Blue Velvet should prove tough nut to crack
Espresso Milan and Paul Townend (near) win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle from Blue Velvet (far). Pic: Healy Racing.
The Willie Mullins-trained Blue Velvet, contesting the Matchbook 50:50 Graduation Series Mares Maiden Hurdle, looks the banker bet on Monday’s Punchestown card.
A Gigginstown-owned, Blue Bresil mare, she won a Thurles bumper on her debut 13 months ago before taking her chance in the Grade Two event, won by stable-companion Bambino Fever, at the DRF in Leopardstown – she finished a well-beaten seventh.
In her final bumper outing, Blue Velvet finished third behind Switch From Diesel at Naas in March.
The selection made her hurdling debut at Punchestown last month and performed creditably, filling the runner-up berth behind stable-companion Espresso Milan, who went on to follow-up, in impressive style, in Thurles last Sunday.
Blue Velvet will meet nothing of that calibre on Monday and, with the Punchestown experience under her belt, should take plenty of beating, with Henry de Bromhead’s Miss Doyenne, winner of a Cork bumper and third to Sept Etoiles in Down Royal over Christmas, the obvious main threat.
Earlier, another Closutton novice, Leader d’Allier will be expected to recoup Leopardstown losses in the Matchbook 50:50 Graduation series Maiden Hurdle.
Winner of no less than five bumpers in France, culminating in a listed success in Vichy last July, this fellow was well-touted ahead of his Irish debut at Leopardstown over Christmas and was sent off 6/5 favourite.
But he let his supporters down, brushed aside by Ballyfad, who is due to step into Grade 1 company at the DRF next weekend.
Presumably capable of better, Leader d’Allier should improve from that hurdling bow and sets a decent standard in the opener.
Another Mullins-trained novice Doctor Du Mesnil, pipped by Murat in Leopardstown, after the exit of El Cairos, will be fancied to make amends in the five-runner Matchbook 50:50 Graduation Series Maiden Hurdle over two miles and three furlongs.
And his bumper win, at Cork last Easter, received a timely boost when runner-up Thedeviluno landed a Grade 2 at Doncaster on Saturday.
But he might not cope with 136-rated triple bumper-winner The Passing Wife, dropping in class following a third to Koktail Brut in the ‘Royal Bond’ and a fifth to Skylight Hustle in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown.
With Gavin Cromwell’s team hitting form, he might have the edge over Doctor Du Mesnil.
1.10.Leader d’Allier (NB)
1.40.Bibe Mus
2.10.Blue Velvet (Nap)
2.40.The Passing Wife
3.10.I’m Slippy
3.40.Kobalt St Georges
4.10.One Horse Army
1.10.Straight John
1.40.Kibris
2.10.Miss Doyenne
2.40.Doctor Du Mesnil
3.10.Spinningayarn
3.40.Ellies Rock
4.10.Nettuno Italia.
