'Big Things Are Expected' - Five Rich Ricci Horses To Follow This Season Rich Ricci’s familiar pink silks with green polka dots are usually spotted in most of Ireland’s top races and that’s likely to be the case once again this season. Any established owner with Willie Mullins-trained horses is likely to go far and he’ll have a strong team to go to war with. We’ve picked out five of his horses who you won’t want to miss this season, one of which will be on everyone’s list but the other four are perhaps a little less obvious. Kingbel Du Lion Ricci’s decision to send Royale Pagaille to Venetia Williams proved to be a masterstroke, as the veteran gelding has won two Betfair Chases for connections. Kingbel Du Lion is at the other end of his career and he won a maiden hurdle in good style at Bangor in February. We won’t see the best of him until he goes over fences, however, and that appears to be the plan this season. Softer ground will be required before we see him but he could be one to watch in novice chases and he could even win a decent handicap or two. Williams is confident that he’s going to progress this season and the lightly-raced French import can rise to prominence. Lossiemouth Inarguably the best mare in training, Lossiemouth has proven herself to be exceptional over a variety of trips. She travelled like a dream through the race in the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and won by a very comfortable margin. It’s a shame there aren’t more top 2m4f hurdle races on offer throughout the year as it’s probably her ideal distance, but the Mares’ Hurdle gives her that option once again this year. Willie Mullins’ mare won well at Aintree as well and big things are expected. Mystical Power This horse is owned in partnership with JP McManus and John Magnier and was terrible in all three starts last season. Don’t be surprised if he bounces right back to his best this year, however, as it’s the sort of minor miracle that Willie Mullins excels at. This regally-bred gelding is out of Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power and was an exceptional novice hurdler, finishing second in the Supreme and winning at Aintree. Hopefully a line can be put through last season as he’s clearly capable of better. O’Moore Park O’Moore Park isn’t a world-beater by any stretch of the imagination but he produced some solid performances in handicap company last term. He finished third in the novices’ handicap chase at Cheltenham in March and was narrowly denied when second there a month later. It was a decent enough effort on seasonal debut at Galway last month and it would be no surprise if he ends up winning a decent handicap prize at some point this month. Sainte Lucie Sainte Lucie looked like a smart juvenile hurdler when winning a Punchestown maiden in very good style on stable debut, but the wheels fell off as the season went on. It’s quite possible that she just needs a bit of time and should be capable of getting back on track sooner or later. The extensive mares’ programme in Ireland is likely to provide plenty of opportunities for her this season and she may well thrive over longer trips in the future.
