Over the last decade Willie Mullins’s haul in Sunday’s Punchestown’s feature includes a trio of subsequent Cheltenham Festival winners which means even more focus is likely on one of his hopes this time, Mystical Power.
There is no more regally-bred horse in the jumps game as he is a first foal from the 2016 Champion Hurdle heroine Annie Power, and by the legendary sire, Galileo.
A bumper winner at Ballinrobe last summer, Mystical Power followed up with a smooth success over flights at the Galway Festival and hasn’t been seen since.
Whether such a profile is enough to justify some 16-1 quotes about the Supreme at Cheltenham in March is debatable but along with such a glittering pedigree comes expectation.
Westmeath trainer Adrian Murray hoping his Breeders’ Cup hopes can outrun their odds
Hewick added to €150,000 Grade One highlight at Down Royal ahead of ‘Shark’ Hanlon suspension
Irish favourite Jan Brueghel ruled out of $8m Melbourne Cup after failed veterinary test
Aidan O’Brien closing in on becoming most successful trainer at Breeders’ Cup
There’s even more supposition in the context of Sunday’s Grade Two Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Hurdle since Mullins scored in this race with the subsequent Supreme winners Vautour and Douvan while Impaire Et Passe took this last year en route to success in the race formerly known as the Ballymore.
The champion trainer also saddles the Thurles maiden winner Lombron and the danger of underestimating any Mullins hope was underlined at Naas on Friday with Grade One success for the complete outsider Readin Tommy Wrong.
Daryl Jacob pounced late on the 16-1 shot in the first top-flight contest of 2024, the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle, beating his stable companion Ile Atlantique, the 6-4 favourite, by a neck. Another Mullins hope, Lecky Watson, was third.
“That puts him right in the picture for the top prizes in the spring. He looks a typical Ballymore horse and has just kept improving,” said Mullins.
“Paul [Townend] was very happy with Ile Atlantique at all stages. He did all the donkey work and Daryl was very cute and got a tow the whole way and just outstayed him in the last couple of strides. The two of them are going away all the way to the line.
“I felt before the race that it was the top novice hurdle run in Ireland or England over the whole Christmas period so I’m very happy they have run so well,” he added.
Readin Tommy Wrong was cut to 8-1 second favourite for the Day Two Cheltenham Festival opener, the Baring Bingham Hurdle, behind his stable companion Ballyburn.
Gordon Elliott’s Firefox could finish only fourth behind the Mullins 1-2-3 but the Co Meath trainer again looks the main threat to his great rival in the Moscow Flyer through Jigoro.
The latter won his maiden in good style at Navan last month from Butcher Hollow and Jasko Des Dames who lines up in the following maiden contest on Sunday. That contest also includes Lisnagar Fortune, just touched off by no less than Readin Tommy Wrong at Cork last time.
Both Jigoro and Mystical Power skipped Friday’s Grade One to wait for this. In pedigree terms Mystical Power has much to live up to, including Annie Power’s perfect three from three record around Punchestown. Jigoro might eventually relish further than this two-mile test.
Breeding purists will be all over Mystical Power, but Jigoro could hold the edge this time.
Sunday’s other highlight is a Grade Three Novice Chase that sees Blood Destiny try to build on his exciting debut over fences at Naas last month.
Blood Destiny made a similarly striking early impression over hurdles before tailing off significantly although maturity might make it a different story now.
That Naas performance was faultless and the five-year-old gets weight from a pair of Grade Two winners, Imagine and Silent Approach, so a cut to his Cheltenham odds looks in the offing.
Saturday’s Grade Three feature at Fairyhouse is the €100,000 SBK Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Chase which is a first handicap start for Letsbeclearaboutit.
Gavin Cromwell’s charge has been given a hefty mark of 150 and is dropping back to two miles, all of which hasn’t dissuaded the trainer from taking a shot. In comparison, Fighting Fit appears rated to the hilt. However, he is proven at the trip and shouldn’t have a problem with testing conditions.
Hunters Yarn came down at the last when assured of victory on his last visit to Fairyhouse but is back for another Beginners Chase that looks his for the taking given a clear round.
Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Our In The News podcast is now published daily – Find the latest episode here
