Mullins busy at Navan and Leopardstown this weekend
El Fabiolo will be looking to show some of his old class at Navan on Saturday Photo: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
The Cheltenham Festival may be just around the corner, but Willie Mullins still has the ammo to send out a strong team for this weekend’s Irish racing.
Navan’s Grade 2 card on Saturday and Leopardstown Dublin National fixture on Sunday headline this week’s action in Ireland, and some former Grade 1 winners are set to represent the boss of Closutton.
Furthermore, Mullins is set to send one over to Kelso on Saturday for the Grade 2 Premier Novices’ Hurdle.
Read below for a preview of Willie Mullins’s runners this weekend courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the latest Cheltenham betting.
2.10 - Johnny Blue
3.20 - Champ Kiely
3.50 - El Fabiolo, Gentleman De Mee, Grangeclare West Kelso
2.55 - Chart Topper
Mullins fields three of the five declarations for the Grade 2 Webster Cup (3.50) on Saturday with Fil Dor and Senecia completing the field. On old form, El Fabiolo is the best horse in the field, but an early-season setback and a fall earlier this month in the Dublin Chase has placed doubts over his current ability. Grangeclere West has some nice form with Galopin Des Champs this season and he beat the smart Heart Wood over this distance at Naas in November 2023. Chart Topper is the horse getting on the boat to Kelso after his two successes over hurdles so far this season. He kicked the useful Peso out of the way at Wetherby last month and he’ll be looking to upset the British again this weekend.
2.25 - Jalila Moriviere, Spread Boss Ted, Sir Gerhard, Kilcruit
3.30 - James Du Berlais, Meetingofthewaters, Adamantly Chosen, Ha d’Or
4.02 - Iris Emery
Mullins has a fair few entries for the two-mile two-and-a-half-furlong hurdle at 2.25, and plenty of the names are instantly recognisable. Sir Gerhard and Kilcruit are Grade 1 winners, while Spread Boss Ted was fourth in Marine Nationale’s Punchestown bumper success in May 2022. The latter would be making his first start since his fourth-placed effort in the 2024 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, while the other two could do with a confidence booster in this race. The two-mile five-and-a-half-furlong handicap chase at 3.30 is worth €45,000 and has attracted a few entries from Closutton. Adamantly Chosen has dropped through the handicap to a competitive handicap mark and the drier the weather, the better his chance gets.
