SIR Gino remains a firm favourite for the My Pension Expert Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival but Willie Mullins is loading up some strong ammunition to tackle Nicky Henderson’s star, with Ile Atlantique (13/8) joining stablemate Majborough in the Grade 1 picture thanks to a five-length win the Grade 2 Racing Post Novice Chase at Naas.

The two-mile contest, upgraded to blacktype status for the first time this year, promised to be an informative affair despite there being just a five-runner field. Firefox (7/2) was only beaten half a length in the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase last time, while 11/10 favourite Inthepocket was a top-level winner over hurdles who had impressed when last seen in a Wexford beginners’ chase in October.

Ile Atlantique has long had the physical stamp of a chaser, however, and proved he has acclimatised more than adequately to fences with a bold display on his favoured testing ground here.

Confirming the fine impression he created when winning on his chasing bow over two and a half miles at Navan four weeks earlier, the Tony Bloom-owned novice found generously for pressure when it came down to the crunch and began to draw clear of the field approaching the final fence under Paul Townend.

Firefox never looked like being threatened for second by Inthepocket, who proved a little disappointing in this 12-length defeat.

Ile Atlantique is now third favourite for the 2025 Arkle, cut to 8/1 (from 20/1), while Firefox was eased out to as big as 25/1 (from 16/1). Inthepocket can also be backed at 25/1 (from 8/1).

Mullins said: “I think his efficient jumping won it for him. He loves that ground and from an early stage you could see he was jumping more efficiently than everything else. He’s matured a lot and got stronger since last year, which is a big help.

“Fences might just be the making of him. Paul says that when he sees a fence, he plants his eyes on it and measures it himself - it just seems natural to him.

"We just have to keep that improvement in him for the season. His season tapered off a bit last year, but maybe it was because of the drying ground in the spring. Today’s performance was huge, I thought.”

On what could be next for the winner, Mullins added: “I think he can go two or two and a half miles. We’ll look at the Dublin Racing Festival and see which direction he’ll go. Majborough would be in the Irish Arkle and maybe Il Atlantique could go along with him. We have a couple of options for the two-mile-five-furlong Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the same meeting. That would look where Ballyburn could go.”

Fun off to a flyer

Fun Fun Fun was cut to 12/1 (from 33/1) for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after a commanding front-running success for the same stable in the two-and-a-half-mile Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase.

Ridden by her breeder, Patrick Mullins, the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned seven-year-old (SP 7/2) is already a Grade 2 bumper and Grade 3 novice hurdle winner, and a return to blacktype company over fences looks to be calling.

Willie Mullins, who saddled the first three home in a race where Henry de Bromhead’s two short-priced runners, Lantry Lady and Majestic Force, were safely held, suggested the Listed Opera Hat Chase back at this track on February 8th could be an option for the seven-and-a-half-length winner.

“That was a nice performance,” said the champion trainer.

“She jumped reasonably enough for a mare making her first start over fences. I thought her jump at the fifth last changed the whole race; she got two lengths on the field and made the opposition have to come after her. Patrick was then able to sit in front and jump. If it doesn’t come too soon, the Opera Hat is a possibility.

“Karia Des Blaises [runner-up] jumped indifferently and seemed to miss the break, ballooning the first, and that left her with too much to do. She’ll have her turn. Iris Emery [third] ran a cracker too.”