'She will take all the beating' - can Zenta follow in Apple's Jade's footsteps in the Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle?

Willie Mullins’ supremacy of the juvenile hurdle division is generally exhibited at Cheltenham, Fairyhouse and Punchestown rather than Liverpool, but a seven-year hiatus for the trainer in Aintree’s four-year-old feature comes to an end with Zenta – and her participation looks ominous for the chasing pack if she bears any resemblance to Mullins’ previous runner in this race.

Apple’s Jade’s 2016 awayday resulted in a 41-length tour de force that would have raised eyebrows in a maiden hurdle, let alone a Grade 1. And just as Zenta did, Apple’s Jade warmed up for Aintree by being placed in the Triumph Hurdle on her second start for the Mullins stable. 

It is obviously a stretch to draw comparisons between Zenta and an 11-time Grade 1 winner, and those considering taking a short price about the favourite must be conscious of what happened in the juvenile Grade 2 at Fairyhouse on Monday. 

The well-fancied Willie Mullins-trained pair, Blood Destiny and Gust Of Wind, who were ninth and fourth in the Triumph, evidently felt the effects of Cheltenham by succumbing to 33-1 maiden Enjoy The Dream.

Taking an outside-the-box view is the best long-term approach in racing and the speculative punting that rewarded Enjoy The Dream’s backers might again yield handsome dividends. Nusret, Perseus Way and Scriptwriter have been beating each other this season and perhaps fall a rung below this level, while interest in Bo Zenith peters out at the early prices.

Chaos Control and Rightsotom are nominated as big-priced dark horses who are on the same level as that group on Racing Post Ratings. 

Stuart Edmunds has punched above his weight at this meeting in recent seasons, backing up a Grade 3 handicap strike in 2021 with Gentleman At Arms’s 28-1 runner-up finish in the Sefton last season, and his Chaos Control looked ready for a sharp rise in class when sauntering home by 22 lengths at Market Rasen in February.

It is interesting that Danny Mullins heads to Aintree for just the one ride on Triumph sixth Rightsotom, who caught the eye when a running-on second to the highly regarded Zarak The Brave on his hurdling debut in November. 

Rightsotom has 17 lengths to find with Zenta on Cheltenham form, but can be expected to progress for his first start in 129 days and arrives at Aintree fresher than most.
Analysis by Robbie Wilders

What they say

Willie Mullins, trainer of Zenta
When fillies start improving at this stage of the season it's always a good sign and she would look to have every chance. She's come out of Cheltenham very well and you'd like to think if she just repeats her Cheltenham effort she will take all the beating.

Gary Moore, trainer of Bo Zenith and Perseus Way
I was devastated when Bo Zenith got beat at Sandown the first time. I couldn’t believe it. Thank God he’s put that behind him on his last two runs, and in a better class race too. I just hope he carries on improving – he’ll need to as it's a tough race. Perseus Way didn’t do anything wrong at Cheltenham, the race just fell apart. I can hopefully put a line through that, but he's had a lot of racing, that would be my only negative. He seems fine and is his usual self at home, so that’s why he runs.

Joseph O’Brien, trainer of Nusret
Simon [Munir], Isaac [Souede] and Anthony [Bromley, racing manager to the owners] pinpointed this as a nice target for him after he won at Kempton. He's prepared well for the race and it's a case of the drier the ground the better for him. We're hoping he can run a career-best and that is what it will take for him to win.

Ben Brookhouse, trainer of Sarsons Risk
He's going there in the form of his life. We ran him on the Flat to give him a blow-out for Aintree and, although his finishing position was slightly disappointing, his actual effort was very pleasing. His schooling since his fall has been nothing short of fantastic and he's learnt to give his hurdles a lot more respect. I think he'll run a massive race. He'll give his running either way but if he stays on all fours, I'd like to see him in the first four for sure.

Milton Harris, trainer of Scriptwriter
We were pleased to be able to find an explanation for Kempton, he scoped badly for a number of weeks afterwards. He scoped really clean a few days ago and we're looking forward to getting him back on track. I'm not convinced this race is stronger than last year and, with the greatest respect to Knight Salute [last year's winner for Harris], Scriptwriter is a better horse. Eight weeks ago he won a Flat race off 102, I suspect most of these horses couldn't do the same. He has a bit of speed and he stays. I respect our opposition, but he'll be very competitive.

Fergal O’Brien, trainer of Greyval
Greyval has done nothing wrong. The one she beat at Huntingdon the last day has come out and won since. We had the option of going to Cheltenham next week for a juvenile fillies’ race, but we thought it was worth giving her a go in a Grade 1, so we’ll give it a bash. The 7lb allowance is a huge pull with most of the field and we’re hopeful she’ll run well.

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Pawapuri
She's a maiden. She ran very well in the Adonis and she might get a place, but she's still green and hasn't got the experience of the others.

Reporting by Harry Wilson

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