Willie Mullins gives us the lowdown on his contenders for the Sky Bet Ebor at York.
Ireland's multiple champion jumps trainer has also achieved significant success on the Flat scene too and claimed victory in York's prestigious mile and three-quarter handicap with Sesenta in 2009.
This year he's looking to bring two live contenders to the Knavesmire including Absurde, who finished second to high-class stablemate Vauban in the Ascot Stakes in June before a relatively low-key effort at hurdles at the Galway Festival earlier this month.
Mullins said of the five-year-old French import: "I know Absurde disappointed in Galway over hurdles - I didn't want to run him on the Flat - he was just a bit free over that trip (2m) and ran disappointingly, but he has come out of the race well so we're looking forward to going to York with him.
"He's a very keen horse and (at Royal Ascot) I said to Frankie to make sure he tries to settle him. He came wide to get him settled and was then probably a little bit further back than he wanted to be.
"But when it came to the business end of the race, Frankie said he got a great run through them up the inside and came through to win but he probably wouldn't have beaten Vauban, who has come out and franked that form with a Group 3 win in Naas. We're looking towards Melbourne rather than York for him (Vauban) this year.
"I think in a race of the nature of the Ebor there will be much more pace which will make the jockey's job easier when he gets there."
Mullins also plans to run Jackfinbar on Saturday August 26, a Flat recruit who has made just the two appearances for the yard since making the move from Harry Dunlop in Lambourn earlier this year.
The trainer said: "Jackfinbar ran a little better (than Absurde) in Galway, he finished fourth but he had an awful draw and that is crucial at Galway. And I think Galway is a nice place to have your prep run - Sesenta got beaten in Galway before she went to the Ebor. So I think we're all set, just fingers crossed they both stay right between now and then.
"Jackfinbar has had (soundness) trouble before but he's come out of Roscommon and Galway well and we're really looking forward to taking our chances in the Ebor.
"It's always so competitive, you could run well there and finish seventh, it's just so competitive but that's what happens when big prize money comes into play. Nothing should be easy for big prize money and people just aim for those races."
On the strength of the Flat staying programme at present, Mullins reckons it is good for the game and feels racing may have become too focused on breeding for speed in recent years.
He said: "It's fantastic to see the prize money being put into those big staying races, it gives Flat horses a longer life as they race until they're older. It's good for the game to have good stamina horses in it and to keep the thoroughbred breed hardier. It seemed to get very weak with fast, commercial horses running at two and three but there's more effort now put into stamina events and it's paying off.
"I get as big a kick out of winning one of these (major Flat prizes compared to jumps). We never have more than a dozen Flat horses and usually they're dual purpose, we buy them off the Flat rather than buying yearlings and bringing them through. Buying younger horses (yearlings) doesn't really suit what we're doing here because I like to have my jumps team in tip-top order and bringing young horses on top of those in the middle of winter might bring more than you bargained for into the yard. We try and keep the yard fairly tight and it's good.
"So we buy dual purpose horses and it's great to go back on the Flat with them."
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