Sesenta can solve puzzle
She could hardly be coming out of a better yard, Willie Mullins’, and there are solid grounds for believing her capable of at least going very close.
Sesenta will revel in the testing conditions and is likely to be well suited to stepping up to two and a half miles.
The five-year-old comes here on the back of a cracking run at Fairyhouse, a short head and a neck third behind Fisher Bridge and Silverhand, over an inadequate two miles.
Ruby Walsh partners Sesenta and he and Mullins can team up as well to take the Grade 1 Ballymore Champion four-year-old Hurdle with Mourad.
The selection stamped himself as the best juvenile in this country with a career-best effort in the Triumph at Cheltenham, third to Zaynar and Walkon.
That form received a massive boost subsequently when Walkon went to Aintree and simply bolted in.
Jumbo Rio performed disappointingly in the Triumph, but beat Mourad twice at home prior to the Festival, and would have to rate a major danger, if back to his best.
A third Mullins possibility is Pomme Tiepy, the mount of David Casey, in the victorchandler.com Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase.
She ran a smashing race in the Irish National at Fairyhouse, when fifth behind English invader Niche Market.
The mare jumped and travelled like a dream through the contest, until an apparent lack of stamina kicked in through the final half mile.
Rare Bob took fourth spot, a length and a quarter in front of Pomme Tiepy, and he was impressive here earlier in the week.
The big plus for Mullins’ mare now is the much softer surface, compared to Fairyhouse, and four furlongs less to travel isn’t a minus either.
The Grade 3 Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Mares Hurdle looks very difficult to solve, but Callherwhatulike may not be too far away.
She seemed on good terms with herself when beating Clear Riposte at Cork eight days ago and that was encouraging.
