RACING NEWS:WILLIE MULLINS has seven possible runners in next week's Tendrleen Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park but bookmakers are in no doubt Beroni is the champion trainer's number one candidate.
Beroni is as low as 9 to 2 favourite with some firms ahead of Thursday’s €90,000 feature as he pursues a second major handicap chase pot in Ireland this season.
Navan’s Troytown Chase provided Beroni with a hugely-impressive success in November. Although the Mullins runner is 20lb higher in the ratings for that victory he has since proved his well-being with a hurdle race success at Punchestown.
Mullins is chasing a fourth Thyestes victory after Micko’s Dream (2000), Homer Wells (2007) and Hedgehunter, who won in 2004, the year before he went on to Grand National glory at Aintree.
His Gowran options also include this season’s Aintree candidate, Arbor Supreme, as well as Equus Maximus, Jayo and the leading mare, Pomme Tiepy.
However, much of next week’s attention will also centre on the west Cork-trained Priests Leap, who is on course to attempt an unprecedented hat-trick in the Thyestes.
The Tom O’Leary-trained star last year emulated Wylde Hyde (1995-’96) by winning back-to-back renewals of the three-mile highlight but no horse has ever managed to win the Thyestes three times.
A total of three other horses have managed to win it twice – Bob Treacy (1990-2001), Greek Vulgan (1967-’69) and Copp (1955-’58). Jockey Philip Enright has deserted Priests Leap, who is due to carry topweight, in favour of Footy Facts, the Robert Tyner-trained runner, who beat Hardy Eustace over hurdles at Punchestown last month.
The former Grand National runner-up King Johns Castle is also an intended starter next week following his return to action over fences last month.
“He’s good and an intended runner at Gowran. He has come on for his last run and the trip should suit him better,” his trainer Arthur Moore said yesterday. “Naturally we are hoping he will go on to Aintree for the Grand National.”
A total of 10 entries remain in Gowran’s main support event, the three-mile Alo Duffin Memorial Galmoy Hurdle, including the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle winner Oscar Dan Dan who will try to reverse Christmas form with Powerstation in the Grade Two event.
In other news, Mullins had a downbeat bulletin on Hurricane Fly whose slow return to fitness from a suspensory injury looks like preventing him making the Cheltenham festival for the second year running.
“He is just alright and his progress is slow. Cheltenham is looking doubtful at this state,” Mullins admitted yesterday, before revealing that Cousin Vinny is likely to appear next in the Beginners Chase at Fairyhouse on Sunday. “We were thinking about going straight for the Irish Arkle but he seems well and he will probably run at the weekend instead.”
Mullins also reported that Mikael D’Haguenet is at least a fortnight from making his seasonal debut.
Cheltenham plans are not definite for Paul Nolan’s Grade One-winning chaser Joncol, who has been taken out of the Gold Cup but remains in the Ryanair Chase.
“The plan for Joncol is the Hennessy at Leopardstown and we are not really looking beyond that,” Nolan said yesterday.
“We took him out of the Gold Cup because we still think he lacks experience but left him in the Ryanair and that’s a possible. We don’t want to rush things though and we will get the Hennessy out of the way before making plans,” he added.
