Monkfish among the novice chase stars© Photo Healy Racing
Willie Mullins is set to unleash a formidable bunch of novice chasers over Christmas and his son and assistant Patrick feels it might be the strongest group the yard has ever had.
Speaking at the launch of the Leopardstown Christmas festival the champion amateur rider outlined plans for some of the stable stars over the festive period.
Monkfish, Blackbow, Energumene and Asterion Forlonge are among the novice chasers that are set to be in action.
“It's definitely the most depth I can remember us having in the novice chase division,”said Patrick Mullins.
“Blackbow and Energumene look like they are going to be far superior chasers than they were hurdlers.
“Asterion Forlonge is a Grade 1 winning novice hurdler who has now gone over fences.
“We were very disappointed with the Big Getaway (at Navan) but I wouldn't give up on him just next.
“Janidil is another one that I think will make a superior chaser than hurdler so we're very excited for the novice chasers."
The Racing Post Novice Chase is the highlight of the opening day's action at Leopardstown on St Stephen's Day and Mullins has nine in the two-mile-one contest.
Asterion Forlonge is among the big names among the entries but he could be aimed at the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase in Limerick on the same day:-
“He was very impressive in Punchestown. He jumps great, he came from Pat Doyle's and he does a fantastic job with them.”
A tendency to jump right didn't help his chances when he finished fourth in the Supreme Novices' last season and Mullins junior admitted:-
“When he's jumping down our strip he's slightly to his right but nothing terrible.
“He seemed to jump pretty straight all the way in Punchestown until the last two when he did go right when he was going a stride faster.
“That is going to be something in the back of our minds.
“He obviously did it quite severely in Cheltenham where you are continually turning down the back straight and nearly always going left. That probably exaggerates it.
“I'd imagine he'll probably go to Limerick which is right-handed. That's two-and-a-half miles which is probably more up his street. That would be the most obvious choice for him.”
“We've schooled Klassical Dream a few times at home and Paul is very happy with him.
“He seems to respect fences a bit more than he did hurdles. I'm not sure what got into him last year when he just started throwing himself at hurdles in Punchestown and Leopardstown.
“He'll probably go for a beginners chase in Leopardstown.
“Energumene was very eye-catching in Gowran. He's not a horse you would really thought was a two-mile chaser but, Paul said it from the first time he schooled him, that the way he jumps he probably can come back in trip and be effective.
“He's very clever over fences and even though he might not be as quick as some of the other horses the way he jumps he's very effective.
“Unexcepted was electric around Tipperary. It's a slight concern that his best run last year was his first run so hopefully this year he's a stronger horse and can continue his form.
“With Yukon Lil usually Willie likes to keep the mares to mares races so we might look elsewhere with her.
“Blackbow was a very good bumper horse, disappointed over hurdles but seems to be electric over his fences.
“He was an English point-to-pointer, which we've had good luck with.
“He likes to get on with it and jumps very fluently.
“I wouldn't be surprised if he or Unexcepted or Energumene ended up as Arkle horses but they are going to have to step up to Grade 1 form and prove that they are that level
“Elixir D'ainay had a small setback and Christmas is probably unlikely.
“He had schooled very well and we were very excited about running him but I don't think he'll be out at Christmas. We'll have to see how he goes.”
On the final day of the Leopardstown's meeting Albert Bartlett winner Monkfish is likely to line up in the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase after a impressive start at Fairyhouse last month.
“He put in a fabulous performance at Fairyhouse.
“The first day Paul schooled him we had to tell him to stop as he wanted to keep going down with him.
“He's a very tall horse and when he came to the yard he was very light so we didn't get him out until Punchestown in his bumper season. We just couldn't get him strong and get condition on him.
“We ran in a big field and every time there was a gap he backed out of it so we ended up a little bit far back and had to come around. We got beaten by a good horse in Longhouse Poet.
“Then he got beaten first time last season and we were scratching our heads a bit thinking he maybe wasn't the horse we thought he was but he just improved every run after that.
“He won his maiden, then won by 20 lengths down in Thurles and we were wondering did the race fall apart.
“In Cheltenham, what I loved about him, was that when it got tight at the last he put his head down and went into the gap.
“He's maturing and learning how to race.
“This year we're having no problem keeping condition on him. He looks great, good and strong.
“Three miles is obviously no bother to him. We'd be disappointed if he got beaten but we've been disappointed before!”
The pick of the novice hurdle action at Leopardstown is the Grade 1 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle.
Cheltenham bumper hero Ferny Hollow holds an entry as does the runner-up at Prestbury Park Appreciate It, although the later wouldn't be guaranteed to line up in the two-mile contest:-
“I love Appreciate It. He's a fine, big, 16-3, strong gelding by Jeremy and I think he's even got stronger since last year.
“He missed a year having been injured when he came to us. He's won at Leopardstown twice so handles the track.
“I would see his future being over further rather than two miles. While he's entered he might not turn up.
“I think Ferny Hollow is a bit quicker than Appreciate It. I did manage to get him beaten at Christmas last year!
“Appreciate It would strike me more as a Ballymore horse while Ferny Hollow would be for the shorter trips.
“We also have Blue Road in it who was quite impressive in Punchestown.
“He beat the horse, Julies Stowaway, that beat Ballyadam in Navan so that is strong form and I think there is a good bit of improvement in him.
“He's the one I'm excited about for this race.”
