Cheltenham: Willie Mullins has been made an odds on favourite to be the top Irish trainer at the upcoming Cheltenham Festival and yesterday he gave an upbeat report on the progress of his powerful team.
"We have had no significant setbacks at all and everything seems to be going good," said the man who has especially dominated the festival Bumper with five winners to date. "We just want to make sure it stays that way for another while."
Yet again the bumper is a race where Mullins looks to be especially strong with the ante-post favourite Ballytrim sure to be part of another strong team.
However, the Co Carlow trainer can also call on the likes of Missed That (Arkle), Our Ben (SunAlliance Chase) and the Triumph Hurdle favourite Mister Hight. It's that sort of strength in depth that has encouraged Cashmans to make him their 5 to 6 favourite to be the leading Irish trainer. "It's not something there is an official award for but we feel it is an interesting idea," said the Cashmans' Joseph Burke.
"We are doing it on the basis of winners rather than prize-money. If for instance Michael Hourigan won the Gold Cup he could win enough prize-money with one winner to come out top."
Michael Halford yesterday gave an encouraging report on his Ladbrokes World Hurdle hope Golden Cross but added that he isn't underestimating the task his star faces against Asian Maze.
"Golden Cross probably made hard work of winning last time but the object of the exercise was to see if he stays and he proved beyond doubt he does," the Curragh trainer said.
"If Asian Maze gets there on the day I think she will take a lot of beating but our horse is in good form and progressing well," he added.
Noel Meade has indicated that Watson Lake will take on Moscow Flyer and Kauto Star in the Queen Mother Champion Chase rather than take up other options in the Ryanair Chase and the Racing Post Plate.
"If he's fine and everything goes well the Champion Chase is the race he will go for. Since his last race everything has gone very well with him," Meade said.
"Before Christmas he had one niggling problem after another but since his last race we have been able to do everything we've wanted to."
One significant ante-post mover in the Cheltenham betting is the Edward O'Grady-trained Sky's The Limit who has been backed from 16 to 1 into 6 to 1 co-favourite for the Coral Cup with one firm.
Today's home action is at Limerick where it will be interesting to see how the locally-trained Nine O gets on in his follow-up attempt in the Opportunity Chase.
The nine-year-old took advantage of a low chase mark to win easily at Thurles last week but has now been raised a massive 17lb. That still leaves him lower than his hurdles rating though and maybe there is one more race in him before the handicapper has too much of a grip.
Some of Gaza Strip's form makes her a stand out in the mares hurdle but she is somewhat inconsistent and maybe Molly Massini is a safer alternative.
Barry Geraghty looks a significant booking for the course bumper winner Dr Willie in the opener and another Cork-trained horse with a chance could be the point-to-point scorer Boshanoli in the Beginners' Chase.
CHELTENHAM BETTING: (Cashmans): 5-6 Willie Mullins, 9-4 Noel Meade, 9-2 Jessica Harrington, 16 Colm Murphy, Dessie Hughes and Mouse Morris, 20 Paul Nolan, Edward O'Grady and Michael Hourigan, 25 Charlie Swan.
