Naas tips: Gaillard Du Mesnil can make winning start over fences

Gaillard Du Mesnil, a Grade One winner over hurdles, makes his chasing debut in the Get A Run For Your Money With BetVictor Beginners’ Chase

Thu, 16 Dec, 2021 - 00:00

Tommy Lyons

In the last couple of weeks, Willie Mullins’ Closutton team has begun to unleash some of its potential stars for the season ahead and despite the Christmas festivals being just days away, they have some high-class runners on this afternoon’s card in Naas.

Gaillard Du Mesnil, a Grade One winner over hurdles, makes his chasing debut in the Get A Run For Your Money With BetVictor Beginners’ Chase and he can make a winning start.

Winner of a Leopardstown maiden hurdle, he won a Grade One next time but was no match for Bob Olinger in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, where he finished a fine second.

He wrapped up the season over timber with a second Grade One success and can carry that class to his chasing career. But this is a good race, with stablemate Capodanno due much respect after reaching a mark of 147 through the handicap route over hurdles. His dam was a winner over fences in her native France, and he looks a likely type to progress in this sphere.

Add the likes of Indiana Jones, Crosshill and Roseys Hollow and you have a race to savour.

Mullins also has two leading candidates in the Extra Places Every Day At BetVictor Mares’ Maiden Hurdle, with Brandy Love just preferred to Take Tea.

Both were impressive making a winning debut in bumpers and then they clashed in the Grade Two Mares’ Bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Brandy Love was heavily backed into odds-on that day and travelled best for much of the trip. She didn’t find as much as anticipated but still finished a fine third behind stablemate Grangee, with Take Tea three places further back. They both remain fine prospects and are the two to concentrate on today.

On what should be a good day for the stable, Mullins also has a likely type in the opener, in the shape of French bumper winner Hawai Game, and his Sir Argus makes plenty of appeal in the BetVictor Proud To Support Irish Racing Bumper.

The latter, a Soldier Of Fortune gelding, is a half-brother to three winners, including stablemate Brahma Bull, who won all three of his starts in bumpers. The market will tell a tale but there is a lot to like about what can be read on paper.

Of those with form, Killer Mode and Walter Grey have both shown enough to suggest they are up to winning races at some stage.

NAAS

Tommy Lyons

11:45 Hawai Game

12:15 Smash The Lamp

12:50 Brandy Love (nb)

1:25 Fox Le Bel

2:00 Gaillard Du Mesnil (nap)

2:30 Life Isfor Living

3:00 Sir Argus

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