WILLIE MULLINS will make a late call on whether or not Mikael D’Haguenet runs at the Cheltenham festival but the champion trainer yesterday confirmed that his exciting novice will appear next at Punchestown on Sunday.
Mikael D’Haguenet is one of 10 entries for the Grade Two Abbey Electrical Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle after yesterday’s forfeit stage for the two-mile event. Also included are a trio of Noel Meade-trained horses headed by the Royal Bond runner-up Donnas Palm.
Those chasing festival hints will be focussing on Mikael D’Haguenet who is a general 6 to 1 second favourite for the Ballymore Properties Novice Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs.
However, Mullins again pointed out yesterday that the ex-French horse, who is already a Grade One winner in Ireland this season, is not a certain starter at Cheltenham. “I haven’t changed my position on Cheltenham. I won’t be making my mind up about running the horse until the week before the festival,” he said.
Mullins also has Persian City in Sunday’s race at Punchestown but that horse has an entry at Limerick in a novice hurdle on the same day, as has the Colm Murphy-trained Kimberlite King.
Scotsirish heads three Mullins entries in Sunday’s other Grade Two prize at Punchestown but that horse has the option of tomorrow’s Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles.
Just nine entries remain in the Amazing Thailand Chase and they are headed by the Dial-A-Bet winner Big Zeb, who is a 10 to 1 second favourite behind Master Minded for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.
“He is in good form and will run on Sunday. All going well, he will then run in the Champion Chase,” said Big Zeb’s trainer Colm Murphy.
Mansony is also a likely starter after scoring in another Grade Two at Fairyhouse last Friday and trainer Arthur Moore reported: “It was great to see him get another win on the board and he has come out of it really well. It was testing at Fairyhouse last week so that is not really an issue for him.”
The going at Punchestown is currently heavy but no problems are being expected ahead of Sunday’s card.
The Hennessy Gold Cup will be the centrepiece of Leopardstown’s triple Grade One card on Sunday week and already bookmakers believe that another cross-channel trained entry will add to The Listener’s success in 2008.
Neptune Collonges has been installed a 5 to 4 favourite with William Hill to gain revenge on the Lexus winner Exotic Dancer from their running over the course and distance during Christmas when the Paul Nicholls-trained grey fell at the second last.
The Listener is 8 to 1 to follow up while Charlie Mann’s Air Force One is 10 to 1 alongside the apparent main Irish hope, Jim Dreaper’s Welsh Grand National winner Notre Pere
HENNESSY GOLD CUP BETTING – William Hill: 5-4 Neptune Collonges, 13-8, Exotic Dancer, 8 The Listener, 10 Air Force One Notre Pere, 12 Snowy Morning, 14 Mister Top Notch, 20 Thyne Again, 25 Bar.
