Sibling rivalry in Bumper clash
Tony Mullins is hoping for a first Cheltenham Festival success in the race his family has made its own, the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
Tony’s brother Willie has won the race five times, most recently with Missed That in 2005, but in the shape of Aranleigh, the younger Mullins has a leading chance.
Aranleigh beat Willie’s Mad Fish, who reopposes again, by five lengths at Fairyhouse in January and has since been purchased by JP McManus.
“Nothing has gone wrong (in his preparation) and if he gets beaten, it will be because he’s not good enough,” said Mullins.
“The ground is not a factor. He’s won on heavy and I think he’ll handle good ground, although he’s not run on it. My only worry was firm ground as he’s a big horse, a full 17 hands.
“Not many others in the Fairyhouse race have run since and it’s hard to get a full line. The time looked to be exceptional in that ground and both Willie and I want to win the race. He wants to retain his crown.
“JP bought Aranleigh and both Willie and I think a lot of our horses. We’ll make a decision after it as to whether he’ll go hurdling or chasing, but nothing is set in stone. We’ll get this out of the way and then see what we have.”
Aranleigh is as low as 5-1 with Stan James, while the Jessica Harrington-trained Cork All Star is next best at 11-2.
The five-year-old topped the market for most of the season after winning at Cheltenham last November, but has been displaced as favourite as he has not run since.
However, Harrington revealed it had always been the plan to arrive at the Festival fresh.
She said: “I deliberately kept him off the track since he won at Cheltenham in November, but I don’t have that many bumper runners and it is a miracle that I have one in the Cheltenham bumper.
“He isn’t bred to get two miles, but he won over the trip first time out on firm ground. I then took him to Galway and he won again so we then took him to Cheltenham and he proved himself round the track.
“There was no point running him again after that as he had run three times and he had won at Cheltenham.”
Edward O’Grady, who is no stranger to Festival success and has won the bumper twice, runs both Judge Roy Bean and Enquiring Mind.
Both are inexperienced, but O’Grady believes they both have bright futures ahead of them.
“They are both very nice horses and I hope it is not the only time they come here,” said O’Grady.
“The bumper looks tremendously open this year apart from Cork All Star, who has sort of been there and done that, he is the horse we all have to beat.
“They are both gorgeous horses and I hope they are here for years to come, but whether they are good enough to win tomorrow I don’t know,” he told Racing UK.
“I had to show them a photograph of grass when they got here because they hadn’t seen it for so long!
“They have been swimming around in the mud all year but they are fit and well and I think they will give a good account of themselves.”
Carl Llewellyn will be hoping for one more Festival win as a rider, but his first as a trainer with Den Of Iniquity.
Unbeaten in two starts at Warwick, he is the pick of three Llewellyn runners at the five-day stage, which has enabled the trainer/jockey one last fling at Festival glory.
“We’ve taken the other two out so I can ride him, and hopefully win, that is the idea anyway!” said Llewellyn.
“Obviously all his form is on very soft ground and we don’t know what he will be like on a bit better ground. He might be all right but we just don’t know.
“He’s got quite a good action so I wouldn’t have thought he would be at his best on heavy, but he’s not the greatest mover. He’s a nice mover, but I wouldn’t have thought he would need fast ground, he has a bit of a knee action.
“The most impressive he has been is the last couple of furlongs in his race. His preparation has gone well and I’m looking forward to it.
“Whatever happens he is going to be a nice horse for next season.”
