and in the straight and still stayed on and finished second.

“He runs in the Albert Bartlett and I think there’s a lot to come from this horse. He stays and gallops. He lacks a bit of experience, but I think he’s one of the best big-priced outsiders we’ve got.”

Bravemansgame carries Nicholls’ confidence in Gold Cup quest

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Paul Nicholls is optimistic Bravemansgame has what it takes to provide him with a fifth victory in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

It is 24 years since the Ditcheat maestro first landed the blue riband with See More Business (1999) and he went on to win three successive renewals between 2007 and 2009, with Kauto Star’s two triumphs sandwiching the victory of his formidable stablemate Denman.

Nicholls has since seen a couple of dual King George winners come up short at Prestbury Park in the form of Silviniaco Conti and Clan Des Obeaux, but is hopeful it will be a different story in little over a fortnight’s time for his latest winner of Kempton’s Boxing Day highlight.

Speaking at a press morning at his yard on Monday, the champion trainer said: “He’s done nothing wrong at all this year and I don’t think he was right last spring.

“We re-cauterized his palate during the summer, he’s had some time and I didn’t want to make the mistake of running him again between Kempton and Cheltenham.

“He’s brilliant fresh and brilliant very fit. He’s twice the horse now as a model compared to what he was last year.

“We learnt a few things about him last year, you never stop learning how to train one and I think we’ve got it right now.”

There have been suggestions that Bravemansgame is in the same camp as Clan Des Obeaux and Silviniaco Conti in that Cheltenham may not be his ideal track – but Nicholls does not subscribe to that theory.

Bravemansgame and Paul Nicholls at his yard
Bravemansgame and Paul Nicholls at his yard (Adam Davy/PA)

He added: “With Clan we always had little doubts about the track, and Conti – but Bravemansgame has run there once and finished third in the Ballymore as a six-year-old. He got beaten by a horse (Bob Olinger) who on the day was an aeroplane and now can’t raise a gallop.

“He’s won on all sorts of tracks and he’s the finished article now. I can assure you when he was six years old he wasn’t half the horse he is now.”

Another question Bravemansgame will need to answer in the Cotswolds is whether his stamina will last out over the the extended three-and-a-quarter-mile distance.

Nicholls, though, is confident in his staying power, saying: “The one thing he did in the King George was he stayed on really strongly. He didn’t get the best passage that day and horses who win King Georges win Gold Cups.

“In the Gold Cup you turn into the straight and the best horse on the day wins and the horse that stays the best wins.

“I don’t know how he’ll get on up that hill, no one knows, but it was the same with Kauto Star. We didn’t know if he was going to get three and a quarter miles because he’d been winning at Kempton, but he did.

“It’s a good race and it will be hard to win, as any Gold Cup is, but I think he’s got a lovely chance – I think he’s one of our best chances of the week.

“He’s the best staying chaser in England, I think he’s proved that, and now he’s got to go and run probably the biggest race of his life.”

Nicholls readying Hitman to take on ‘awesome’ Shishkin in Ryanair

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Paul Nicholls believes Shishkin will be “unbeatable” in the Ryanair Chase if he can replicate his recent Ascot Chase performance.

The nine-year-old made a successful switch up to two miles and five furlongs in Berkshire, inflicting a 16-length defeat on the Nicholls-trained Pic D’Orhy as he returned from a couple of disappointing runs in style.

Nicholls may take on Nicky Henderson’s charge with Hitman at next month’s Cheltenham Festival and while the Ditcheat trainer expects his runner to appreciate a drop back in trip, he concedes he would be up against it with an on-form Shishkin.

Hitman could be up against it with Shishkin
Hitman could be up against it with Shishkin (David Davies/PA)

“He blatantly didn’t get three miles in the Denman Chase and middle distances suit him well,” Nicholls said of Hitman.

“He started the season really well and then went to Kempton and didn’t jump particularly well, but he ran much better at Newbury in a really fast-run race.

“He’s the sort of horse who could run really well in the Ryanair. He’s always there or thereabouts and he could easily run into a place.

