Today's Meetings: Willie Mullins will attempt to secure a remarkable third success in five years when both Alexander Taipan and Clear Riposte line up for today's French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil.
The Irish pair are among a field of 14 for the €350,000 Grande Course De Haies D'Auteuil which is run over three miles and one and a half furlongs.
It's a race that Mullins won back-to-back with Nobody Told Me (2003) and Rule Supreme (2004) and David Casey, who rode both winners, will be on Clear Riposte this time. Ruby Walsh teams up with Alexander Taipan.
Mullins will also be doubly represented in the Grade One Prix Alain Du Breil, Fance's equivalent of the Triumph Hurdle.
J'y Vole (Casey) and Financial Reward (Walsh) are in a field of 11 for the €250,00 race and they are likely to be among the favourites after finishing first and second in a Grade Three at the course last month.
"From what I'm told, there's nothing coming out of the closet in France, and we beat most of the opposition the last day. They should have good chances," Mullins said about his four-year-old team.
Philip Carberry, a regular visitor to Auteuil, teams up with the Francois Cottin-trained Limaranta in this race.
Irish interest in Britain today will centre on the Listed Cherriesracing.com Scurry Stakes at Sandown where the David Wachman-trained Contest steps up to Stakes level alongside Ger Lyons's City Of Tribes at Sandown. The latter has form that ties in with the likely main home hope Hoh Mike but there will be interest in Contest who won a handicap at Naas in impressive style on his last start.
"This will tell us where we stand with him and if we should start to get excited about him," Wachman said.
The feature at Limerick this evening is the jockeys' challenge between riders based here and in Britain and the home team should pick up at least one winner with Bahrain Storm in the conditions hurdle.
Pat Flynn's runner holds Katies Tutor on form behind Punjabi at Punchestown in April but looked to step up on that when scoring on the flat over Tango Foxtrot at Gowran.
Star Wood was just behind Bahrain Storm in that Gowran contest and looks well capable of making just the second start of her jumps career a winning one in the opener.
Oscar Night will be one to watch in the amateur race but Nina Carberry has been snapped up by Dermot Weld for Summer Soul and the champion can swing things his way.
