Casey key to Rule Supreme’s Gold bid
If Casey can take the ride, trainer Willie Mullins would be leaning towards a run in next Friday’s totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup rather than the Ladbrokes World Hurdle the day before.
The nine-year-old has proved smart in both codes, winning the Royal & SunAlliance Chase last year as well as the French Champion Hurdle.
“We have a few things to consider and I’m going to leave it as late as I can. David Casey gets on well with the horse and if he doesn’t get injured in the meantime, we will start thinking about the Gold Cup,” said Mullins.
“But if David got injured and was out of Cheltenham for any reason I would probably go for the hurdle because David gets on so well with him over fences when other jockeys haven’t.
“That would have big bearing but I will leave it as late as I can.
“He’s a course and distance winner around Cheltenham and that must be an advantage going into the Gold Cup.
“No-one wanted to ride him going to Cheltenham last year and David just has the key to him.”
Rule Supreme put up a good performance to beat Beef Or Salmon in the Irish Hennessy at Leopardstown last month and he pleased Mullins in a racecourse gallop at the track on Sunday.
“He’s in tremendous form. I thought he worked well on Sunday when he finished second in that bit of work, which would be good for him over that short trip,” Mullins added.
“I think he only gets into gear at three miles plus.”
Mullins believes ante-post favourite Missed That should be able to handle quicker conditions in next week’s Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.
The six-year-old is the 7-2 favourite for the Festival race after winning at both Clonmel and Naas this season.
Those two wins came on testing ground, while Missed That was unplaced on his only start on quicker ground to date.
“His former trainer Pat Doyle, Jamie Codd, who has ridden him in his bumpers, and myself all think he will go better on better ground,” said Mullins.
“The only thing that worries me is that when he won at Naas last time it was terrible ground and he went so well in that I was wondering if a horse can be good on both types of ground.
“He has a nice bit of toe and we’re hoping he’s going there with a chance”
Mullins has a long list of Festival entries but both Macs Gildoran and Davenport Milenium look unlikely to take up their engagements.
Macs Gildoran is entered in both the Sporting Index Handicap Chase and the Mildmay of Flete, but Mullins said: “He’s probably doubtful to go at all. He ran OK the other day in Navan but he wouldn’t be on my shortlist and we’ll see how he is by the end of the week.”
Davenport Milenium is in the Coral Cup and Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle, but Mullins is likely to stick to chasing with the former high-class hurdler.
“He would be very doubtful. He fell first time out over fences the other day and I have got him entered in Naas on Sunday in a good novice chase.
“I think I will just stick to chasing with him in Ireland and get him ready for Fairyhouse and Punchestown.”
Although that pair are doubtful, Mullins still has a decent team in prospect for the supporting events.
“My probable runners are Our Ben, Mr Babbage and Homer Wells in the two long-distance novice hurdles - the Brit Insurance and the Royal & SunAlliance,” he said.
“Homer Wells would need three miles but he would also need a lot of rain and soft ground so at the moment he would be doubtful.
“Our Ben will handle the ground all right and he’s won two novice hurdles so he’s good enough.
Mr Babbage is probably only 50-50 at the moment.”
Mullins has high hopes for Raikkonen if he makes the cut for the Coral Cup.
“He is a horse that ran well in the Triumph Hurdle last year and he’s flying at home at the moment,” Mullins explained. “Paul Carberry was to ride him on Saturday but he got injured so I took him out as I didn’t want anyone else to ride him.”
Livingstonebramble is in the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase and Mullins added: “He’s a good possibility. If we don’t take him there he will probably go for the Irish National.”
:
, Tuesday - 3/1 Back In Front; 3/1 Hardy Eustace; 11/2 Brave Inca; 6/1 Harchibald; 13/2 Essex; 13/2 Macs Joy; 8/1 Accordian Etoile; 12/1 Rooster Booster.
- Friday - 5/2 Best Mate; 9/2 Kingscliff; 5/1 Beef Or Salmon; 11/2 Strong Flow; 7/1 Celestial Gold; 8/1 Grey Abbey.