“If Shishkin performs like he did the other day, he’ll be unbeatable. He was awesome at Ascot. I thought Pic D’Orhy would win and Shishkin was brilliant.

“Pic D’Orhy probably ran a career-best if you look at the third and the fourth. If Shishkin is in the same form everything else will be running for places I think.”

Greaneteen is a Champion Chase outsider
Greaneteen is a Champion Chase outsider (Nigel French/PA)

Greaneteen finished six lengths in front of Shishkin in the Tingle Creek back in December, when neither could get near the victorious Edwardstone, but Nicholls believes his three-times Grade One victor is perhaps over-priced for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

“He’s been a grand horse, winning all those races at Sandown and two Haldon Gold Cups,” he said.

“He ran at Newbury the other day and was a red-hot favourite and got beat, so he’s gone from 12-1 to 33-1 for the Champion Chase, but actually two years ago he ran exactly the same race at Newbury and he ended up just getting beat at Cheltenham.

“The ground was too fast for him at Newbury, he blew up and then stayed on strongly.

“It would be no surprise to me if he ran really well and finished third or fourth. I’m not saying he’s going to win a Champion Chase, but he’s well capable of running a really tidy race.”

Stage Star at Ditcheat on Monday morning
Stage Star at Ditcheat on Monday morning (Adam Davy/PA)

Stage Star has multiple options at this stage, with both the three-mile Brown Advisory and two-and-half-mile Turners Novices’ Chase on the radar.

He won over the shorter trip at Cheltenham on Trials Day last month and conditions will be key to his target.

Nicholls said: “He’s been a grand horse. He was a Grade One winner over hurdles, he won first time up over fences at Warwick and I just think he found the ground very fast at Newbury next time.

“We went to Plumpton after Christmas and he won well and then he went to Cheltenham and won on Trials Day.

“He’s in the Turners and the Brown Advisory. We’ll just see what the ground does, but he’ll run in one or the other. If the ground was on the good side I wouldn’t be afraid to go for the Brown Advisory as I think he’ll get three miles, but if it’s on the slower side we can run in the Turners.

“You can run really well and finish third or fourth at Cheltenham, but he’s a progressive horse.”

Russian handed Kelso option as Jefferson bides her time

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Ruth Jefferson is leaving all avenues open for Sounds Russian after opting to enter him for the bet365 Premier Chase at Kelso on Saturday.

The eight-year-old’s star has been rising all season, winning the Edinburgh Gin Chase on his return before placing fourth in the Many Clouds – a Grade Two over three miles and a furlong at Aintree.

He then was the runner-up in two successive chases, finishing second in the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby and then being defeated by only Ahoy Senor in the Cotswold Chase in late January.

The latter run brought the Cheltenham Gold Cup into focus come March, with the bay not ruled out of that contest despite his entry for Kelso at the weekend.

“It was always the plan to give him an entry at Kelso and then decide where we go,” Jefferson said.

“It might be a completely pointless entry or he could rock up on Saturday, we just wanted to give him the entry and give us the time to think about it.

“It’s not an indication that he isn’t going to Cheltenham, we just wanted to keep our options open because it’s a pretty tough race, the Gold Cup!”

Jamie Snowden’s classy chaser Ga Law also holds an entry alongside Dan Skelton’s Coral Gold Cup winner Le Milos and Donald McCain’s Minella Drama.

Ga Law is entered at Kelso
Ga Law is entered at Kelso (David Davies/PA)

Harriet Graham and Gary Rutherford’s Aye Right, the Sandy Thompson-trained Empire Steel and Oliver Signy’s French Paradoxe all feature along with Emmet Mullins’ The Shunter, who won the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle on this card in 2021.

Mel Rowley’s Wishing And Hoping and Philip Hobbs’ Zanza complete the field.

The Morebattle has 26 contenders at this stage, including McTigue for Mullins and top weight Colonel Mustard, who is trained by Lorna Fowler.

