IT’S a big day in the burgeoning career of Emmet Mullins who sends over filly Fujimoto Flyer to contest the Grade 2 Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton (2:50).
Mullins went all the way to Japan to source the filly as a yearling and today she will be his first runner for the synonymous double green colours of Isaac Souede and Simon Munir, who bought her off the trainer and Paul Byrne.
Fujimoto Flyer is two from two over hurdles and is the subject of some shrewd placing from her young trainer who found a fillies-only listed juvenile race in Auteuil last September, where she scooped the €38,000 first prize. That form is rated quite highly by French experts and the daughter of Admire Moon is second favourite today to emerge best in this Grade 2, a well regarded Triumph Hurdle trial.
“We’re going over to find out where she’s at,” Mullins said yesterday. “Fingers crossed she’ll go well. I’m not too clued up on her French form but that type of horse she was running against there is the type you’d be paying a lot of money for.
“She hasn’t run since then (September 3rd) but that was just because we wanted to back off her a bit and giver her a little break. She went straight into juvenile hurdling after coming off the flat last summer so she was a busy run.
“It’s great to have Isaac Souede and Simon Munir as owners. I’m very thankful to them for leaving the horse with me and hopefully she can go well today.”
David back
Back home, it’s great to see David Mullins, cousin of Emmet, make his return to the saddle with two rides at Fairyhouse today. Mullins endured a serious back injury at Thurles in November and was lucky to escape a much worse injury.
All being well, the Grand National-winning rider can now aim to break his Cheltenham Festival duck as part of the Willie Mullins team of riders at Prestbury Park in just over two weeks time.
THERE are four Grade 2 races in all at Kempton today, thanks to the late inclusion of the Kingwell Hurdle, transferred over from Wincanton following that meeting’s cancellation last weekend.
Like all the notable two-mile hurdle races this season, the race lacks a star but there are a number of interesting horses. Song For Someone, improving all the time, represents young trainer Tom Symonds, and would represent a career best for the Hertfordshire-based handler.
Alan King’s Elgin, once talked up as a Champion Hurdle contender in the 2017-18 season, makes his return to the track coming off a 589-day layoff. He won this race at Wincanton in 2018 and is also a course-and-distance winner so could make his presence felt. Quick Grabim, once trained by Robbie McNamara and then Willie Mullins, and the winner of the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle last season for the latter, makes his second start for Fergal O’Brien.
O’Brien has the favourite in Petite Power for the Eider Chase (2:45), which is the feature up at Newcastle. The extended four-mile-and-one-fulong contest won’t be for the faint-hearted on heavy ground today.
Festival pointers to be found at Naas
TOMORROW’S card at Naas is themed as a Road to Cheltenham today, however it is unlikely that it will have a huge bearing on the Festival, given its proximity time-wise.
The most high-profile horse on the card, Andy Dufresne takes his chance in the Paddy Power-backed Grade 2 novice hurdle (3:10) but isn’t even travelling to Cheltenham in two weeks time.
That said, a win for Gordon Elliott’s six-year-old will be a boost to connections of both Supreme contender Captain Guinness and Albert Bartlett fancy Latest Exhibition. Mt Leinster takes his chance in the same race and those who fancy Asterion Forlonge for the Supreme will want him to run well.
The opening Grade 3 chase (2:10) could be worth following with the likes of Any Second Now, the Kim Muir winner last year, likely to be prepping for another handicap bid at the Festival. In the bumper Gordon Elliott’s Farouk D’Alene could convince connections to have a go at the Champion Bumper with a smart performance.
4 The flat is coming
EVEN a bare mention of the Group 3 Winter Derby (3:15) taking place today might trigger the avid jumps racing fan at this time of year but the 10-furlong contest has a prize fund of £100,000 and has attracted a quality field headed by the 115-rated Bangkok.
Andrew Balding’s four-year-old ran down the field in the Derby last year, having taken the bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown, however he seems to have improved this term and won the main trial for this race at the beginning of the month.
Earlier on the card, Joseph O’Brien sends over three-year-old filly Bombshell for a novice race. She will be ridden by the ever-in-form Ben Curtis, who shared the apprentice title with O’Brien and Gary Carroll in 2010.
This evening at Chelmsford, Gerard O’Leary will be hoping to make it two wins in Britain in the space of a week when he sends over Newgirlintown for a classified stakes race (7:00).