'He will like the trip' - can Billericay Dickie provide Willie Mullins with some respite in Saturday showpiece?

It hasn't been the sort of week Willie Mullins is used to. Ballybrit has bitten him, chewed him up and spat him out on a few occasions over the last few days.

Authorized Art did best of his five runners in the Galway Plate, finishing 11th, while his eight runners in the Galway Hurdle finished fourth, seventh, tenth, 12th, 13th, 17th, 18th and 19th.

This valuable staying handicap hurdle has been the one race Mullins has relied on over the years, though. Welsh Grit gave him his first success in 1997 and he has now won it eight times, most recently with Jazzaway in 2021.

What is most interesting here is the fact that Mullins only runs Billericay Dickie. In the last four runnings prior to this he has had as many as 19 take their chance.

In the familiar silks of Marie Donnelly, Billericay Dickie is stepping up in trip and could make a mark of 128 look very lenient indeed if he recaptures the sort of form which saw him bolt up in a Punchestown maiden hurdle back in January. He probably needs some rain, but plenty is forecast.

Age has been a big barrier to success in recent runnings of this €110,000 prize. No horse older than seven has won it since the 12-year-old Prince Rudi in 2014. That is not good news for the hat-trick-seeking pair of Bardenstown Lad and Happy Jacky, who are aged nine and ten respectively.

Another who has won his last two is Zeeband, who pounced late under Jack Gilligan to score at Killarney but has an 8lb hike in the weights to contend with here.

Gavin Cromwell is triple-handed and by far the most fascinating of those three is Toto Too. He seemed to be travelling as well as anything when brought down two out at Ballinrobe, and this trip could bring out the best in him. Expect Keith Donoghue to show his hand late.

We must mention Teed Up. He was reported to have suffered a superficial wound to his near fore in Monday evening's big amateur handicap when only 12th of 20, but his form figures at the venue prior to that read 21121121. Ignore him at your peril.

Can O'Brien win yet another Ballybrit feature?

Joseph O'Brien has already won two of the feature events this week.

Mexicali Rose landed the Colm Quinn BMW Mile on Tuesday, while Nurburgring ran away with the Galway Hurdle on Thursday, and now the bang-in-form trainer looks to Comfort Zone to sugarcoat what has been a terrific week.

Comfort Zone has only gone beyond 2m1f once in his whole career so is completely unexposed over this longer trip and, if he were to return to the form of his juvenile hurdling days when he won a pair of Grade 2s, he would be very interesting indeed off a rating of 129, the lowest mark of his hurdles career.

O'Brien, who has put a pair of cheekpieces on for the first time, said of Comfort Zone: "He's in good form at home and I think he will enjoy this distance and the track. He wouldn't want much more rain, but on the pick of his form he would have to have an each-way chance."

Comfort Zone: bids to continue Joseph O'Brien's fine run of formCredit: John Grossick

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Beacon Edge and The Wallpark
Beacon Edge has top weight, but he has a touch of class in a race like this and he's after putting three really solid runs back to back. He should go close again, although he has to give weight to some less-exposed horses. The Wallpark did well to win at Kilbeggan as it wasn't looking too promising early on. He's worth a shot over this trip and seems in good form.

Mark Fahey, trainer of Happy Jacky
He's on a roll. He was second in the race a couple of years ago, but I just hope we don't get too much rain. He's a tough, hardy horse and we're hoping for another good run.

Jarlath Fahey, trainer of Whatcouldhavebeen
We're hoping the rain that's forecast arrives and plenty of it. On the best of her form she would have to have a chance, but it's going to be hard for her to reverse form with a few of them she was behind at Cork the last day.

Emmet Mullins, trainer of So Scottish and Teed Up
Teed Up has been a star around Galway and hopefully he can put his best foot forward again around here. So Scottish has been knocking on the door for a while now and hopefully the step up in trip can eke out that little bit more improvement he needs to get over the line in front.

Willie Mullins, trainer of Billericay Dickie
He's having his first run in a handicap. He was disappointing at Punchestown last time but his previous runs were good. He will like the trip and ground and if he handles the track he is definitely in with a chance.

Read more of Saturday's previews:

'The 33-1 on offer is a ridiculous price' - David Jennings answers the burning questions before Saturday's big races  

'If he gets some luck he should go close' - trainers on their runners in the Stewards' Cup, Saturday's big betting race  

Who will come out on top as Phantom Flight and Al Aasy renew their rivalry in ultra-tight Group 3?  

Could there be another Trawlerman or Sweet William lurking in this high-class handicap?  

'All the lights are green' - can Caius Chorister secure second Glorious Goodwood win in Lillie Langtry?  

Can Royal Ascot runner-up Lmay give the Gosdens another win in the Listed Chalice Stakes at Newmarket?  

Ryan Moore and William Buick clash at Saratoga as Ballydoyle and Godolphin targets Saturday night Grade 1  

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