Best Mate’s owner Jim Lewis dies aged 88

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Henrietta Knight has paid tribute to Jim Lewis, owner of three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate, following his death at the age of 88.

Lewis’ claret and blue colours based on his beloved Aston Villa were synonymous with Prestbury Park success in the early 2000s, as both Best Mate – who became the first horse since Arkle to complete a hat-trick of Gold Cups when successful in 2004 – and Champion Chase hero Edredon Bleu became household names and regulars in the season’s biggest contests.

His first Festival winner was Nakir who picked up the 1994 Arkle, but it was not until he joined forces with Henrietta Knight and her partner Terry Biddlecombe that big-race victories became a regularity.

Owner Jim Lewis collecting the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup from the Princess Royal after his horse Best Mate won the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Owner Jim Lewis collecting the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup from the Princess Royal after his horse Best Mate won the Cheltenham Gold Cup (Barry Batchelor/PA)

Edredon Bleu would go on to add a King George VI Chase in 2003 to his previous Champion Chase success, while Best Mate also won Kempton’s Christmas feature a year earlier in 2002.

Knight highlighted Lewis’ love of racing and the unwavering support of her former owner.

She said: “I was incredibly lucky to have an owner like Jim Lewis who had huge enthusiasm for the game and was very patient with his horses. He left the training of them to Terry and myself but hugely enjoyed discussing where they were going and how they were getting on.

“He was a colourful person and he was very much a part of the Best Mate era – he loved being in the pictures. We used to call him ‘Lucky Jim’ because he was lucky and he had some very nice horses that won some very big races.

“In those days it was extraordinary because there were no mobile phones or social media as there is today and all our correspondence was done on the fax machine. Every weekend I would send him a handwritten fax on how the horses were, he would reply to it and we would plan what we were doing.

“Everything was at a slower pace and it suited my way of training and the way we were with the horses – it was brilliant.

Jim Culloty on Best Mate and owner Jim Lewis (bottom left) celebrate their third consecutive win in the Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival
Jim Culloty on Best Mate and owner Jim Lewis (bottom left) celebrate their third consecutive win in the Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival (David Jones/PA)

“He was old school and it suited me. He believed in Terry and myself and the way we did things and it just worked well.

“I was incredibly lucky and his horses put me on the map really. I was just incredibly lucky to have met Jim and for him to believe in how we did things.”

Lewis and Knight joined forces for victory five times at the Cheltenham Festival in total, but superstition meant they famously never watched the races together and a hallmark of their time as owner and trainer would be the joyous scenes when the full Lewis-Knight-Biddlecombe axis finally reunited in the winner’s enclosure.

“We never watched a race together. He was very superstitious, like myself, and we always watched on our own,” continued Knight, reflecting fondly on the many special days she shared on a racecourse with Lewis.

“Those Gold Cups were magic and it was a pretty amazing day in 2000 when Edredon Bleu won the Queen Mother Champion Chase – that was a great day. We just had some great days and a lot of fun. Racing was fun then and I feel the pace that racing goes now, an element of the fun is removed.

“I think Jim’s passing is a big reminder of how things were 20 years ago when everything was done much slower. We were amateur and it is much more professional now.”

Elliott anticipating Kennedy fitness update this week

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Gordon Elliott expects to know later this week whether his stable jockey Jack Kennedy will be fit to ride at the Cheltenham Festival.

Kennedy has been sidelined with a broken leg since early January and is in a race against time to make the showpiece meeting in the Cotswolds in just over a fortnight.

Following his injury, Davy Russell came out of retirement to fill the void, but he has taken only two rides since suffering a heavy fall at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown earlier this month.

Whether one or both of the two leading riders will be in action at Cheltenham remains to be seen.

Davy Russell steered Mighty Potter to victory at the Dublin Racing Festival
Davy Russell steered Mighty Potter to victory at the Dublin Racing Festival (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

Speaking at a press morning at his yard on Monday, Elliott said: “I was with Jack on Saturday night. He went back into hospital and got good news off Paddy Kenny (doctor). He’s in Santry (sports clinic) all this week and is back to Paddy Kenny on Friday. He’ll know on Friday whether it’s yes or no.

