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Mystical Power and Sir Gino set for ‘interesting and informative’ clash
Willie Mullins expects to have a clearer idea of where Mystical Power fits in his formidable squad of hurdlers after he takes on Sir Gino in the BetMGM Fighting Fifth at Newcastle.
While the absence of the sport’s pre-eminent star Constitution Hill is undoubtedly disappointing, his defection has at least thrown up a mouthwatering clash between two rising stars.
Mystical Power is regally-bred as a son of the great Galileo out of brilliant racemare Annie Power and has won four of his five starts over obstacles to date, his only defeat coming at the hands of Slade Steel when filling the runner-up spot in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
The five-year-old, who is owned by the powerhouse trio of John Magnier, JP McManus and Rich Ricci – and will this season carry the colours of the latter – went on to win Grade Ones at Aintree and Punchestown in the spring and will on Saturday bid to provide Mullins with his first ever Fighting Fifth success.
“It’s funny how the race cuts up, I thought Mystical Power would be about 10 or 12lb out on ratings, but I think he’s now 2lb well-in with Sir Gino on last year’s juvenile ratings,” said the Irish and British champion trainer. “It will be a very interesting and informative race.
“I had thought about running Mystical Power over fences, as he’s a hell of a jumper over a fence, we’ve schooled him a couple of times. I said so to Rich and JP, that if this hurdling lark doesn’t go well for him, he can go novice chasing, but that is looking like next year now at this stage of the season.
“I think I’m right in saying he could be the best Galileo over fences! There’s only been a few but he’ll vie for that slot if he ever goes chasing.
“He’s so sharp – he’s a two-miler. We didn’t run on the Flat but what would he be – maybe he could be a Gold Cup horse. We’ve thought about it, but at the moment we’re just thinking of jumping.”
Mystical Power kicked off his career in minor events at Ballinrobe and Galway last year, which is perhaps a measure of the regard in which he was held at the time.
Mullins added: “He surprised us a fair bit. We didn’t run him at two or three because he wasn’t good enough.
“We shouldn’t be surprised because his mother was a late developer. Jim Bolger trained her and he never ran her at two or three, so it tells me she wasn’t catching his eye either.
“Quevega was the same, her breeder told me she’d be slow to mature. We’re lucky we have people who are not afraid to wait and maybe get the best out of them.”
Having won on his only start in France, Sir Gino quickly established himself as one of the stars of the juvenile hurdling division after joining Nicky Henderson last season.
He obliged on his Kempton introduction before blitzing Burdett Road on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham – and while he missed the Triumph Hurdle in March, he signed off with a top-level victory at Aintree.
The four-year-old was all set to embark on a career over fences this autumn, but the latest setback suffered by Constitution Hill prompted the Seven Barrows handler to shuffle his pack.
Sir Gino clearly worked better than his illustrious stablemate in a public gallop at Newbury last week and Henderson does not see the late change of plan as a major issue.
He told Unibet: “As has been very well publicised, this was not the original plan, because we were all set to go chasing, which we could still easily do, but for the time being this is where he is and I’ve been very happy with his preparation.
“He schooled over hurdles on Tuesday and was very good. I must admit this is a very strong renewal of the Fighting Fifth, and Mystical Power has looked very good, but we have always held Sir Gino in extremely high regard and we will at least have a much clearer idea of which way his season might go after this.”
Other contenders include the Sam Thomas-trained Welsh Champion Hurdle winner Lump Sum and Dan Skelton’s mare Take No Chances, but Harry Derham has declared Brentford Hope a non-runner on account of unsuitable ground.
Newbury Saturday
Queens Gamble puts her unbeaten record over hurdles on the line when she returns in the Coral Racing Club Intermediate Handicap Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday.
More commonly known as the Gerry Feilden, some exceptional horses have used the race as a springboard for greater things, with both Rock On Ruby and Epatante winning the prestigious handicap en route to Champion Hurdle glory.
Harry Derham’s talented mare now returns from a 336-day absence bidding to add her name to the decorated roll of honour, with her trainer hoping the six-year-old will continue on her upwards curve.
Derham said: “She’s a really talented horse and we’re looking forward to getting her back on track. We’ve had this race in mind for quite some time and I would love to see the ground just dry up a fraction for her. She’s a talented mare and I’m looking forward to seeing her in this type of race.
“It’s a really solid race for these type of second-season horses and it’s going to tell us if we’re going down the handicap route or going to step up.”
Nicky Henderson has won Gerry Feilden nine times down the years, including with the aforementioned Epatante in 2019.
The master of Seven Barrows reverts dual course-and-distance winner Jeriko Du Reponet to hurdles following a chasing debut that went anything but as planned at Sandown, with the JP McManus-owned five-year-old is joined by stablemate Aston Martini.
