Willie Mullins’s strength in depth in this season’s novice chase department could see Impaire Et Passe tackle a Grade One target in Sandown on Saturday rather than lining up at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Unbeaten in two starts over fences to date, Impaire Et Passe graduated to top-flight status over the bigger obstacles with an impressive success at Limerick over Christmas in the Faugheen Chase.
That victory prompted jockey Daryl Jacob to announce his retirement and allow JJ Slevin take over as number one rider in the “double green” colours of owners Isaac Souede and Simon Munir.
The former top-class hurdler holds an entry in Sunday’s Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown but on Monday Impaire Et Passe featured among seven entries left in the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Chase at Sandown.
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It is a decade since Mullins sent Gitane Du Berlais to win the 2½-mile contest for the double green team. It kicked off a run of four wins in a row in the race for Jacob and the Souede-Munir combination.
Impaire Et Passe boasts a formidable cross-channel record with wins in last season’s Aintree Hurdle, the Select at Sandown and at the 2023 Cheltenham festival.
He was quickly installed as 7/4 favourite with some firms for the Scilly Isles, edging the apparent main home hopes Jango Baie and Kalif du Berlais.
Impaire Et Passe is joined in the list of possible starters by Gordon Elliott’s Search For Glory and the mare Only By Night, who scored in impressive fashion at Cork last month for Gavin Cromwell.
Elliott landed the Scilly Isles in 2023 with Gerri Colombe who prior to that had landed the Faugheen. His potential hope this time Search For Glory was third to Impaire Et Passe last month.
Tuesday’s Irish action is in Limerick where the Mullins team will hope family history can repeat itself.
The Champion Hurdle hero State Man broke his duck over flights in Limerick maiden hurdle three years ago on-route to proving a handicap snip in that season’s County at Cheltenham.
His half-brother Soir De Garde is second reserve for the same maiden on Tuesday and if fate gets him into the race, he should be hard to beat. If it doesn’t, Bowensonfire could benefit most.
JP McManus’s Birdsandthebees has never won over hurdles but her recent form over fences suggests she may be able to exploit a mark of 88 over flights in a handicap.
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