Wicklow Brave can get off to winning start over flights
Mullins has already successfully introduced two smart juvenile hurdlers in Djakadam and Dogora to fences this season and Blood Cotil fits into the same category. He was last seen at Auteuil in May, beating stable companion, Diakali, to win a Grade 3 over flights. The selection gets 11lbs from all six of his older rivals and only Castle Wings rates any sort of danger.
The nap vote falls on Mullins’ Wicklow Brave in the McCarthy Insurance Group Maiden Hurdle. A winner of three bumpers, he has reportedly schooled well and this is not the most exacting of starts to the jumping game.
Dermot Weld’s Waaheb is the choice in the opening McCarthy Insurance Group Hurdle. A top-class bumper horse, he has never fulfilled earlier promise.
Waaheb did, however, run a nice sort of race last time when fourth to Rule The World at Naas and this looks within his compass.
Michael Griffin’s Boondooma gets the vote in the second maiden hurdle on the card. He is not short on experience over jumps and went though bad ground at Limerick at Christmas in fine style to easily win a bumper.
At Naas tomorrow, Mozoltov is readily preferred to Ned Buntline in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Novice Chase.
Mozoltov was better than Ned Buntline over hurdles and made a fine start to this game when coasting to victory at Fairyhouse.
Willie Mullins trains Mozoltov and his Briar Hill, who certainly doesn’t make things easy for himself, gets the vote in the Grade 2 Slaney Novice Hurdle.
He kept responding to Ruby Walsh’s urgings when finally seeing off the challenge of Azorian at Navan last time and one can probably expect more of the same today.
The former winning point-to-pointer, Moonlight Boy, gets the vote in the Annual Membership At Naas Maiden Hurdle.
He was a heavy ground winner of a bumper at Cork in April, a contest that has worked out quite well. Moonlight Boy has since joined the Christy Roche yard and now carries the colours of J P McManus.
His travels in the market will obviously be of the utmost importance!
