Weekend tips: Minella Indo hard to beat at Down Royal; Screaming Colours can take Cork Grand National

With King George winner Frodon bringing in some competition from across the Irish Sea, this is a race to savour at Down Royal, but it remains difficult to look beyond Gold Cup champ Minella Indo

Jack Kennedy celebrates on top of Minella Indo after winning the WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase during day four of the 2021 Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse. Gold Cup winner Minella Indo makes his eagerly-awaited return to action in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday. Photo: Michael Steele/PA Wire.

The Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Chase has attracted a select field of five runners, all having won at least once at the Cheltenham Festival. With King George winner Frodon bringing in some competition from across the Irish Sea, this is a race to savour, but it remains difficult to look beyond Gold Cup champ Minella Indo.

Henry De Bromhead’s horse was particularly good on his first start of last season, on soft ground at Wexford, where he gave weight and a wide-margin beating to the useful Milan Native. Good as that was, he improved through the season and it culminated in that beating of stablemate A Plus Tard in the Cheltenham showpiece.

This is a hot race in which to make his return, but he is a real class act and can take this at the expense of Frodon. The latter’s trainer, Paul Nicholls, has won this race four times – twice with Kauto Star, once with Kauto Stone and once with Taranis – and seldom comes here without his charges being ready to give their all.

The same can be expected of Frodon, a former Ryanair Chase winner who won last season’s King George. He has a lot to find with the selection on their Gold Cup form, but this track and trip will be more suitable and there should be a lot less between them today.

The nap goes to Mighty Potter, who can get off the mark over timber at the first time of asking, in the Tayto Group Maiden Hurdle. An impressive winner of his only outing in a bumper, the half-brother to smart sorts French Dynamite and Indiana Jones looks a fine prospect and can take this at the expense of smart Flat horse Onlyhuman.

A little earlier on the card, Eskylane can take the Dr Emma Clinics Handicap Hurdle for Elliott and Davy Russell.

After a winning start, last season never really took off for the selection, but he made his return at the Listowel and caught the eye finishing fourth to Dysart Diamond. A small step forward from that run will be more than enough to ensure a bold bid, and he is just preferred to Gua Du Large, Light Brigade and the progressive Yafordadoe.

The Paddy Power Cork Grand National is the feature on tomorrow’s card in Cork and the proven stamina of Screaming Colours and Mister Fogpatches can come to the fore, with marginal preference for the former, trained by William Durkan.

His only win of last term came on his seasonal debut, but he kept his form particularly well throughout the season, including when runner-up to The Big Dog in the Grand National Trial at Punchestown, and when a close fifth in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter. The ten-year-old excels in testing ground and can make a winning start to this season.

Jeremys Jewel will take considerable beating in the Paddy Power Onside App Mares’ Maiden Hurdle if coping with the softest conditions she will have encountered. The most interesting of her rivals is Mainsanda, who looked smart in her two runs in bumpers, the second of which was the Grade 3 won by Grangee.

Tomorrow’s nap comes in Naas, where Navajo Warrior should get off the mark in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. Aidan O’Brien’s colt made his debut less than a fortnight ago and ran a race full of promise to take third place behind stablemate Sussex and the useful Comfort Zone. He won’t need to improve too much to be a leading player this time and, with plenty more expected, he can take this opportunity.

The Tally Ho Stud Irish EBF Birdcatcher Premier Nursery is as competitive as ever, but conditions will help bring out the best in Thunder Eclipse and he can land this nice prize for Fozzy Stack and Chris Hayes.

DOWN ROYAL (Saturday) 

Tommy Lyons 

1:05 Fil Dor 

1:40 Mighty Potter (nap) 

2:15 Eskylane (nb) 

2:50 Minella Indo 

3:25 Envoi Allen 

4:00 Weststreet 

4:35 American Mike 

Next best 

1:05 Sea Sessions 

1:40 Onlyhuman 

2:15 Gua Du Large 

2:50 Frodon 

3:25 Vado Forte 

4:00 Clondaw Secret 

4:35 Royal Romeo 

NAAS (Sunday) 

Tommy Lyons 

12:30 Inishmot Prince 

1:00 Thunder Eclipse 

1:35 Gegenpressing 

2:10 Navajo Warrior (nap) 

2:45 Wuqood 

3:15 The Blue Brilliant 

3:45 Coltor 

4:15 Rosmana 

Next best 

12:30 Carlton Banks 

1:00 King Of Bavaria 

1:35 Mi Esperanza 

2:10 Bridgehead 

2:45 Dance Jupiter 

3:15 Camorra 

3:45 Powerful Aggie 

4:15 Loingseoir 

CORK (Sunday) 

Tommy Lyons 

12:40 Crowns Major 

1:15 Jeremys Jewel (nb) 

1:50 Ballywilliam Boy 

2:25 Run Wild Fred 

3:00 Screaming Colours 

3:30 Perry Owens 

4:05 Agritime 

Next best 

12:40 Mosala 

1:15 Manisanda 

1:50 The Getaway Star 

2:25 Politesse 

3:00 Mister Fogpatches 

3:30 Romella 

4:05 Reine Machine