Saint Sam fancied to run them ragged from the front in first Grade 2 of the new jumps season in Ireland

The first Grade 2 of the season, which used to be farmed by Sizing Europe once upon a time, has been dominated by Willie Mullins in recent years with the champion trainer winning the last four runnings and five since 2016.

Easy Game has played the biggest part in that sequence, winning the race in 2020, 2022 and last year, but he is not in the field this time as Mullins is represented by Saint Sam and Saint Roi.

The presence of Saint Sam in any race means we know it is going to be strongly run. Seven of his eight wins for Mullins have been from the front and the older he is getting the more intense his early gallop is becoming. He made every single yard in the Red Mills Chase over this course and distance in February on heavy ground and, if the forecast rain arrives, he could be very hard to peg back given he has race-fitness on his side.

The figures suggest he has a bit to find though. His official mark of 157 is 8lb shy of Conflated and he has to give 5lb to the Gordon Elliott-trained ten-year-old.

The problem for Conflated fans is that he was last of five and beaten almost 20 lengths on his return last season in a Grade 3 at Punchestown and he has never won first time out in his seven seasons. He tends to improve leaps and bounds for his comeback run.

Ash Tree Meadow: the 2023 Galway Plate winner could be in the mixCredit: Patrick McCann

Stablemate Ash Tree Meadow might be more of a threat to the Closutton challenge. The 2023 Galway Plate winner was only mid-division in the same race this year, but he won a Grade 2 at Navan in March and a Grade 3 at Killarney in May so he has been holding his form pretty well. Like Saint Sam, he has to give weight away.

Saint Roi, the second Mullins runner, ended a drought that was getting close to two years when scoring on the final day of the Galway festival and he is unexposed over 2m4f. Conditions are fine and his rating of 162 puts him right in the mix. Can you trust him though?

Recent Listowel winner Solness will be fine over this longer trip, but has a bit to find on ratings, as do Espanito Bello, French Dynamite and Visionarian.

Could this be another showboating session by Saint Sam? If he gallops into a clear lead early, he might not come back.

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Ash Tree Meadow and Conflated
Conflated is very talented on his day. He usually tends to come on for his reappearance so I'd imagine there is improvement to come from him, even though he seems in good form at home. Ash Tree Meadow does well in these types of races. It didn't happen for him in the Galway Plate – he didn't jump as well as he can.

Mouse Morris, trainer of French Dynamite
I'm expecting a better run than what he showed in the Galway Plate. My horses are running a bit better now and he should do so too. He will appreciate the good ground and smaller field.

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Solness
He's trained well since his win at Listowel. He wouldn't want too much rain, but he has a chance of picking up some nice prize-money in a competitive race.

Gavin Cromwell, trainer of Visionarian
We haven't seen the best of him for a while, but he seems to be coming back to himself at home so we're hopeful of a better run.

Read more Saturday previews:

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Can the mighty Kyprios complete another perfect season with a second Cadran demolition job? 

Henry de Bromhead bids for first Group 1 with 'improving' Term Of Endearment in Prix de Royallieu 

'The race could set up well for him' - trainers on their runners in the big handicap at Ascot 

'We've been waiting ages for soft ground' - can one of the sprint wildcards land Group 3 Bengough Stakes? 

'He goes there with a big shout' - who fancies their chances as talented juveniles clash in the Two Year Old Trophy? 

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