RACING:THE BREADTH OF Mikael D'Haguenet's talent can be guessed at by him already being as low as 20 to 1 in ante-post betting for the Cheltenham Gold Cup while having just the third start of his life over fences at Leopardstown this afternoon.
Throw in how he lines up in the Grade One Bord na Mona With Nature Novice Chase over the minimum two-mile trip and it is clear that Mikael D’Haguenet is just that bit different.
However, that much has been clear ever since he put the then supposedly unbeatable Pandorama to the sword in a Grade One hurdle at Navan two years ago.
Time has proved the substance of that form with a vengeance and while injury has prevented Mikael D’Haguenet from collecting the same sort of fencing experience as Pandorama, it is testament to the impression Willie Mullins’s star novice has made that both figure in much the same place in Gold Cup betting lists.
Mikael D’Haguenet lost his unbeaten record for Mullins when he made his long-awaited comeback in the Drinmore earlier this month but that was about all he lost.
After travelling almost as beautifully as he jumped, the ex-French star looked to be going marginally better than Jessies Dream when a novicey slip on the landing side of the last fence caught him out.
It was an intensely frustrating slip-up for the Mullins team but there also appeared to be any number of positives to be taken from the race and the fact he lines up today indicates he has been giving the champion trainer all the right signals since.
“He seems fine after his last run, as long as he didn’t lose his confidence. He’ll handle the ground, but we just hope the last run didn’t dent his confidence. He has jumped well schooling since though,” Mullins said yesterday.
Seven opponents line up to take on the potential star chaser including Realt Dubh who took advantage of that Fairyhouse fall to claim second in the Drinmore Chase.
Loosen My Load carries the colours of Sizing Europe who landed this €90,000 feature rescheduled from St Stephen’s Day while Noble Prince brings a big reputation from Paul Nolan’s yard that is backed up by a Punchestown victory.
Loosen My Load was denied a run in Kempton’s Feltham Chase earlier in the week and this race is very much a Plan B for Henry De Bromhead’s horse.
“He is in in good form but unfortunately he won’t be in love with that ground, he’s more a good ground horse,” said De Bromhead yesterday.
“It looks a stronger race than what the Feltham would have been and while our lad is lovely, he’s going to hate the ground, unfortunately.
“I want to step him up in trip but I don’t want to do it in really heavy ground so we’ll do that in the spring maybe. One thing that is in his favour is his jumping, it’s brilliant.”
Saludos was behind Noble Prince on that occasion but has always looked a more potent operator going left-handed and has won since at Navan.
The opposition will be hoping a return to two miles might catch Mikael D’Haguenet out, but the favourite is two for two at the trip for Mullins and on all we have seen looks to have a singular combination of speed and stamina.
It will be a major surprise if that package isn’t enough to win today’s exciting race.
