Supreme to stick to hurdles

Rule Supreme will run over hurdles at Aintree tomorrow after Willie Mullins decided the ground was likely to be too fast for his Irish Hennessy winner to tackle the chase course.

The Co Carlow handler had been deliberating whether to send his versatile nine-year-old over timber or fences, but the lack of significant rainfall has forced his hand.

“From what I can gather they didn’t get as much rain in Liverpool last night as they expected, and the ground is pretty good,” said Mullins.

“If it was soft we might have gone over fences, and the fact David Casey couldn’t ride if we went over fences was an issue, but the ground for this meeting was the key issue.

“If ‘good’ was in the going description then we didn’t think there was any point in going over fences this time.”

Rule Supreme will face eight rivals in the John Smith’s And Batleys Liverpool Hurdle that opens the meeting, after finishing third in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Inglis Drever and Baracouda, who finished ahead of him that day, are absent, although fourth-placed Westender will reoppose.

“Westender was only a couple of lengths behind us and the track at Aintree won’t be as testing at Cheltenham, which might suit him, but it is an extra half a furlong and that might help us,” added Mullins.

“He will go to Punchestown after this week and will be entered in both the Guinness Chase and the three-mile hurdle race, but which one he goes for depends on the ground.”

In addition to Westender, who had previously finished third in the Cleeve Hurdle, Rule Supreme also faces the Nicky Richards-trained Monet’s Garden, who was last seen chasing home Crystal D’Ainay over tomorrow’s trip of three miles and half a furlong at Kempton.

The seven-year-old grey has disappointed in two earlier efforts at Cheltenham, but had stylishly landed a Grade Two event over timber at Lingfield in October.

Richards said: “We decided after Kempton to miss Cheltenham and go straight to Aintree – so here we are.

“I wasn’t sure whether he would stay around Cheltenham so we are going for the little bit easier option around Aintree.

“He ran a nice race at Kempton and battled on grand up the straight and ran a good, honest race.

“I wouldn’t be too bothered about any rain as it is the first race and it will be proper nice jumping ground.

“This will be his last run of the season and hopefully he will school well in the autumn and we can go novice chasing with him.”

Korelo, fifth in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle and runner-up in the Cleeve, also takes his chance, while Peter Bowen’s Mr Ed will have his first start out of handicap company.

Coral Cup winner Idole First, along with Dancing Bay and Tumbling Dice, second and third in that race, will also line up with Gralmano completing the field.