Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Sunday.
Three points of interest
Kalypso'chance bids to enhance Champion Bumper claims
The Listed Future Champions Bumper at Navan (15:25) has been dominated by Gordon Elliott who has won seven of the last eight renewals and used the race as a stepping stone for some of his best prospects including Samcro, Envoi Allen and Sir Gerhard.
Envoi Allen and Sir Gerhard both went on to win the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival and among Elliott's three-strong team on Sunday is the current ante-post favourite for the Champion Bumper, KALYPSO'CHANCE.
It's still early days but no horse in the bumper division has put a better performance this season than Kalypso'chance who earned earned a Timeform rating of 109p for his 15-length win on his debut under Rules at Punchestown last month.
Patrick Mullins could do nothing to prevent Kalypso'chance powering away from his mount Soir de Garde - a half-brother to State Man - but this time he will be aboard Gordon Elliott's mount as he takes a rare ride for his father Willie Mullins' main rival. Patrick Mullins has had only nine rides for Elliott, but he's had three winners, including aboard My Trump Card, a horse he bred, when last teaming up with the yard at Navan just over a year ago.
Kalypso'chance, who is 5 lb clear on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings, will be a short-price favourite but will face a good test of his Champion Bumper credentials, including from the yard's other representatives CLASSICAL CREEK and WHINNEY HILL who both looked like good prospects when winning last month.
Rothwell runners worth noting at Navan
The Listed bumper adds a touch of class to a hugely competitive card at Navan which otherwise comprises six handicaps with double-figure fields. The card is a new initiative from sponsors Irish Stallion Farms, Navan racecourse and Horse Racing Ireland to provide opportunities with good prize-money for horses from the middle tier.
With €20,000 up for grabs in every handicap - and not a single runner from Willie Mullins' powerhouse stable sighted - it wouldn't be a surprise if some trainers have targeted this card. That seems to be the case with Philip Rothwell who has six runners, including a couple of Horses In Focus who caught the eye of Timeform's reporters last time.
CHEERFUL CHAP did well after joining the yard last season, winning two handicap hurdles and finishing runner-up on his other start in that sphere. He has a lower chase rating and showed enough when runner-up behind an unexposed rival on his return at Clonmel recently to suggest he's on a good mark over fences. He's 3 lb clear at the head of Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings for the two-mile handicap chase (13:45) and also has the '+' symbol to highlight he could be even better than rated.
AWAY TO MILAN doesn't top the ratings for the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle (12:35) but does have a '+' and the Horse In Focus Flag after faring best of those who raced prominently when third in a strongly run handicap at Punchestown last month. That was a promising effort on his first start for 16 months.
BILLY LEE SWAGGER was a place in advance of Away To Milan at Punchestown and he contests the staying handicap hurdle (13:10). He has stamina to prove on his first try beyond two and a half miles but he's in good form and the booking of Tiernan Power Roche, who is good value for his 7 lb claim, has generated Timeform's Jockey Uplift Flag.
Carlisle a happy hunting ground for O'Neills
It's a long journey from the O'Neills' base at Jackdaws Castle in Gloucestershire to Carlisle racecourse but it's one that has frequently proved successful.
Since the start of the 2019/20 season, Jonjo O'Neill - now training in partnership with son AJ - has had 21 winners from 91 runners at Carlisle at a strike rate of 23.1%. That compares favourably to the yard's overall record in that time of 14.4%. It's also a strike rate that has been bettered by only Ann Hamilton (29.6%) and Nicky Richards (23.74%) among trainers who have had at least 20 runners at the course in that time.
The O'Neills have four runners on the card, including the likely favourite in the opening and concluding contests in WELLINGTON ARCH (11:55) and OH CLARE (15:15).
KING OF TARA looks like an interesting runner for the partnership in the novice handicap chase (12:25) after earning Timeform's Horse In Focus Flag for his effort in a handicap hurdle at Chepstow last month. That fourth-place finish represented an improvement on the form he had shown when fifth here on his reappearance and Timeform's reporter noted he's the type to make at least as good a chaser.
The form of that Chepstow handicap hurdle has yet to be meaningfully tested but was identified as a race it could pay to keep an eye on given how many unexposed horses came to the fore, and the runner-up from that event, LOVERDOSE, is also in action on Sunday in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle at Windsor (15:40).
Robert Walford's Loverdose was unable to make it three from three in handicaps but, given how he powered home to get to within half a length of the winner, he may well have won had he jumped the second last cleanly. He too earned the Horse In Focus Flag.
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