“He’s making good progress, but he’s still 50-50. He’d have to be back riding out next week and have a week riding out and have a couple of rides the weekend before and then on to Cheltenham.

“I’m 100 per cent behind him. If he’s back he rides everything as he’s first jockey and if he’s not, we’ll have Davy and Jordan (Gainford) and Sam (Ewing).

“I haven’t spoken to Davy for the last two weeks. If Jack’s not back, the wealth of experience Davy has is unbelievable – he’s worth his weight in gold around there (Cheltenham).”

Newcastle victor Reine set for step up in class

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Warren Greatrex has spring targets in mind for the well-related Ici La Reine following her second bumper win at Newcastle on Saturday.

The filly is out of a half-sister to Greatrex’s hugely popular Grade One winner La Bague Au Roi, with the two mares both owned by Mrs Julien Turner and Andrew Merriam.

On debut Ici La Reine made light work of a Newcastle mares’ bumper, defeating eight rivals when winning by an easy six and a half lengths.

The victory earnt her a penalty when returning to the same course on Saturday for a similar contest, but the bay was able to overcome that hinderance and a less than ideal passage through the race to prevail by a neck.

“It was nice to win again. It was a bit of a muddling race and she did a lot wrong, but thankfully the result went the right way,” said Greatrex.

“It was a typical second run, she was a bit lit up before in the paddock and then in the race she had a bit of cover but unfortunately that horse went wrong.

“She then had a bit too much daylight and was a bit keen and it ended up in a sprint.

“She would be a very strong stayer, I like horses that keep going and she did her best work at the end.”

The back-to-back successes have brought into focus mares’ bumper contests at Aintree and Cheltenham in April, where Greatrex is hopeful a higher calibre of race will bring about more improvement.

He said: “With her winning two, I think she’s potentially better than we’ve seen. We’ll look at Aintree and if not Aintree, there is a Cheltenham bumper in April as well.

“I think she’ll be better in a better race where they go a better gallop. She shows all the signs that she’s got a bright future.”

Ici Le Reine is out of Reine Angevine, whose dam Alliance Royale also produced Greatrex’s much-loved mare La Bague Au Roi – winner of 14 contests including two Grade Ones.

“She has a lot of the same traits as La Bague Au Roi and if she’s half as good as her, I’ll be very happy,” he said.

“I think I’ve had four horses from the owners over the years and we’ve trained them over 20 winners. It’s been good to find another one and fingers crossed she can be a really good one at that.”

Brewin’upatstorm regains National Spirit crown

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Brewin’upastorm survived a scare at the final flight to continue his love affair with the Betgoodwin National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell.

Olly Murphy’s stable stalwart won the Grade Two contest in 2021 before finishing a head second to Botox Has 12 months ago, but showed real guts to regain his crown in the Sussex track’s feature contest.

Given a wind operation since disappointing in the Relkeel Hurdle on New Year’s Day, Aidan Coleman was content to bide his time as Goshen cut loose on the front end in the hands of Jamie Moore.

Gary Moore’s enigmatic seven-year-old was the focal point for the majority of the contest as, out on his own, his tendency to jink right came back to haunt him. But, by the time the quintet taking part reached the final bend with two to jump, the pack had swarmed on Goshen and Brewin’upastorm in particular was travelling menacingly in the hands of Coleman.

Hitting the front after the second last, Coleman sent the 10-year-old for home and the 7-2 chance proved a willing ally – pulling out more when challenged by Sceau Royal in the closing stages having briefly opened the door to Alan King’s veteran when having his momentum checked by a blunder at the last.

“That was brilliant,” said Murphy. “He’s a horse who has always had a lot of ability and I’ve kind of always stressed when he is good, he is very good.

“He was clearly on a going day today after coming back from a little break following a wind operation and it is great to win the race for a second time. He’s an absolute star.

