Mullins targets World domination
The Couty Carlow maestro has declared Cheltenham Festival winner Quevega plus recent Fairyhouse victors Cousin Vinny and Mourad as he bids to follow up last year’s win with Fiveforthree.
The 15-strong field for the Grade One over three miles includes three British raiders – Karabak and Bensalem from the Alan King stable and the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Kayf Aramis.
Paul Gilligan has opted to run his Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle hero Berties Dream, while Eamonn O’Connell is responsible for Powerstation, third to Bug Buck’s in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Completing the line-up are Aitmatov, Jessies Dream, Ninetieth Minute, Noble Prince, Oscar Dan Dan, Prince Erik and War Of Attrition, though the latter is in the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup on Wednesday’s card.
King was keen to get another run into the promising Bensalem, but after a few mishaps over fences this season a spin over hurdles came out on top.
“We just decided with Bensalem, what with him having the heavy fall at Cheltenham, that we wanted to get another run into him and it seemed logical to have it over hurdles,” said King.
“We decided to miss Aintree as this race was far more suitable for him.
“He wouldn’t want the ground to dry up too much more, but the jockeys on Tuesday were calling it dead and that would be fine for him.
“Karabak will be fresher than most, but he does need a gap between his races, which is why he hasn’t had much racing this season.
“We’d always planned to miss Aintree with him for that reason and to come here for his final run.
“He’s fresh and well, he looks great and I expect him to run well.”
Powerstation was last month placed at his fourth Cheltenham Festival and has shown no sign his powers are on the wane.
The 10-year-old came off second-best to Jonjo O’Neill’s game mare Refinement in this race in 2007.
“He was placed again at Cheltenham, we’re becoming used to it now,” said O’Connell.
“He ran yet another really good race there. I think he’s a bit better in the spring, he seems to like better ground, when it’s not so deep.
“Since Cheltenham he seems to have done well, he looks really well in himself anyway.
“Hopefully he’ll run well, he deserves to win one of these one day.”
Berties Dream is reported in good form as he takes on the big boys following his Cheltenham success.
“All we’ve done is freshen him up since Cheltenham. He’s very well and were looking forward to a good run with him,” said Gilligan.
“We’ve nothing to lose. We’ve already been lucky to win one Grade One with him, another one would be great.”
