Bring On The Night
3 ch g (Gleneagles – Brasileira)
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Bookmaker turned investor and increasingly high profile owner Joe Donnelly enjoyed a memorable Cheltenahm Festival in March. Al Boum Photo won the Cheltenham Gold Cup for a second successive year, while Shishkin got the better of Abacadabras in an epic duel in the Skybet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Melon was denied by a nose in the JLT Novices’ Chase and Asterion Forlonge wasn’t disgraced in fourth in the Festival opener either.
Donnelly’s familiar yellow and black silks will also be sported by exciting flat recruit Bring On The Night.
A half-brother to Joseph O’Brien’s listed winner and Group 1 fifth Bolleville, he won two of his three starts for Andre Fabre earlier this year. Unraced at two, the chesnut was slowly away on his debut on the all-weather at Chantilly in early March before staying on in eighth over an inadequate nine furlongs. Reappearing 13 days later and switching to turf at Compiegne, the son of Gleneagles relished the step up to a mile and a half and ran out an easy three and a half lengths winner.
Held up, he made good headway under Pierre-Charles Boudot before pulling clear in the home straight. Back in action a couple of months later, he beat six rivals in a 12-furlong conditions event at Deauville in May. A three-parts of a length winner, the third and fourth have scored since.
Purchased soon afterwards, Bring On The Night has been gelded since joining Willie Mullins. Proven in testing ground, he stays well and is lightly raced.
Ireland’s champion trainer won the Triumph Hurdle in March with a similar type, namely Burning Victory, who was a 12-furlong winner on the flat in France. He may have recruited a leading contender for the 2021 version.
Fly Smart
5 b g (Day Flight – Abacab)
Willie Mullins
The best things come to those who wait. Susannah and Rich Ricci will certainly be hoping that is the case as far as the once-raced Fly Smart is concerned. Yet to run for his new connections, the Day Flight gelding hasn’t been sighted since finishing runner-up at Auteuil over two years ago.
A four-length winner on the flat at Niort (11 furlongs, soft ground) in September 2018, he then finished two-length runner-up on his hurdles debut in the Prix Isopani at the Parisian track (two miles and two furlongs, very soft) the following month.
The form of his race has worked out exceptionally well – the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth (three times, including a listed chase) and ninth (three times) have all won since. Bought soon afterwards on behalf of the Ricci’s, he was unable to run last season due to minor niggles, but he is expected to make up for lost time this winter.
It is early days to be thinking about the Cheltenham Festival opener, namely the Skybet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, but Willie Mullins has been very much the trainer to follow in recent years. Ireland’s champion trainer has won the Grade 1 event no less than six times and three of those winners (Champagne Fever (2013), Vautour (2014) & Douvan (2015)) carried the famous pink and green silks.
The brilliant but ill-fated Vautour started his career in France under the tutelage of Guillaume Macaire and the once raced Fly Smart did likewise.
Gentleman Du Mee
4 b g (Saint Des Saints – Koeur De Mee)
Willie Mullins
Willie Mullins and J.P.McManus combined with Saint Roi to win the County Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. The Coastal Path gelding had been placed in his two starts over hurdles as a three-year-old when trained in France by Guy Cherel. Gentleman De Mee has a similar profile having been purchased for €280,000 at the Arqana Sale in November.
A half-brother to the EBF Final and Grand Sefton Chase winner As De Mee, he raced twice for Guillaume Macaire in France finishing runner-up on both occasions. Beaten two lengths on his debut at Senonnes in October behind Grand De Thaix (won again since), he was then a length and a half second to Magrudy at Compiegne the following month (rallied well after the last).
The winner has won over fences subsequently and finished runner-up in a Grade 3 chase at Auteuil, while the third has also won over fences at Auteuil. The form is strong and he is a potentially high-class recruit to the Mullins yard.
When Ireland’s champion trainer buys a three-year-old, he invariably leaves them off until the following season with their novice status intact.
It remains to been seen whether Gentleman De Mee possesses the speed of his new stablemate but he looks set to make a major impact in novice hurdles in Ireland this winter and he has realistic claims of appearing at the Cheltenham Festival next spring.
Gipsy De Choisel
4 b g (Great Pretender – Beautiful Choisel)
Nicky Henderson
The well-known two shades of green silks of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede have tasted Cheltenham Festival glory with Soldatino and Peace And Co in the Triumph Hurdle, Concertista (Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle), Footpad (Arkle Trophy) and Une Artiste (Boodles Juvenile Hurdle) during the last ten years.
All five of those winners began their careers in France and, with the assistance of racing manager Anthony Bromley, the pair have recruited some exciting prospects from the other side of the English Channel this spring/summer.
