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Jumps season preview: Willie Mullins dark horses and new recruits to follow
Mark Howard's jumps season series continues with a look at some of the new recruits to Ireland's all-conquering champion jumps yard.
'The Dawn Run looks her ultimate goal'
Ireland’s champion trainer has won three of the last four renewals of the Triumph Hurdle and, given his recruitment from France since the spring, there is every reason to believe that trend will continue in March. BUNTING is prominent in the ante-post lists and, while the son of Bathyrhon lacks experience, it is not difficult to see why.
An impressive winner of his only start on the Flat in March, he trounced eleven opponents by upwards of seven lengths in an eleven furlong maiden at Fontainebleau (Very Soft). Pulling clear inside the final furlong and a half, the form has been well advertised with the runner-up (twice), third (plus second in a Group 3) and sixth scoring since.
Trained across the English Channel by Pia and Joakim Brandt, he was purchased privately the following month on behalf of Tony Bloom and has reportedly pleased in his schooling since arriving at Closutton. Expect him to make his jumping bow around Christmas.
ENOLA is a chestnut filly with a white blaze down her face and a daughter of Recorder who raced eight times on the Flat for Group 1 winning handler Patrice Cottier in France. She won on three occasions, including a Listed success over ten furlongs at Marseille in September last year.
Purchased for €200,000 by Willie Mullins at the Arqana Arc Sale the following month, the four year old looks a smart prospect for mares’ novice hurdles with the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares’ Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham in March her ultimate goal.
Unraced at two, she got off the mark at the second attempt when winning an all-weather maiden at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in February by a length and three quarters. Fitted with a hood, she came with a sustained run on the outside and won going away. Successful at Marseille in late April, she was then beaten a length and a quarter by subsequent hurdles winner Balanovka at Toulouse, keeping on in the closing stages.
The headgear was discarded on Enola’s next three starts, including when staying on strongly to win the Listed La Coupe de Marseille by two and a half lengths from the 98 rated Pennine Hills (sold for 375,000gns) in September. The runner-up finished half a length third behind subsequent Group 1 winner Via Sistina on her next outing in a Group 3 at Toulouse.
Coming from last to first, Marvin Grandin’s mount hit the front inside the final quarter of a mile before pulling clear. Effective on slow ground and a filly with a turn of foot, Enola has the credentials to develop into a high-class hurdler for Joe and Marie Donnelly.
'He remains a novice over hurdles'
GOLD DANCER, a half-brother to Betfair Hurdle and Grand Sefton Chase winner Al Dancer, is a four year old who raced a couple of times over hurdles for Arnaud Chaille-Chaille before being bought for €250,000 at the Arqana Online Sale in mid May by Gigginstown House Stud.
The Doctor Dino gelding never threatened runaway winner Joker D’Airy on his debut at Compiegne (2m 1f : Very Soft) in October last year but finished an eye catching third under tender handling staying on well after the last.
He wasn’t seen again until May (off 193 days) returning to the same track and appreciating the step up in distance (2m 2f : Heavy). On this occasion, Gaetan Masure’s mount raced much more handily and led for the majority of the final circuit. Mastering Jeu D’Enfant (won at Auteuil since) on the run-in, he hit the line strongly and will be even better over further in due course.
A two and a half lengths winner, it was a further seven lengths back to the third, and the fourth won at Auteuil last month. A big scopey gelding who will come into his own over fences eventually (Chaille-Chaille sold both Djakadam and Galopin Des Champs to Mullins), he remains a novice over hurdles and could be Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle or Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle material.
'Another fine prospect for novice hurdles'
It was a fitting end to Honeysuckle’s wonderful career at Cheltenham in March with the daughter of Sulamani winning the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle for a second time – it was the nine year old’s fourth win at the Festival having captured the Champion Hurdle in 2021 and 2022. Owner Kenny Alexander is most unlikely to be associated with such a talented filly in the future but has been busy acquiring fresh talent paying €230,000 for French bumper winner JADE DE GRUGY.
