Loveable Asterion Forlonge out to give Willie Mullins Boyne Hurdle success

Seven days on from a very successful Dublin Racing Festival, Willie Mullins has an army of horses to run this weekend across Naas, Navan, Exeter, and Warwick.

There’s Graded and Listed action on both sides of the Irish Sea, and the boss of Closutton is hoping to get his hands on a few extra pieces of silverware.

Read below for a rundown of Mullins’ entries and possible runners across the weekend courtesy of BoyleSports, who will be offering the best Cheltenham odds throughout the four days.

Saturday 

Naas 

1.20 - Murcia 

2.30 - Jump Allen, Road To Home 

4.15 - Allegorie De Vassy, Dinoblue 

Warwick 

2.40 - Gala Marceau 

The big news surrounding Mullins on Saturday is his runner at Warwick, Gala Marceau, who will participate in the Listed Mares’ Hurdle. Her obvious form to look at is with Lossiemouth having finished second to her in the Grade 1 Mares Champion Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival in May. It’s her first run of the season, which is a small worry, but she has obvious claims. Allegorie De Vassy and Dinoblue make up for two of the three declarations in the Listed Opera Hat Mares Chase at Naas, and a clash between the two is very intriguing. Allegorie De Vassy gets six pounds from Dinoblue, but the latter has strong form with El Fabiolo, Limerick Lace, and Banbridge.

Sunday 

Navan 

1.40 - Road To Home 

2.10 - Just For Love, Magic McColgan 

2.40 - Asterion Forlonge 

3.45 - Chosen Witness, High Class Hero 

4.55 - Ksar Fatal, Sunset Boulevard, Copacabana 

Exeter 

2.00 - Fun Fun Fun 

Asterion Forlonge is a horse who many people know, partly due to his ability and partly due to his sometimes erratic jumping. His last hurdles win came in April 2023 when beating stablemate Monkfish and his runs so far this season haven’t prompted too much encouragement. The left-handed nature of the track may just play against again. With one Listed Mares’ Chase taken care of on Saturday, Fun Fun Fun is the potential Closutton representative in the Listed Agatha Christie Mares’ Novices’ Chase at Exeter on Sunday. With Only By Night, You Wear It Well, and Cherie D’Am entered, this could be quite a hot race, but she showed plenty of ability during her chase debut success at Naas last month. High Class Hero and Chosen Witness take each other on in a Grade 2 novice chase at Navan, and it’ll be interesting to see how the former gets on. He finished second to Dancing City in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at the Punchestown Festival in May, so a nice run here will further boost the claims of the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase second-favourite.