“We were tight time-wise (to get to the race) but when these horses get a little bit older, you get to know them a bit better and the older they get, they probably don’t need as much graft. He was ready today and maybe he’s better off being a gallop short these days than one too many.

“It was a messy old race to watch. He had the door shut turning in and then walked through the last. But he’s a horse with an awful lot of ability who likes to make you sweat as well. He doesn’t make life easy for himself but he’s got a big engine and when he’s good, he’s good.

“He’s unlucky not to be three from three in the race, but we’re chuffed to win it again and we’ll enjoy celebrating.”

Murphy was denied a double on the card when Ben Pauling’s 11-8 favourite Quinta Do Mar edged out Grandads Cottage to take the Download The Betgoodwin App Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase by a length.

Quinta Do Mar, here winning over hurdles at Market Rasen, is now unbeaten in three runs at Fontwell
Quinta Do Mar, here winning over hurdles at Market Rasen, is now unbeaten in three runs at Fontwell (Mike Egerton/PA)

“It was very pleasing and the application of cheekpieces saw him right back to his best I think,” said Pauling – whose eight-year-old enhanced his fine unbeaten record at Fontwell.

“He travelled very well, jumped better for them and ultimately won quite nicely and it’s pleasing to see him get off the mark over fences.

“It doesn’t seem to matter what track it is down there, he does seem to like Fontwell, but I think he’s just been in good form every time he has gone there and the cheekpieces are what made the difference. I was pleased to see them work the way I thought they would.”

There was a double on the card for Chris Gordon and jockey Tom Cannon, who linked up to win the Free Bet Nose Losers At Betgoodwin ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle with Goodwin Racing (4-1), before Goodwin (100-30) claimed the concluding Benedict Cox Open Maiden National Hunt Flat Race in good style.

Corbetts Cross claims Grade Two honours in Naas thriller

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Corbetts Cross made a winning debut for Emmet Mullins when landing the Johnstown Novice Hurdle at Naas.

The six-year-old was previously trained to point-to-point and hurdle success by Eugene O’Sullivan before joining Mullins earlier in the year.

A 7-4 chance on his first run for the stable, Corbetts Cross travelled well under Donagh Meyler and took on Found A Fifty, the 11-10 favourite, in the home straight.

The two locked horns all the way to the line, with Mullins’ runner just prevailing by a head in the end to take Grade Two honours.

“It was a nice performance. I’d say it was a good race, two nice horses and he’s a very nice horse,” said Mullins.

“He showed a great attitude but I suppose it’s nothing we didn’t know. He’s been a very good horse all season for Maxine and Eugene (O’Sullivan).

“Paul (Byrne, owner) said that has possibly opened up a few more avenues and he said he’s open to some supplementary entries.”

Coral make Corbetts Cross the 5-1 co-favourite for the Albert Bartlett and when asked if that race would be on the cards, Mullins added: “That’s just one option, Paul is very keen to explore all avenues.

“He could go anywhere and he might not even go to Cheltenham if the ground didn’t come up right. He’ll be given every option and we’ll take it from there. He’s versatile.

“Once it’s safe ground, he’s a big horse and is still a novice. The way we are thinking, there are going to be plenty more big days ahead of us and we won’t run him on fast ground this season.”

When asked about dropping back in trip, Mullins added: “He’s shown gears and he jumped straight into it at home from the word go.

“He’s just a very good horse, that’s what we were told we were buying when we were getting him. It’s been good business.

“It shows the quality of horse that we are dealing with, to be able to mix over three miles the last day and two miles on faster ground today.

“He’s a high quality animal and it’s very exciting looking forward to the future.

“They didn’t hang about there, they went a good gallop the whole way. He’s no slouch.

“It was a fair performance and the second is held in high regard.”

On the long term prospect of the horse being even better over fences, he said: “It’s the old cliche and half the time it never materialises.

“He has point-to-point form and comes from a good school in the O’Sullivans. Eugene’s are all old-fashioned chasers and he has plenty of jumping done over fences.

“That’s what he was bought for and hopefully next season could be a big season for him.”