PUNCHESTOWN PREVIEW:RUBY WALSH has already described Mikael d'Haguenet as "a machine" and the champion jockey will be hoping for some more changes of gear when the star novice lines up at Punchestown tomorrow.
Just five opponents take on the Willie Mullins-trained horse in the Abbey Electrical Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle and although they will get as much as 8lbs from the favourite it will still be an uphill battle.
It’s not as if the likely testing conditions throw Donnas Palm and Co a lifeline as heavy ground is exactly why Mullins is again throwing his Grade One-winning mudlark back into Grade Two company.
On the last occasion, Mikael d’Haguenet sluiced through mud and a slow pace at Naas to win easily after which Walsh reported: “I’ve always liked this horse. I think he’s a machine.”
So much so that Mullins has three Cheltenham options open for the ex-French star although no definite target has been decided.
“He has done everything right so far. Hopefully he’s just been doing the right amount of work although it looks a tight enough field,” Mullins said yesterday.
Big Zeb is being touted as the most likely danger to Master Minded in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham and that position will require Colm Murphy’s horse to win the Amazing Thailand Chase.
The Grade Two, formerly known as the Tied Cottage, also features Watson Lake, Mansony and possibly Big Zeb’s biggest danger, Scotsirish, who missed out on Thursday’s Kinloch Brae at Thurles to wait for this.
Scotsirish put in a career best at the minimum trip in last month’s Hilly Way at Cork but Big Zeb impressed when winning the Dial-A-Bet over Christmas and received a positive report yesterday. “He has come out of his last race really well and we think he has come on a good bit. He has done well since and after Sunday the plan is to go to Cheltenham,” Murphy said.
The ex-Aidan O’Brien trained Acapulco is an interesting recruit to jumping in the opening maiden hurdle but will have to be good to get the better of Sorceror, who ran a blinder at Christmas behind Realt Dubh.
Edward O’Grady’s newcomer, though, is an intriguing prospect since he finished only just over four lengths off Lucarno in the 2007 St Leger and was ninth to Authorized in the Derby.
There are more flat links in the bumper where Dermot Weld runs another son of Galileo in Universal Truth and Kevin Prendergast has a rare National Hunt runner in Rockcliffe. The latter is out of the Group One winner Rebelline and Prendergast has a fine record when turning his focus to the winter game.
Should Limerick race again tomorrow it could provide jockey Paul Townend with another good day with Persian City, in particular, looking hard to beat in the novice hurdle.
CLEW BAY LODGE TARGETS BIG PRIZE
THE STERLING differential might not be what it was but today’s £100,000 feature at Doncaster will still be a valuable pot to bring home if Colm Murphy’s Clew Bay Lodge can manage to win, writes Brian O’Connor.
Murphy has engaged Cork-born Noel Fehily to ride the JP McManus-owned horse in the William Hill Handicap Chase and he is hoping the drop back to two miles will suit his horse after running sixth to Schindlers Hunt in the Leopardstown Chase.
“We thought the last day he didn’t quite get home. He has won on all sorts of ground so I’m not worried on that score and it’s a good prize,” he said yesterday.
“He is creeping up the handicap but I hope he (handicapper) hasn’t got him yet.”
One of the most interesting races at today’s Fairyhouse fixture will be the juvenile hurdle, where Alexander Severus will attempt to follow up last weekend’s victory at Leopardstown.
Edward O’Grady is thinking in terms of the Fred Winter Hurdle at Cheltenham for the ex-French horse who cost the Irish trainer €75,000 at Saint-Cloud last year. Celtic Strand won at Limerick on Wednesday but another win on just his third jumps start should set Alexander Severus up nicely for the festival.
Sports Line came up only a short head short at Cork on his last start and will be a popular fancy in the maiden hurdle while East Beach can follow up a course and distance win in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle.
