Classy Cilaos Emery bids to give Willie Mullins 11th Hilly Way victory

2.35 Cork
Kerry Group Hilly Way Chase (Grade 2 ) | 2m½f | RTV

Since he landed his first Hilly Way Chase in 2007 with Our Ben, Willie Mullins has dominated this Grade 2.

With two of the four runners from Closutton, Mullins, who has won the Hilly Way with Douvan and Un De Sceaux in recent seasons, is on the verge of an unprecedented 11th victory in the prestigious two-mile chase.

Cilaos Emery would appear the number one arrow for Mullins' deadly bow. A Grade 1-winning novice hurdler, Cilaos Emery has been an impressive winner of his two starts over fences, most recently in the Grade 3 Poplar Square Chase at Naas.

Those closest to the inexperienced chaser harbour big hopes for him this season and his rider Danny Mullins believes Sunday’s test will reveal whether Cilaos Emery can make an impact at the highest level.

Mullins said: “It'll be run like a proper two-mile chase. Ballyoisin definitely sets a good standard. Cilaos Emery was very good at Naas in the Poplar and, while he's the one with the least experience, hopefully he'll acquit himself well.”

Ballyoisin: 'The better the ground the better his chance”Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The rider added: “It's a bit of a fact-finding mission for him but we're definitely not out of it. You'd have to be hoping he'd develop into a Champion Chase prospect. He has the potential and this will tell us a lot more as he's up against some stiff opposition.”

Willie Mullins is also represented by the JP McManus-owned Great Field, an early casualty in the race a year ago when the 4-7 favourite.

Great Field loves nothing more than to get on with his job, as does the fellow McManus-owned Ballyoisin, whose trainer Enda Bolger hopes the ground doesn't turn too testing for his ten-time winner.

Bolger said: "It's a tidy little race. We were delighted with him in the Fortria and he's come out of that race in good form. My only worry is the ground. There's plenty of rain forecast and I'd hate for it to come up heavy. It's all systems go and he'll run regardless but, as I say, the better the ground the better his chance.”

The four-runner contest is completed by the Joseph O’Brien-trained Us And Them, who was well beaten at Navan on Saturday.

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