The once-raced and unbeaten Gipsy De Choisel has joined Nicky Henderson and the gelded son of Great Pretender could be a very interesting novice hurdler this term.
Previously trained by Jean-Philippe Dubois, he made his debut in a 16-runner hurdle at Angers in mid May. Held up early on, he overcame a slight error at the first before a more serious mistake at the third.
However, the four-year-old made good headway down the back straight and, even though he was only eighth turning for home, he was a close third at the final flight before leading close home. A short-head winner, both the second and fourth have gone on to win since.
Bought soon afterwards by the Highflyer Bloodstock supremo, he remains eligible for novice hurdles all season and looks a fine long-term prospect.
Kalkas
4 b g (Kapgarde – Fortunateencounter)
Owner: Sean Mulryan
Owner Sean Mulryan has been associated with some top-class horses over the years both in Ireland and France. Grade 1 winners Cyrlight, In Compliance, Mid Dancer and Zaiyad all sported his familiar black and yellow silks.
The 66-year-old Irish property developer, and founder and chairman and CEO of the Ballymore Group, tasted Cheltenham Festival glory when City Island won his own sponsored race, the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in 2019. He paid £210,000 for this once-raced Kapgarde gelding at the Cheltenham December Sale last year. Previously handled by Francois Nicolle, he finished third on his sole outing over hurdles at Fontainebleau (very soft) earlier the same month. Beaten a length and a half, he has been given plenty of time to settle in since arriving in Ireland and is a worth keeping an eye on in a maiden hurdle this winter for his new connections.
Monmiral
3 bl g (Saint Des Saints – Achere)
Paul Nicholls
Paul Nicholls has taken charge of the first two home in the Prix Rush at Auteuil (one mile and seven furlongs: heavy), which was run in mid-March. This striking looking black gelding was purchased by Anthony Bromley on behalf of John Hales, Sir Alex Ferguson and Ged Mason soon after his two-and-a-half length victory.
Held up early on, the Francois Nicolle-trained three-year-old crept into contention down the back straight before moving to the front after jumping the third last.
Staying on strongly, the form received a considerable boost at Chepstow last weekend when his new stablemate Hell Red scored by a dozen lengths and the 11th has also obliged subsequently.
Despite the fact he is very much a chaser in the making, the Saint Des Saints gelding is expected to make a big impact in juvenile hurdles this winter.
He looks a smashing long-term prospect for the top connections.
Road Senam
4 b g (Saint Des Saints – Madison Road)
Colin Tizzard
Another tremendous young prospect for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the four-year-old has joined Colin Tizzard and is a maiden over hurdles and fences.
A full-brother to Grade 3 winning chaser Buddy Banks, he raced seven times for Francois Nicolle, including twice over hurdles finishing third at Compiegne (two miles) and fourth at Auteuil (one mile and seven furlongs) last year.
Switched to fences, he was runner-up twice at the latter venue, including in a listed chase (two miles and one furlong) in October. A length third in a Grade 2 chase next time at the same track (two miles and two furlongs), he produced a career best last time.
Three-and-a-half length runner-up in a Grade 2 chase at Auteuil (two miles and six furlongs : Very Soft) in May, the winner Gardons Le Sourire won the Grade 1 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure at Compiegne next time. Given his age, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him run in novice hurdles this season before reverting back to fences in 12 months time.
Stamina looks his strong suit and he could develop into an Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle contender this time around.
Saint Sam
3 b g (Saint Des Saints – Ladeka)
Willie Mullins
Successful in two of his three races over hurdles for Jean-Philippe Dubois, the Saint Des Saints gelding only finished ninth on his debut at Dieppe in early June. Returning to the same track later that month, he produced a much improved display to win by a length and a quarter (two miles and one furlong : soft).
The runner-up (Shentri) has won twice since. An even better display at Clairefontaine (two miles and one furlong : Soft) in July followed when beating Piriac by two lengths (third and fifth have won subsequently).
Acquired by Willie Mullins in August on behalf of owner Edward Ware, he is likely to be aimed at the leading juvenile hurdles, culminating in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. He is a fast improving horse who is bred to jump fences eventually.
Mark Howard is author of One Jump Ahead and a Racing TV pundit
One Jump Ahead, which includes interviews with Kim Bailey, Harry Fry, Chris Gordon, Philip Hobbs, Anthony Honeyball, Alan King, Tom Lacey, Olly Murphy, Paul Nicholls, Jonjo O’Neill, David Pipe and Nicky Richards, plus leading owner Rich Ricci and three times Cheltenham Gold Cup winning trainer Henrietta Knight, can be purchased for £10.99 (including postage) from www.mhpublications.co.uk