Purchased ten days after her winning debut at Saint-Brieuc in early October last year, she was trained by Adrien Fouassier. Contesting a fourteen runner AQPS Flat race, the Doctor Dino filly made up ground after a slow start to settle on the outside in midfield. Asked for her effort rounding the home turn, she picked up strongly to win cosily by a length. The second, third, eighth and ninth have all scored subsequently.
Sent into training with Mullins, he invariably leaves off the three year olds he buys during the Autumn/early winter before bringing them back the following season. The Closutton team have lost their initial stranglehold on the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle having won the first five runnings of the two miles one event between 2016 and 2020. However, they will be hoping Jade De Grugy can emerge as another live contender next spring in a race her new owner won a couple of years ago with the Henry De Bromhead trained Telmesomethinggirl.
By the same sire as Grade 1 winning stablemates Gala Marceau and Vauban, JIMMY DU SEUIL arrived in County Carlow last Autumn having been bought for €200,000 at the Arqana Arc Sale in October 2022.
A half-brother to Grade 2 winning hurdler Iberique Du Seuil, the four year old ran in two AQPS Flat races for Mickael Seror finishing fifth on his debut at Saint Malo (1m 5f : Good/Soft) in August last year. Six weeks later, he improved on that effort when three parts of a length runner-up behind Jumper Sacre (won over hurdles and placed in a Grade 3 at Auteuil since) at Fontainebleau (1m 5f : Good/Soft). To the fore from the outset, he led entering the final furlong only to get worn down in the closing stages.
The third has been runner-up twice over hurdles at Auteuil before winning over fences at the same track, and the fourth, Jit Langy, also finished second at Auteuil before joining Mullins and winning by four lengths at Tipperary in May. The seventh (twice), eighth and tenth (twice) have all entered the winners’ enclosure since. Owned by Edward Ware, he is another fine prospect for novice hurdles this winter.
'He ought to be effective over two miles'
Lady rider Axelle Nicco partnered 38 winners in France during 2022, including the Nicolas De Lageneste trained JOLI TRAVAIL in an AQPS Flat race at Le Mans (2m : Soft) in November. Drawn wide, the Rob Roy gelding wasn’t the quickest away and behind during the early stages. Having soon recovered the ground, he responded to pressure on the home bend challenging on the outside before being pushed clear to win by four lengths. The third (twice), sixth and eighth (twice) have all scored since. Purchased privately by J.P.McManus, he joined Mullins early in the New Year and will go novice hurdling this term. A big scopey sort, he ought to be effective over two miles but should stay further. Mullins’ Grade 1 runner-up Gauloise hailed from the same yard in France.
J.P.McManus has won the Triumph Hurdle twice with Ivanovich Gorbatov (2016) and Defi Du Seuil (2017) and the multiple champion owner has recruited a couple of potentially very good juvenile hurdlers from France during the spring/summer, including MAJBOROUGH. From a familiar source, namely Daniela Mele, who has supplied Grade 1 winners Capodanno, State Man and Zenta in recent years, the three year old looked a smart sort when winning on his debut at Auteuil in April.
The Prix Grandak, a conditions hurdle for three year old colts who are unraced over obstacles, has been contested by subsequent Grade 1 winners in the UK in recent years. Frodon won the event in 2015, We Have A Dream finished fifth in 2017 and the ill-fated Porticello took the prize in 2021. The 2022 winner Bo Zenith was beaten a short head in the Grade 1 4-Y-0 Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree in April.
Related to the Grade 2 winning novice chaser Majala, he wore a hood and tongue tie at the Parisian track and was held up early on by Johnny Charron. Making headway down the backstraight along the rail, Majborough was upsides the leaders at the final two flights before asserting on the run-in. Firmly on top at the line, he pulled four and a half lengths clear looking a strong stayer in the process.
