Ground the key to Mikael festival bid
Underfoot conditions at Cheltenham in March are likely to determine whether Mikael D’Haguenet takes his chance in the Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle.
The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old looks a horse with a huge future, and was cut to 5-1 from 6s by Victor Chandler after strolling home in the Grade Two Goffs Slaney Hurdle at Naas.
Carrying a Grade One penalty, the imposing 1-3 favourite brushed aside some useful rivals with an impressive turn of foot after the last under Ruby Walsh.
“He did everything right, they went a very slow pace which I think suited us a bit more than the form horses in the race and we were happy to sit in behind them,” said Mullins.
“He quickened nicely away from a slow pace and it is pleasing when they can do that.
“We’ll tread carefully with regard to Cheltenham because he is nearly 17 hands high. If the ground came up dry I’d have to think hard about it, it’s a winter game and I prefer winter ground.
“If he gets his ground he’d go, I’m keen and so are the owners.
“The obvious race (before Cheltenham) is the Deloitte (Leopardstown, February 8) but I’ve got Hurricane Fly for that and there are plenty of other options for him later in the season. I wouldn’t need to run him again.
“If I can find a nice race in February for him I would run him but I’m lucky enough to have a few nice horses and don’t want them clashing just yet.”
Walsh was mightily impressed, saying: “I’ve always liked him – I think he’s a machine.”
Walsh was also aboard Jayo (6-4) who was handed a 16-1 quote for the Arkle by William Hill after an effortless success over a below-par Made In Taipan in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Chase.
“His jumping was electric,” said Mullins.
“I’m sure he’s Arkle-bound after that, he’ll possibly run in both the Irish and English Arkles but I’ll have to have a look at the timing.
“I don’t think the ground really bothers him at all, he’ll go on anything.”
Mullins was also in the mark in the closing bumper – no surprise there – but the manner of Quadrillon’s victory under his son Patrick in the Go Racing (Pro-Am) INH Flat Race was so impressive that he was handed a 10-1 quote by Cashmans for the Champion Bumper in March.
The same firm now only offer 6-4 (from 2-1) that Mullins adds to his incredible haul in the Cheltenham race.
Nobody will forget the scenes around the Cheltenham winner’s enclosure when the colourful Oliver Brady saddled Baron De Feypo to finish third in the Coral Cup in 2007.
However they could be surpassed this year as the handler has a live Triumph Hurdle candidate in the former John Oxx-trained Ebadiyan, an impressive winner of the Harry Farrell 50 Yrs On Board Maiden Hurdle, ridden by John Cullen.
William Hill liked what they saw and go only 20-1 but Cashmans offer a more realistic 50-1.
“He is a good horse, he was the cheapest of the John Oxx horses at the Goffs Sales. He was certainly the bargain horse,” said Brady.
“The further he goes the better he goes. He is my ticket across the water. We will put him away now and he might have one more run before he goes to Cheltenham.”
