Classy Quel Esprit back in the hunt
The 10-year-old won a point-to-point at Ballinaboola on Sunday in the hands of Katie Walsh running in the colours of Mullins’ wife, Jackie.
Not seen since pulling up in the Grand National, he won by a distance but is unable to run at Cheltenham in March as he won a race worth more than £16,000 after June 2, 2011.
Patrick Mullins, his father’s assistant, said: “The plan is to go to Leopardstown with him on Hennessy day, February 9.
“When I spoke to Weatherbys I didn’t get a definitive answer about whether he could run in England but at the moment we’re not bothered about that, we’re just taking it one race at a time.
“I remember Katie Walsh had a horse a few years ago she wanted to ride at Aintree but that wasn’t qualified.
“Quel Esprit was disappointing last year and we just felt it was an avenue we could take advantage of with him. There’s some smart hunters in Ireland, though, Salsify, On The Fringe and Tammys Hill.
“It would be unusual for a horse on the downgrade like him to go and win the big ones but if he gives me a few decent spins I’ll be happy.”
nCompetitive Edge is likely to return to Gowran Park for a valuable handicap he won last season after finishing second in the Dan Moore Memorial Chase at Fairyhouse on Sunday.
The Conor O’Dwyer-trained seven-year-old beat all bar Willie Mullins’ well-treated Turban, but will not run in the valuable Leopardstown Handicap Chase on January 25.
O’Dwyer instead plans to give Competitive Edge another outing before a possible run in the Shamrock Handicap Chase at Gowran.
“We just ran into that man Mullins!” said O’Dwyer.
“I was delighted with our lad, though, as the season was getting away from us a bit. He unseated the last day and we needed a good run.
“He’ll come on again for it as that was effectively his first race of the season.
“AP (McCoy) said he likes to be in the thick of things. We’ve been trying to drop him in over three (miles) but I think we’ll stick at two (miles) to two and half for the rest of this season, but he must have that soft ground. Surprisingly for one by Presenting his jumping goes to pieces on better ground.
“There’s a race he won at Gowran last year (Shamrock Handicap) that’s worth 50,000 euro and we’ll probably go there again but that’s not for another six weeks so I’d like a race before then if we could.
“He’s in at Leopardstown next week but he won’t run there now. He’s only seven so I hope there’s plenty of big days left in him.”
* Enda Bolger is keen to run the inexperienced Gilgamboa in Saturday’s valuable Boylesports.con Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown.
The six-year-old has only had three races in his fledgling career, winning at Galway and Punchestown, including when scoring on his handicap debut.
He will drop back in trip to two miles at the weekend, and Bolger feels he is better off taking his chance in a big race rather than run in another small event.
“Our plan at the moment is to run,” said Bolger.
“It looks a big ask but he’s won two now so life is going to get difficult for him wherever we go.
“It’s a big pot so we may as well let him take his chance.
“One of the things that made our mind up is that if we’d looked for a conditions race or something we’d probably bump into a (Willie) Mullins hotpot at level weights for a fraction of the money so we may as well run here.
“He did it well the last day but he’s going to be a cracking chaser, whatever he does this season. He jumps fences exceptionally well.”
Tonyy Martin’s Quick Jack is ante-post favourite and is one of 28 remaining entries. Mullins has top weight City Slicker, Blood Cotil and Primroseandblue to choose from.
Charles Byrnes’ Sea Light is on a four-timer while Nicky Henderson’s Snake Eyes is the sole British possible.
Prince De Beauchene tops the weights for the Leopardstown Chase on the same card followed by Colbert Station and the Kinloch Brae winner Texas Jack.