The sixth, seventh and ninth have won subsequently, while the runner-up was fourth in a Listed contest at the same track next time. Bought privately later the same month, Majborough spent the summer at his new owner’s Martinstown Stud in Ireland before going into training at Closutton recently.
'There have been three other subsequent winners'
Owners Joe and Marie Donnelly bought their five times Grade 1 and Cheltenham Festival winner State Man shortly after the Doctor Dino gelding finished second in the Prix Wild Monarch at Auteuil in May 2020. Earlier this year, the same patrons purchased the first and second, namely Sir Gino and SALVATOR MUNDI, from the 2023 version of the same Listed contest, which was staged in April.
While the winner is now residing at Seven Barrows in Lambourn, the runner-up Salvator Mundi has joined Mullins. A length and three quarters separated the pair at the Parisian track and, significantly, the colts and geldings division was run in a time of 3m 36.16 secs, compared to the fillies’ division, which took Nara (joined Henry De Bromhead) 3m 43.88 secs to complete.
Trained by David Cottin, the No Risk At All gelding, who cost €70,000 as a two year old, was held up by Felix De Giles before making headway in the backstraight. Turning for home, Sir Gino and Salvator Mundi pulled clear with the pair matching strides over the last couple of hurdles. The runner-up marginally hit the front on the run-in before being outstayed close home. They looked two high-class juvenile hurdlers in the making with ten lengths back to the third (won since). The fourth won next time by five lengths at Compiegne and there have been three other subsequent winners from the field.
While speaking to triple Champion James Reveley in August, he was travelling home from Vittel, where he had partnered the J.P.McManus owned Hashtag Val to victory, and was accompanied by Felix De Giles – the 34 year old is currently leading the jump jockey’s championship by 22 winners and rode his first Grade 1 winner in May – and the former Cheltenham Festival winning rider felt it was a strong race and Salvator Mundi is the better long-term prospect.
'He stretched away to win emphatically'
Rich and Susannah Ricci are counting down the days until Vauban lines up in next month’s Melbourne Cup. The former Triumph Hurdle winner has looked imperious in both his starts on the Flat this summer and heads to Australia with outstanding claims. The 20 times Cheltenham Festival winning owners are very much looking forward to unleashing the unraced SIP SIP HOORAY in mares’ bumpers this campaign.
A four year old filly by Walk In The Park, she was acquired for €115,000 at the Tattersalls Derby Sale last year and is a half-sister to the well regarded Dan Skelton trained Home Free. Mullins evidently likes her a lot because he returned to the same sale in June and bought a younger sibling for €85,000. Don’t miss her on her first public appearance.
A potentially smart three year old for Gigginstown House Stud, STORM HEART showed ability in three runs as a juvenile on the Flat last year, including when half a length second on his debut at Mont-De-Marsan (1m 2f : Very Soft) in October.
Third on his reappearance at Cagnes-Sur-Mer (1m 3f : Heavy) in January – 10 days before the brilliant Ace Impact made his racecourse debut at the same track, Philippe Sogorb’s charge showed improved form when tackling middle distances for the first time at Mont-De-Marsan (1m 4f : Good) in early March. Leading with a furlong and a half to run, he stretched away to win emphatically by six and a half lengths.
The runner-up (twice in Spain), fourth (four times), seventh and ninth have won since. A progressive three year old by Storm The Stars, he threatens to be even better jumping obstacles over two miles.
10 for the My Stable tracker
More in the series
Mark Howard’s One Jump Ahead includes stable interviews with Harry Fry, Chris Gordon, Alan King, Tom Lacey, Donald McCain, Gary Moore, Olly Murphy, Paul Nicholls, Nicky Richards, Lucinda Russell, Dan Skelton and Jamie Snowden. Plus, an exclusive interview with leading owner Rich Ricci and over 40 new recruits from France for the winter ahead. Priced at £10.99, the 196 page book is available to order via www.mhpublications.co.uk.