Mullins going to war with strongest ever team
Nine times Mullins has tasted Festival success, including a remarkable five wins in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
Next week the Co Carlow trainer is set to go to war with, arguably, his strongest team ever, headed by Missed That, Mister Hight and Our Ben and a shoal of challengers for the said Bumper.
When Missed That made the worst possible start to his chasing career at Thurles back in December, you wouldn’t have taken 100-1 about him for Tuesday’s Arkle.
He hardly jumped a fence properly, appearing less than enthusiastic, before trailing in a well-beaten third behind Public Reaction and Trampoline King, two horses who shouldn’t have been in his league.
But Missed That, successful in the Cheltenham Bumper last year, soon left that performance solidly behind, winning his next three races.
“We were so disappointed at Thurles, we certainly didn’t go there expecting that”, said Mullins. “It is extraordinary the way it has changed.”
Missed That was particularly impressive on his latest appearance, winning the Grade One Bailey’s Arkle Cup at Leopardstown.
He did, admittedly, take time warming to the task, with his jumping improving as the contest progressed. The concern about him, in what looks a red-hot Arkle, is that he may get detached in the early part of the contest because of the possibility of indifferent jumping.
“I am not worried”, said Mullins. “Indeed, I’m hoping it will work in his favour, because he pulled so hard when winning last year’s Bumper.
“We know he will be doing his best work in the second half of the race, but this looks a top-class race. He could run a cracker to finish third or fourth and be beaten by very good horses.”
Mullins, mindful Missed That needs to brush up his jumping, took him to the Doninga gallops recently for an extensive schooling session.
“Ruby (Walsh) rode him and he jumped 12 fences. He was very good and Ruby was very pleased.”
Our Ben may well go off favourite for Wednesday’s SunAlliance Novices Chase, despite failing to excite his trainer in that much-publicised after-racing session at Leopardstown.
“I wasn’t as happy with him that day as I was with some of my other horses”, said Mullins. “We think we may have been running him undercooked and he has had a fair bit of extra work. He has been eating well and doing everything right at home.”
Our Ben jumped to his right when finishing powerfully to take third to The Railway Man and Father Matt in the Dr P J Moriarty Chase at Leopardstown.
Mullins is confident he can overcome that tendency at Cheltenham, given an extra three and a half furlongs and better ground.
“I think he got tired at Leopardstown and then ran on when getting his second wind”, said Mullins. “I’m sure he will be able to keep in touch and certainly is a better jumper than Rule Supreme, who won the race for me two years ago.”
Quatre Heures, who has gone from strength to strength, runs in Tuesday’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
There’s no doubt he has greatly surprised his handler. “He has surprised me and it’s hard to know how good he is.
“He’s shown a bit at home, but is a different machine on the track. I wanted to run him and Mister Hight in different races and four-year-olds have a good record in the Supreme Novices.”
Mister Hight, you get the feeling, is very much the Mullins banker of the meeting in Friday’s Triumph Hurdle.
He readily accepts that as his position. “I think he’s the best of mine going across.”
Mister Hight is unbeaten in two races over hurdles, winning easily at Fairyhouse and then following up with a smooth victory at Leopardstown.
“Ruby has a very good feeling about this horse”, said Mullins. “When he won at Fairyhouse, he was a long way short, fitness-wise, of what I hope he will be next week.
“I’m keen on him because I think there’s a fair bit to come. I think he has so much in the tank, a lot of things make me feel he’s the best of mine!”
Hedgehunter will do duty for the stable in the Gold Cup and there will be plenty of others who will carry the flag as well.
But for many, Mullins’ determined efforts to land a sixth Bumper at the Festival will be the highlight.
Ballytrim, Equus Maximus, Shady Willow, Irish Invader and Freds Benefit are all set to go into battle.
One has to be forgiven for concluding Ballytrim and Equus Maximus are the big two. Ballytrim bolted in first time at Thurles, by 25 lengths, while Equus Maximus was impressive when scoring at Leopardstown.
“Ballytrim is a different horse on the track and on grass than he is at home”, said Mullins. “I was quite pleased with the way he worked at Leopardstown, off a pace that wasn’t very fast.
“Over the last two furlongs he had plenty in the tank for Ruby. Katie (Walsh, who rode him at Thurles) and Ruby, who has ridden him at home, both believe he will be even better travelling left-handed.”
On Equus Maximus, Mullins said: “He shows me a lot at home. He’s a big strong horse and, being by Flemensfirth, good ground won’t inconvenience him.”