Gary Moore struck with Hansard 12 months ago and now alongside his son Josh, will attempt to double up with his soft-ground loving Triumph Hurdle third Salver, who heads to this contest instead of the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle.
“I took him out last Saturday which I probably shouldn’t have done, but I just need to run him on soft ground so this is the obvious option,” said Moore senior. “I don’t like my horses carrying 12st and I wanted to go to the Fighting Fifth but the ground at Newcastle wasn’t suitable, so this is where we are at.
“He’s a good horse and I think a lot of him. He needs to go further really but you need to have a starting point somewhere.”
The father and son also have leading claims in the concluding Coral ‘Pipped-At-The-Post’ And Win Handicap Chase with Issar d’Airy.
The six-year-old brings an exceptional track-and-trip record to the race and has seen the form of his comeback second at Ascot franked by the winner Martator recently.
Moore continued: “He’s in good order, I’m very very happy and I hope he has every chance. He enjoys going to Newbury and he had a good first run of the season as well at Ascot.”
The anticipated favourite is Philip Hobbs and Johnson White’s Imperial Saint who will bid to follow in the footsteps of the yard’s Zanza who took home the prize in 2020.
Imperial Saint is two from two over the larger obstacles after two wins at Aintree and appears to have taken to the challenge of his new discipline magnificently this autumn.
“He’s been very professional over fences and I couldn’t be more chuffed with his two wins at Aintree,” said White.
“He’s come out of those two runs particularly well and Newbury, a left-handed flat track like Aintree, I think should suit him down to the ground.
“Whatever he does over two miles we hope he’ll improve over further, but while he’s effective and performing like he is over two miles there is no need to step him up just yet. He’s in great form and we go there with every hope.”
Rest of Newcastle
The highly-touted Lavender Hill Mob will get his hurdling career up and running when he heads to Newcastle for the Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow ‘Introductory’ Juvenile Hurdle on Saturday.
Trainer James Owen set tongues wagging when suggesting this three-year-old could prove even better than his impressive Cheltenham winner East India Dock and as such his introduction over timber has been eagerly awaited ever since.
Twice a winner on the Flat for Michael Bell, he was last seen finishing a respectable seventh in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot and now has the assistance of Nico de Boinville in the saddle for the Gredley family as he enters the National Hunt sphere at Gosforth Park.
When asked where Lavender Hill Mob fits in a juvenile team that not only features East India Dock but also includes the unbeaten Liam Swagger, Owen – whose filly Opec looked smart at Newbury on Friday – said: “He’s obviously got the best form on the Flat. His Royal Ascot run was a good run, he’s done plenty of schooling and he’s ready for his first day out.
“He’s done everything right at home and Newcastle is a nice, galloping track to start him off, so it’s ideal. I’m looking forward to seeing him run, so fingers crossed.”
In the Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk ‘The French Furze’ Novices’ Hurdle, it is Jennie Candlish’s Skyjack Hijack who looks the one to beat having racked up a five-race winning sequence this autumn.
Having started his winning run off a mark of 97 at Cartmel in August, he is now rated 132 with his team hoping he can continue showing the progressive form as he takes the next step up the ladder.
“Hopefully the ground will be good, which he likes. There are a couple of unexposed horses in there, but I will be hoping his experience will stand him in good stead against those horses with less experience,” said Alan O’Keeffe, assistant to Candlish.
“He’s done great the last five runs, but he’s stepping up in grade all the time and taking on better and better horses each time. He’s up to 130 now and things are going to get difficult but it looks the logical step. He does carry a penalty but you don’t see many horses going into a novice hurdle having won five in a row and we just hope his experience counts and if he turns up like he did at Exeter I would be pretty hopeful of a great run.
“He’s schooled well over fences and that’s for the future but for now he does need to keep improving as he’s taking on a better class of horse. However, he’s doing everything right at the minute and with a bit of luck he will keep that progression going forwards.
“He’s due a break at some point and he doesn’t go on bad ground, so we will see what happens Saturday and it could be that he has a little break afterwards ahead of the spring.”
The concluding BetMGM Rehearsal Handicap Chase has some famous names on its roll of honour, with Cheltenham Festival winners L’Homme Presse and Yorkhill among the recent victors.
FA Cup-winning manager Harry Redknapp will now bid to add his name to trophy as Bowtogreatness – the horse he owns with trainer Ben Pauling’s wife Sophie – skips an assignment at Newbury to head to the north east in search of Rehearsal glory.
“I was really tempted by Newcastle and I think this is the right stepping stone to keeping his season going the right way because he seems in really good form with himself,” said Pauling.
“The ground is good and it was obviously the same ground at Newbury when he won. He’ll have come on a bundle for that first run.”
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