Emmet Mullins hoping to bag Cesarewitch pot Emmet Mullins is hoping to emulate his uncle Willie by claiming the Paddy Power Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh on Sunday. Willie Mullins has captured three of the last five runnings of the prestigious staying handicap, with Digeanta in 2015, Law Spin the following year and Royal Illusion 12 months ago. Emmet Mullins is double-handed in the €75,000 contest with Cape Gentleman and top-weight Sneaky Getaway. Cape Gentleman, is a 10-1 chance with the sponsors having been as big as 33-1. The Champs Elysees gelding was second to Mt Leinster on his first outing for the yard at Listowel. Mullins said: “I was delighted with the race at Listowel. Obviously we bumped into a high-class horse of Willie’s who has graded form over hurdles, but it was a great starting point and hopefully this race is not too soon off the back of it. “Patrick [Mullins, rider of Mt Leinster] got the run of the race in Listowel as he was able to dictate in front. “Hopefully Cape Gentleman will improve from his first run of the season." The ground at The Curragh is currently soft on the round course and soft, soft to heavy in places on the straight course after 13mm of rain on Wednesday night with an unsettled forecast. But Mullins is unconcerned about the going or the step up to two miles. “He handled the ground well at Listowel where it was soft, gluey. I’d say The Curragh ground should be perfect and I don’t see any issues at the moment anyway. “I don’t see the step up in trip as a problem - hopefully he’ll have a nice hurdling campaign after this, all being well. “We’re hopeful — look it’s a great race with a big pot, but the horse deserves to take his chance and we’re hopeful of a nice run.” Mullins is quietly confident that 33-1 chance Sneaky Getaway will be on the premises as well. He added: “He’s at the top of the weights and has been very consistent for us. I tried him in top company last year in the Doncaster Cup behind Stradivarius. Then he was behind Stratum in the English Cesarewitch off a mark of 101 and I wasn’t disappointed. “He’s probably still got plenty of weight and we'll claim off him, but he could be a nice each-way chance to back in the race.” Mullins has around 20 horses at his Bagenalstown base, including Zero Ten who scooped the Grade 3 Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase at Thurles in March on his last start and he could be in line for a mouth-watering match-up against Samcro soon. He said: “He’s back okay, he’s working and might possibly go to Down Royal for their big meeting in three weeks’ time. It’s a second season chase and I think Samcro might be going for it. “We’ll find out where we lie over fences and he’s an exciting horse with plenty of big days in him yet.”
