THE BETFRED Cheltenham Gold Cup outsider Quel Esprit could continue his festival build-up at Thurles on Thursday in the Grade Two Matty Ryan Memorial Kinloch Brae Chase. Champion trainer Willie Mullins has four of the 11 entries left in the €45,000 midweek feature but Quel Esprit is a stand-out option in terms of a possible impact on the festival in March.
The grey has won a couple of small races so far this season after a 2010-11 novice campaign blighted by falls, but he is currently as low as 20 to 1 in ante- post betting with Ladbrokes for the Gold Cup.
Mullins has half of the 14 entries left in Saturday’s Grade Three Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas and three of the 11 left in the Grade Two Woodlands Park 100 Club Novice Chase.
The most eye-catching of his Naas entries is the unbeaten Make Your Mark – currently an 8 to 1 second favourite for the Neptune at Cheltenham behind Fingal Bay – who features among 11 left in the Irish Racing Writers Novice Hurdle.
Allee Garde, third to Last Instalment and First Lieutenant in the Fort Leney at Leopardstown over Christmas, is set to be leading contender for the three-mile Grade Two on Saturday.
