Patrick Mullins is looking forward to taking on Handstands and Cheltenham winner Caldwell Potter with a couple of Closutton runner on retrieval missions at Aintree on Friday.
Mullins, son and assistant to his father Willie, rides Quai De Bourbon in the Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices’ Chase, with stable jockey Paul Townend electing to partner Dancing City.
Mullins feels the British-based pair could be hard to beat but certainly hasn’t given up hope on the team from Closutton.
He told Sporting Life: “Dancing City was very disappointing in Cheltenham. Now, maybe they just went a stride or two too slow for him. It (Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase) did turn into a bit of a sprint and he’s not a fast horse. So I imagine Paul might be a bit more forceful on him this time.
“He obviously backed up into Aintree last year, having got beaten in Cheltenham as well, so maybe he’s just not as good at Cheltenham. That could be a possibility too.
“But it’s a hot little race, Caldwell Potter’s going to be very interesting stepping into Grade 1 company again.
“Quai De Bourbon unseated me at the ditch – the fourth last – and we were going well (Brown Advisory) but, like I said, we’d gone slowly so everything was going well. But I think I could have been involved, I think I would have been in the placings.
“So I definitely wouldn’t write him off. I know he has to step up on his form but I just wouldn’t write him off.”
Quai Du Bourbon is Mullins’ only ride on the card on day two of the Randox Grand National Festival but he expects Glengouly to give cousin Danny Mullins a good spin in the Topham Handicap Chase, while he still believes Salvator Mundi has the engine to trouble Romeo Coolio and co in the TrustATrader Top Novices’ Hurdle.
Asked whether the Sky Bet Supreme fifth now has a bit of a point to prove, Mullins said: “He does. Look, the start of the Supreme Novices’ was a bit of a mess, there was confusion over whether we’d started or not.
“Half of the field thought we did and Rachael Blackmore’s horse (Workahead) just kind of stood just as the flag dropped and fell [back] right into our lap, so I had to wheel out around her which meant myself and William Munny were just fighting for position after the first hurdle which just set my fella [Salvator Mundi] alight.
“But I was beaten at halfway and I had to bounce him out after every hurdle down the back straight nearly, so I think for whatever reason he didn’t show up on the day. I think he’s better than that and I think this track will suit him.
“Hopefully they go a good gallop and Paul will get him settled. I’d still be a big believer and wouldn’t let him go off one below-par run.”
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