Willie Mullins saddles more than half of the Triumph Hurdle field but which is the stable first string?

Willie Mullins has had another week of all weeks and comes here searching for a fourth win in this race in the last five years. It’s a race that had escaped the Mullins domination up to that point, but now another victory for the Closutton team looks likely given his strength in depth in the market.

He saddles seven of the 13-runner field and that includes four of the top five in the overnight market, but it’s difficult to know which of them might be considered the stable’s first string.

Mark Walsh gets the ride on Majborough courtesy of his retainer with JP McManus, but Paul Townend sticks with Storm Heart, who he rode at Leopardstown last time. However, the pair were beaten by Kargese and Danny Mullins, who retains the partnership with the classy filly.

Majborough was third behind Kargese and Storm Heart, so it’s confusing as to why Majborough is the shorter price of the three, but the market doesn’t often get it wrong.

Mullins’ last two winners went off 6-4 and 11-8 favourite and, although Burning Victory was 12-1 when she won in 2020, she wouldn’t have been a winner had Goshen not fallen at the last.

Gary Moore missed out on his big day in the sun that day, but maybe this will be his year because he saddles two runners. Salver is unbeaten in four starts over hurdles and Peking Opera is the other. He was a classy Flat performer, but was beaten when falling last time.

Gavin Sheehan is a rare booking for the Gary Moore stable on Salver. Sheehan has been the rider of the season so far and has one second from only two rides for Moore’s yard.

Joseph O’Brien has a good recent record in this race and proved his prowess with juvenile hurdlers when landing the Fred Winter at the track on Tuesday with Lark In The Mornin.

O’Brien was largely responsible for preparing Ivanovich Gorbatov to win this race in 2016 when the horse ran under his father’s name and has since had Gardens Of Babylon finish third behind Pentland Hills in 2019. That is his only place from five runners in his own name.

Nurburgring represents the stable here and he was last seen finishing third at Leopardstown over Christmas. An 80-day break should have put him spot on for this Triumph bid.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

RP Recommends: how to bet on the Triumph Hurdle

By Tom Park, audience editor

Sir Gino's absence has blown this race wide open so having place terms on your side is a big bonus. Coral and Ladbrokes are going four places and will offer Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG), which makes them the firms to bet with here. I'm not sure Kargese is getting the credit she deserves for her win at Leopardstown and she is the one I will side with.

A reminder that William Hill have been offering customers a free £5 bet each day of Cheltenham, while Paddy Power have also been offering customers a free bet each day.

• RP Recommends: Coral

• RP Recommends: Ladbrokes

More Mullins magic?

Even with Sir Gino, it would have been unwise not to consider Willie Mullins' runners in this and his seven – yes, you read that right – possess plenty of potential.

Kargese: last-time-out Leopardstown winner is respectedCredit: Patrick McCann

Majborough now heads the betting and Mark Walsh's relationship with owner JP McManus means he is aboard, while Mullins' stable jockey Paul Townend partners Storm Heart, one place in front of his stablemate in the Grade 1 juvenile hurdle at Leopardstown's Dublin Racing Festival.

That race was won by Kargese, who also represents the yard alongside Bunting, Ethical Diamond, High Wind and the intriguing Salvator Mundi, unraced for Mullins and second to Sir Gino on his only start in France 11 months ago.

Townend admitted it was a tricky decision over which juvenile to ride, and said: "With Sir Gino coming out of this race, it has opened right up. Willie has a strong hand here and it was a huge headache for me. 

"I have gone with Storm Heart who was runner-up to Kargese at the Dublin Racing Festival. I thought he ran a little bit green that day and I think he can improve for it. His jumping has been a lot slicker at home and I just think he has the right temperament for the race and he seems to stay well. I hope I can improve past Danny on Kargese and I think I can. 

"Bunting comes into the reckoning as well; he ran a cracker behind Kargese in Dublin as well and stayed very well to win at Limerick at Christmas. Salvator Mundi is the talking horse but I thought it would be very hard for him to come here and win first time, but his form does tie in with Sir Gino in France and he goes nicely at home. 

"I hope I am on the right one but there is not a lot between some of these."

Lambourn hopes

No Nicky Henderson in a race he has won a record seven times, but his Lambourn counterparts Warren Greatrex and Dominic Ffrench Davis are set to take part.

Greatrex, a dual festival winner, runs Mighty Bandit, a €420,000 purchase for his landlords, Jim and Claire Bryce, out of Gordon Elliott's stable recently.

He won on his hurdling debut in November, but has been absent since a Christmas outing at Leopardstown, where he suffered a nasal discharge.

Warren Greatrex: trainer has struck at the festival twiceCredit: Edward Whitaker

"It took him a few days to settle in, but the longer he's been here, the happier I've been with him," the trainer said. "From where he's come from, you're not necessarily going to improve him, but it's about having him in a good place, and he's ready to go.

"He wouldn't be a brilliant work horse, but that's fine and you can tell he's a nice horse when he schools. He's got a bit about him and the good ones tend to know they're good.

"There is a question mark if he's been over here long enough to acclimatise, but we won't know that until he runs.

"Jim and Claire are under no illusions. They've never had a runner at the festival and it's a big thing for them but, whatever happens, he's a smart horse moving forward."

Newbury winner Ithaca's Arrow is a much bigger price than Mighty Bandit, but Ffrench Davis, whose son Ben will be aboard, said: "I wanted to run him in the Boodles because I think he's well handicapped, but he didn't get in. He's in great order and definitely won't be disgraced in this. His last bit of work on Saturday was the best he's ever done."

What they say

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Nurburgring
He's in good form and he's got an each-way chance. He's trained well since Christmas and a step up on that run will see him right in the mix.

Gary Moore, trainer of Salver
They’re both nice horses but want different ground. If it rains, then that really helps the chances of Salver as he likes it proper soft. If it’s like that, then that’d give him a good chance.
Reporting by James Burn

Read more of Friday's previews: 

Can Dan Skelton land another County Hurdle? Key quotes for the big final day handicap 

Can Captain Teague step up in trip and repel powerful Willie Mullins contingent in Grade 1 Albert Bartlett? 

Galopin Des Champs goes for a famous Gold Cup double - but what does Willie Mullins make of his chances? 

'He's better and stronger now' - last year's runner-up Its On The Line bids to go one better in Hunter Chase 

Dinoblue has the stamp of a champion and sets a high bar in much-maligned Mares' Chase 

'We have a nice team for this' - Better Days Ahead leads Gordon Elliott's seven-strong squad in Martin Pipe  

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