Don Poli winning at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting© Photo Healy Racing
Willie Mullins believes Don Poli s laid-back temperament is perfect for the RSA Chase at Cheltenham today.
Winner of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at last year's Festival, Don Poli has made the transition to chasing in some style.
After beating Wounded Warrior on his fencing bow at Gowran in November, he defeated Apache Stronghold by three lengths in the Grade One Topaz Novice Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas on his only subsequent start.
"Don Poli can go out in trip no trouble - he just runs and runs. He stays, runs and jumps," said Mullins.
"I think he was nicely handicapped last year and got a great ride from Mikey Fogarty. Because he's so lazy, he didn't show off his ability to the handicapper, but every grade he steps up, he's able to step up.
"He's hugely lazy and that's his forte. He only gets going in the latter stages of those long races."
Jockey Bryan Cooper also feels his mount has the right credentials.
"He's not slow. He's just very lazy and laid-back," said the retained rider for owners Gigginstown House Stud.
"When you ride him and give him a squeeze he comes alive and then when he gets to the front, he doesn't do a whole lot.
"I think he ticks a lot of the right boxes. If they go a strong gallop it will suit. I think it's the right race for him."
Mullins also saddles Adriana Des Mottes while Kings Palace is the main hope of the home contingent and has the advantage of his first two victories over fences coming on this course.
The David Pipe-trained seven-year-old stretched his 100% record over the bigger obstacles to three when just beating solitary rival Vivaldi Collonges by a length at Newbury after giving his supporters a scare with a blunder at the third-last.
"Don Poli looks the main threat, but we'll give it our best shot," said Harry Drew, son of part-owner Bryan Drew.
"There are a lot of good horses like The Young Master as well, but hopefully we can do them.
"You have to put that run at Newbury to one side and look at his form at Cheltenham. It has been flawless. He's won there a couple of times which is good form.
"There's only nine runners and I think that helps a lot. We've run in small fields so that's fine. We need to do a lot to beat Don Poli, but we'll try our best."
Paul Nicholls is expecting a bold show from Southfield Theatre
"It was a really good win at Exeter the other day and he was just idling in front but he quickened up from the back of the field," said the Ditcheat handler.
"The rough and tumble of the RSA will suit him well and we have always thought a lot of this horse."
The Young Master has made giant strides this term, coming though the handicap ranks with aplomb. Trainer Neil Mulholland believes he deserves his chance at Grade One novice level.
"He obviously improved a lot with a summer's break," Mulholland told At The Races.
"He did it nicely at Worcester and we thought we were well handicapped before we went to Cheltenham and thankfully he won.
"We were right that he was well handicapped, but we didn't think he was that well handicapped. He came up the hill that day and he jumped pretty well. We didn't know how good he was and we probably still don't know how good he is - that is really the bottom line.
"People will say he's been running in handicaps, but he's been running in top-grade handicaps and he has experience going back against novices."
