Five to look out for from the Closutton battalion MIGHTY PARK The Willie Mullins team are really looking forward to this Walk In The Park gelding going over fences this season. He’s among the entries this weekend at Navan (3.18 Saturday & 2.25 Sunday) with suitable ground the determining factor whether he travels or not according to his trainer. He disappointed in the Supreme Novices’ last March on his second start since joining Mullins. His first outing last January though saw him record a bloodless 38-length maiden hurdle victory at Fairyhouse defeating his stable companion Roc Dino who has won twice over hurdles since. He has all the attributes to make an impact in the novice chasing division and this weekend could tell us more. “He looks great and I want to get him out in a novice chase as soon as I can,” said Mullins. “Last year he missed his first run at Christmas (NR Leopardstown Dec 28) and I think it impacted on his season because he just hadn’t the experience when he went to Cheltenham and I’d have loved to have had another run into him before that. “So I want to get him out fairly soon. He’s a big unit, as you saw this morning. He’s quite big but he’s a very good moving horse as well so I don’t think the ground will be an issue. I want good, safe ground, but I think with the way he moves and the way he glides across the ground he won’t have to have it very soft.” PROACTIF Started favourite for the Triumph last March when he could only manage a midfield finish but his wins either side of that Cheltenham disappointment were victorious at the expense of his stable companion Macho Man who is also destined to go over fences this season. ‘Doing things nicely’ according to his trainer, he looks one who could fly the flag at the highest level over fences this season. DELAMOTTE Costing €85,000 at the 2023 Arqana yearling sale, patience paid off when he scored on his sole bumper start after taking a wide berth under Patrick Mullins at the Punchestown festival last April. The form of that race has worked out well with the second Teofil (Jim Bolger) winning two bumpers and a Navan 1m6f maiden since and the third Bunker Buster (Charles Byrnes) won his maiden hurdle at Limerick but disappointed somewhat when fourth of four in a winners’ event at Naas last weekend. Delamotte will go over hurdles this season. “He won very nicely in Punchestown and Patrick went two furlongs further that day he went so wide. To do what he did that day, I thought was exceptional. I think he’s a very good horse and I’m looking forward to him. He could be an exciting novice hurdler.” APOLON DE CHARNIE French import sprang a 50/1 shock when winning the Triumph Hurdle before disappointing afterwards at Punchestown in a Grade 1 won by Saratoga, his rider Paul Townend saying he was never happy with his mount in running. He is another on the Mullins novice chasing roster this season. EVEN THO A faller when holding the advantage travelling like the winner in a Dromahane point before joining the champion trainer on the back of a recommendation by the now retired Rachel Blackmore, she looks destined for much bigger things over hurdles. Her two bumper wins had quality written all over them and the manner of her runaway success at the Punchestown festival last season had her trainer claiming it was an ‘extraordinary performance.’ Her stable companion Al Arrivee, who was over 19 lengths adrift in fourth that day, came out and won her maiden hurdle at Listowel last month by nine lengths so the future looks bright and her trainer is bullish. “She has the potential to be a Grade 1 mare. Hopefully we’ll see her on the track at some point in November.”
