Wodhooh can cap year of Grade One success for Elliott
Cheltenham: Wodhooh and Jack Kennedy (left) win The Close Brothers Mares Hurdle (Grade 1) for trainer Gordon Elliot and owners The Sundowners Partnership. Pic: Healy Racing
Gordon Elliott may have fallen short in his bid to at last realise his dream of becoming champion trainer of Ireland but Wodhooh can ensure her trainer ends the jumps season by winning more Grade Ones in a single campaign than ever before.
Wodhooh provided one of Elliott’s 12 top-level successes this season when landing the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and this winning machine can make it a record-breaking 13th in the SBK Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle.
In Jade De Grugy, Wodhooh faces a talented rival but Elliott’s mare had her measure at Cheltenham and there’s no obvious reason why she won’t confirm that form.
Willie Mullins, who will be crowned champion trainer for a remarkable 20th time today, is mob-handed in the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle with Triumph Hurdle victor Apolon De Charnie one of nine Closutton contenders for the final Grade One of the season.
Apolon De Charnie was impressive at Cheltenham but the fact he was sent off at odds of 50-1 suggest he wasn’t considered a superstar ahead of the Triumph and he might just be vulnerable here.
On that basis, a chance is taken on the Pádraig Roche-trained Saratoga taking the leap from handicap company to Grade One level in his stride.
Saratoga produced a fine effort to win the Fred Winter at Cheltenham and a marginal improvement on that display should see him at least put it up to the favourite.
While he landed the three biggest prizes of the meeting, not everything went to plan for Mullins at Cheltenham with Jump Allen especially unlucky in the Martin Pipe, finishing third after meeting repeated trouble in running.
The Lawlor's Of Naas Handicap Hurdle looks a great opportunity for him to gain compensation and it’ll be a disappointment if he fails to deliver.
Stablemate Cotswold Blue can make a successful debut in the bumper while Uncle Pat, in the DAR Golf Handicap Chase, is another Closutton horse likely to go close.
There’s two Flat cards in Ireland on Sunday and Atomic City might be worth waiting for in the finale at Cork, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained Ghaiyyath colt finished a close third on his seasonal reappearance at the Curragh last month and a repeat of that effort should see him get off the mark.
Earlier the Johnny Murtagh-trained Sparky Sparky, a good third at Cork last month, can go two places better in the UNQUESTIONABLE Standing At Rathbarry Stud Maiden.
Paddy Twomey sends three horses to Sligo from his Tipperary base and can win the opening two races, the Download The Tote App Fillies Maiden and the Tote.ie Median Auction Maiden, courtesy of Andaman Fifty and County Carlow.
Darren Norris' picks:
2.30 Fountain House
3.05 J'arrive De L'est
3.45 Uhavemeinstitches
4.15 Wodhooh
4.55 Saratoga
5.30 Jump Allen (Nap)
6.05 Cotswold Blue (NB)
6.35 Mordor
2.30 Lisnamult Lad
3.05 Uncle Pat
3.45 Iceberg Theory
4.15 Jade De Grugy
4.55 Apolon De Charnie
5.30 Fierce Handay
6.05 Found It
6.35 Dark Note
1.20 Edward Thatch
1.55 Sparky Sparky (NB)
2.30 Aviatrice
3.05 Havana Anna
3.43 Kilmeaden
4.15 Arctic Assassin
4.50 Contrite
5.27 Atomic City (Nap)
1.20 Bit Of A Buzz
1.55 The Piper's Call
2.30 Key Witness
3.05 Royal Bay Cen
3.43 Perry Mason
4.15 Kalir
4.50 Yousaynothingatall
5.27 Gaelic Drills
1.35 Andaman Fifty
2.10 County Carlow
2.45 Polar Bear
3.22 You Make Me Smile
3.58 Yulia
4.32 She's Ideal
5.07 Misty Cove
1.35 Aughlish
2.10 Keogie
2.45 Happy Henry
3.22 Maxwell Smart
3.58 Lady Mairen
4.32 Sarangpur
5.07 Augusta Rock
