Mullins ready for another full house in Gowran Gowran Park was full to capacity for The Thyestes Chase last month and the racecourse is looking forward to welcoming another bumper attendance on Saturday when the gate will be sponsored by Connolly’s RED MILLS. Jockey Danny Mullins grew up beside the racecourse and the 27-year-old spoke to Dave Keena about his big race wins over the last year and about the big trials day for Cheltenham at Gowran Park this weekend. Mullins said: "It has been a great run (five Grade Ones over the last 13 months) and lucky enough I am riding for a lot of good people on good horses and thankfully it is coming together on these big days." On Flooring Porter's victory in the Stayers' Hurdle at last year's Cheltenham Festival, he said: "Cheltenham was fantastic, to win one of the Grade Ones over there is a great feeling. "Gavin (Cromwell) seems to be happy with him - his Leopardstown performance was decent (when runner-up in the Grade One Christmas Hurdle). He is a young horse who hopefully still could be on the up. "In what looks an open but very competitive Stayers' Hurdle. I think he will have a big chance again. "Course form is very important. Horses that come up the hill well there tend to come back time and time again. I suppose you see that at a lot of tracks around the country day in and day out with horses that seem to handle a certain place. Cheltenham is unique as we all know and one that handles it I'd like to be getting my leg across again." On King George winner Tornado Flyer, he said: "Tactically, looking at the race before, I was always confident they would go a good gallop. With the rain that they had on Christmas Day, it made things a little bit tougher out there. "The way my lad hit the line gives great encouragement going forward and, if possibly going for a tilt at the Gold Cup in Cheltenham, that he will see out that extra two furlongs. You are going into unknown territory there. You'd be hopeful going forward that he will see it out. "I wouldn't say he is going to be going there with a favourite's chance but I think he has got a solid, each-way chance. "The form of the King George is solid and the fact that it was run on probably softer ground than normal would suggest he has a good chance of staying. "It is a Gold Cup - it is as competitive a staying chase as you get in the year." In relation to Thyestes Day at Gowran Park last month, he added: "The Thyestes was fantastic. It brought back a real feeling of sport and entertainment with the crowd able to be there." Registration is required at www.gowranpark.ie for free tickets for RED MILLS raceday on Saturday.
