Mullins targets bonus bonanza
A £100,000 bonus is up for grabs for any trainer, jockey or owner who wins all three of the Thursday card's championship events and Mullins has amassed a powerful squad in his bid to plunder the Sunbury track's prizes.
Mullins' bonus-seeking trio is made up of stable star Florida Pearl in the Pertemps King George VI Chase, Davenport Milenium in the Pertemps Christmas Hurdle and either Ballyamber or One Night Out in the Pertemps Aviation Resources Feltham Novices' Chase.
The County Carlow handler also intends to saddle the promising Macs Valley in the Pertemps Christmas Greetings Novices' Hurdle in the hope of landing a fantastic Boxing Day four-timer.
"There is a bonus if you win all three and it would be well earned that would make a nice Christmas all right," Mullins said.
"I will have horses running in all three Grade One races on Boxing Day, so we still stand a chance of winning the bonus."
And what of his prospects of landing the lucrative reward?
Florida Pearl is a general 5-1 shot to repeat last year's victory in the King George after having had an interrupted preparation for the £150,000 contest.
He had a hard race when fourth on his reappearance at Down Royal in November and was then forced to miss an intended engagement in the John Durkan Punchestown Chase having disappointed in a gallop, after which he did not scope clean.
But Mullins now reports his stable star in "great form".
He said: "He worked well on Tuesday morning and I think we're on course for Kempton although I don't want any more setbacks. At the moment we're on course.
"I haven't scoped him. He won't be scoped until next week before he goes. There's no reason to scope him the way he's working.
"Ruby Walsh rides which is a change of jockey as Barry Geraghty will be riding at Leopardstown."
A back-to-form Florida Pearl will take all the beating once again.
Davenport Milenium, one of last season's top novices, is already 8-1 joint second favourite for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle.
He missed his intended reappearance at Down Royal in November due to unsuitably soft ground and he may well be a little ring rusty when he returns to action although he has recently pleased Mullins with his work on the Bagenalstown gallops.
"He has worked well. Ruby sat on him this week and was quite happy with him," said Mullins.
"It's his first run of the season so it will probably be too early for him to be at his best, but he's ready for the run.
"I have two entered for the Feltham as well, Ballyamber and One Night Out, and I have Macs Valley for the two-mile novice hurdle that day.
"I'll run one of the novice chasers and I hope to bring Macs Valley over. He's a better ground horse and it will probably be better there than it will be in Leopardstown so I'm keen to bring him across."
Good ground is the key to Davenport Milenium as he showed at the Punchestown Festival in April when he won two Grade One races in three days.
And given his preferred conditions he will have a favourite's chance despite his lack of match practice in the Christmas Hurdle.
A double with Florida Pearl and Davenport Milenium therefore does not appear inconceivable.
However, landing what will be the first leg could be a big ask with the likes of Jair Du Cochet, Irish Hussar, Le Sauvignon and Stormez all possibles for the Feltham but whoever Mullins decides to send to Kempton for the race he should not be discarded lightly.
Of his two entries in the three-mile contest One Night Out looks the pick.
He won at Fairyhouse at the end of last month on his debut over fences which was over an inadequate trip of two miles and a furlong.
After being held up off the pace, he arrived travelling best to lead before the final fence, where he went to the right before stretching clear on the run-in to beat Beachcomber by four lengths.
His three wins over hurdles last season were achieved from two and a half miles to three miles, so he can be expected to show improvement fitness-wise and when he tackles longer distances.
"One Night Out won his debut this season at Fairyhouse," Mullins added. "That was over two miles plus, but we've always considered him a three-mile horse."
The Feltham's distance can bring about further improvement from this promising six-year-old.
Ballyamber on the other hand has yet to open his account over fences but he ran with promise on his reappearance at Fairyhouse when beaten two lengths by stable companion Macs Gildoran in a competitive handicap.
But useful as he clearly is he may be just out of his depth in the Feltham.
So it will be no mean feat for Mullins to land the 'big three' but if he does pull it off and net the hundred grand it will be yet another achievement in an already outstanding career.
