WILLIE Mullins looks to have found an ideal opportunity for a big win for Scaramanga as the eight-year-old lines up under Paul Townend in the three-mile $200,000 Grade 1 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle Stakes at Percy Warner Park in Nashville tonight (9.40pm).

The son of Mastercraftsman, who moved to Mullins from the Paul Nicholls stable last season, was last seen when as a 50/1 shot, he was fourth, 10 lengths behind Langer Dan in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival.

The three-mile distance is, however, a concern.

Also in action in the race is Danny Mullins who teams up with Keri Brion after an injury to her regular rider Parker Hendriks, on Ask Paddington. Mullins has six rides on the card.

Former champion US jumps horse Snap Decision is going for three in a row in the race and is the hot favourite after his win in the Grade 2 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle Handicap on April 22nd.

Foley

Irish-bred Scorpion’s Revenge, trained by Cyril Murphy, is the mount of Barry Foley while current champion jumps trainer Leslie Young runs Redicean.

Also on the card Gordon Elliott runs I Am Fortunata in the George Sloan & John Sloan Sr. Maiden Hurdle.

ON the flat, there is a Grade 1, the Man o’War Stakes at Belmont Park (8.07pm) and Charlie Appleby is again represented, with Frankie Dettori taking the mount on the four-year-old Dubawi gelding Warren Point.

He hasn’t run since his second place to Hong Kong runner Russian Emperor in the Amir Trophy in Doha in February after a win in Bahrain and has a listed Kempton win to his name last year.

Winner

He takes on Brendan Walsh’s March Grade 2 Keeneland winner Verstappen, again the mount of Declan Cannon.

It’s not a deep race with one seven-year-old and two nine-year-old gelding including old regular Channel Maker in the eight-horse field.