GRAND NATIONAL-winning trainer Martin Brassil is hoping that a lot of hard work on the Curragh will see Moville in with a first-rate chance of building on an 18-year family link to Saturday’s rescheduled MCR Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Brassil’s brother, John, landed the €100,000 feature with How’s The Boss in 1992 when it was known as the Ladbroke and Moville will try to add another big-race scalp to the CV of the man who saddled Numbersixvalverde to a memorable Aintree Grand National victory in 2006.
The five-year-old is among a total of 41 horses left in the MCR at yesterday’s forfeit stage. The first major handicap of the year was cancelled from its original date nine days ago and will be the opening day centrepiece to a bumper weekend at Leopardstown that culminates in Sunday’s Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle.
Moville was disputing favouritism in some lists for the MCR before it was cancelled and it was a similar story after yesterday’s declarations with Paddy Power installing Brassil’s runner as a 10 to 1 second favourite behind their 8 to 1 market leader Carthalawn.
The latter was third to Penny’s Bill in last year’s renewal but Moville will be running in just his second handicap over flights. However Brassil isn’t overly-concerned by that and is encouraged by the amount of work he has been able to get into his horse even through the cold spell.
“The ground staff at the Curragh worked very hard, through the nights in fact, to keep the gallops open so we were able to keep working the important horses,” Brassil said yesterday.
“My brother managed to win this race and I wouldn’t mind having it on my CV either. He ran behind Thousand Stars at Fairyhouse in his first handicap but he won at Navan afterwards and he jumps well and should be able to adapt to a race like this.
“But it is a tough race and older horses usually have an advantage because of that,” he added.
Brassil would like Paddy Flood to maintain his partnership with Moville, although the in-demand rider is also a possible for Steviemac.
Thousand Stars is one of five Willie Mullins-trained possibles for the big race but they don’t include the Grade One-winning chaser J’y Vole who had been prominent in ante-post betting earlier in the month.
Thousand Stars has both Perce Rock and his stable companion, Ebaziyan, ahead of him in the weights for Saturday’s race but also missing from the rescheduled MCR is Farringdon and Healy’s Bar.
Mullins’s other possible runners are Tarkari, Tawaagg and C’est Ca for a race the champion trainer won eight years ago with Adamant Approach.
Ground conditions at Leopardstown were heavy yesterday and look like remaining so throughout the weekend.
“The forecast isn’t too bad. We could get some rain on Tuesday and Thursday but apart from that it appears like being a reasonably dry week,” said the track manager Tom Burke.
“We don’t anticipate any problems and it should be a super weekend.”
A total of 23 entries remain in the Leopardstown Chase with Schindlers Hunt topping the weights, followed by the British-trained Nacarat who is a possible for the race ahead of Kempton’s Racing Post Chase next month.
Beroni leads a number of entries who are also engaged in Thursday’s Thyestes at Gowran.
Roberto Goldback is among 14 left in the Grade Two novice chase over two miles and five furlongs on Saturday. Jessica Harrington’s runner is joined by the Limerick Grade Two winner Dancing Tornado as well as the Tony Mullins-trained Aranleigh.
The 2006 Gold Cup hero, War Of Attrition, may appear on Thursday in Gowran’s Grade Two Galmoy Hurdle but trainer Mouse Morris hasn’t ruled out a trip to Cheltenhham at the end of the month for the Cleeve Hurdle instead.
“He might run in Gowran or he could go to Cheltenham on Saturday week. It will be one or the other. It has always been the case that he is much better on better ground,” Morris said.
War Of Attrition put in an encouraging effort over Christmas when fourth to Powerstation at Leopardstown, and Morris added: “He showed all his old enthusiasm. He’s got his old sparkle back.”
MCR HURDLE BETTING (Paddy Power): 8 Carthalawn, 10 Moville, Spring The Que, Steviemac and Cockleshell Road, 12 Fen Mac, Tawaagg and Thousand Stars, 14 Arch Rebel, Asigh Pearl and Uncle Tom Cobley, 16 Bar.
