Another Gentleman De Mee? Willie Mullins aims classy pair at Flyingbolt

Gentleman De Mee won this race for Willie Mullins last season before going on to win a Grade 1 at Aintree and he saddles two strong contenders this time in the form of Flame Bearer and Ha D'Or.

Flame Bearer picked up a pair of Grade 2s for Pat Doyle last season, with Ha D'Or in behind on both occasions. He was then second to State Man at Punchestown before transferring to Mullins, for whom he was impressive when coasting home by 38 lengths in a beginners' chase at Fairyhouse over 2m1f, despite making a significant error at the last.

The eight-year-old's jumping was under pressure from the outset in the Irish Arkle last time, but they went a ferocious pace up front and it was as good a novice chase as you will likely see this season on either side of the Irish Sea.

He is not short of speed and is back to the bare 2m here, which should play to his strengths, and the likely decent ground will suit him. Paul Townend will probably make plenty of use of him at this shorter trip and he typically goes with enthusiasm, so he could be hard to peg back if he can get into a nice jumping rhythm.

Danny Mullins is on Ha D'Or, who put in a rare below-par performance at Punchestown last time. He seemed to dislike the testing conditions over 2m3½f, so these conditions should suit him better.

He put in a fine jumping performance when winning a novice chase at Fairyhouse in December, the form of which has been boosted by The Goffer since. Still only a six-year-old, he has some smart novice hurdle form behind the likes of the aforementioned Flame Bearer and leading Arkle hope El Fabiolo.

Gordon Elliott, who won this contest back in 2017, sends out Hollow Games, who has surprised some judges with the speed he has shown over fences given he looked a stayer in his novice hurdle season. He won a beginners' chase here in November in impressive fashion before finishing fourth in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown over Christmas.

The Mouse Morris-trained Indiana Jones comes into the contest on the back of a dominant display at Punchestown last month over this trip. Barnacullia drops back in trip after finishing fourth at Naas over 2m4f. The six-year-old had previously chased home Final Orders in a competitive handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Ha D'Or will 'definitely enjoy the better ground'

Stablemates Ha D'Or and Flame Bearer will lock horns over fences after only a neck separated them as novice hurdlers at Fairyhouse last April.

Ha D'Or was disappointing last time in a Grade 3 at Punchestown won by Impervious, but the heavy ground looked a big contributing factor to that lacklustre effort.

Danny Mullins' mount moves back to 2m for the first time over fences and assistant trainer Patrick Mullins believes the surface will be much more to his liking.

"Ha D'Or will definitely enjoy the better ground and he has form last year that is closely matched with Flame Bearer, so there doesn't look to be much between them," he said.

"Flame Bearer was a bit disappointing in the Irish Arkle but it was a very strongly run race and he made a bad mistake halfway down the back and seemed to lose his confidence. We're hoping this looks a nice opportunity for him and the ground should be no problem.

"It's a competitive race and it looks like both of ours will enjoy the conditions."

What they say

Michael Mulvany, trainer of Barnacullia
He's in good form and it's a small field, so hopefully he could run into a place. We're trying him over two miles as we have a doubt about him staying further all that well. He stayed on well over 2m1f at Leopardstown, but I didn't think he stayed the two and a half at Naas as strongly.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Hollow Games
He has more pace than people think. He's had his wind tidied up since we saw him at Christmas and he's working well. We had him in the Arkle but we've decided to come here instead and we know he likes the track as he won his beginners' chase here.

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