Gordon Elliott's ever-increasing impact at racing's top table means Mala Beach could emerge an entirely appropriate winner of Ireland's final Grade One prize of 2014 at Leopardstown.
Mala Beach is among seven lining up for the €75,000 Topaz Novice Chase, a prize that can take his trainer closer to the €1 million prize money mark for the season, and bring Elliott’s top-flight tally for the calendar year to four.
The Co Meath-based trainer is a clear second to Willie Mullins in the trainers' championship and has enjoyed a hot-streak of big-race success in the last month including Grade One victories for the Gigginstown Stud-owned pair Don Cossack (John Durkan) and Clarcam (Friday's Racing Post Novice Chase.)
Major test
With
Tiger Roll
, who faces a major task against
Hurricane Fly
and
Jezki
in the feature, landing the Triumph last March, a win for Mala Beach will make it four Grade Ones for Elliott in 2014, equalling last year’s top-flight tally.
Elliott’s ever-increasing presence in the races that count is emphasised by how prior to 2013, he had enjoyed just a single Grade One success (Jessies Dream in 2010 Drinmore), although Silver Birch’s 2007 Grand National victory kick-started his training career.
Mala Beach has contributed big-race success already in last January’s Grade Two Galmoy Hurdle but it is over fences that he threatens to graduate to top-class.
He came up shy of The Tullow Tank when both horses made their chasing debuts on almost good ground but then slugged out a Punchestown success in good style when the ground was more testing.
Mala Beach is far from flash but that Galmoy win proved he stays very well and three miles on testing ground will put an emphasis on grit, which could be important considering some of his opposition come into the race with something to prove.
The Tullow Tank reportedly returned an unsatisfactory scope after getting well beaten in the Drinmore, while Very Wood was pulled up behind Shanahan’s Turn at Punchestown and now sports first-time blinkers.
Shanahan's Turn, however, looks straight-forward and should again go well, as should the Gigginstown pick Don Poli, while Apache Stronghold can step up from his Drinmore effort. But in a race where the tough will need to get going, Mala Beach looks a real contender.
Fairytale Theatre is a cross-channel hope in the Grade Three Mares Hurdle, a race which also includes last year’s winner Theatre Bird and Analifet, which ran too freely on a comeback run at Naas.
The form of Princess Leia's defeat of Shantou Ed last time has been franked since and a 15lb hike in her rating indicates a mare improving quickly.
The Mullins, Elliott and De Bromhead yards are represented in the concluding bumper but Dermot Weld’s decision to delay Vigil’s transition to hurdles until later in the season can pay off here.
Stable companion
A course winner on heavy ground last February,
Vigil
was the Weld first-string in the Cheltenham Bumper last March and was hardly disgraced in finishing fifth to his stable companion Silver Concorde.
He hasn’t been seen since but testing conditions won’t be a problem and both of Weld’s previous bumper runners this week have gone well.
Silver Concorde disappointed badly on his jumping debut on Saturday so a watching brief could be best employed on his stable companion Windsor Park in the maiden hurdle, a race in which Royal Caviar should strip fitter for his recent return to action in a Fairyhouse bumper.
