Willie Mullins has confirmed Sir Des Champs is on course for next week's Lexus Chase at Leopardstown, as the champion trainer targets a first ever success in the €150,000 day three Christmas festival feature.
The Lexus is a rare gap in Mullins’s big-race collection although Sir Des Champs came close to filling it last year when involved in a memorable four-horse finish won by Tidal Bay.
His chances of even lining up in 2013, however, looked questionable after taking a terrible fall at just the third fence in the John Durkan Chase nine days ago but Mullins reports last season's dual-Grade One winner, and Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up, has made a remarkable recovery from that spill.
“He’s come out of it fine. Our back-man looked at him and there was no stiffness. He was extremely lucky because it was a horrendous fall. But there was absolutely no bruising, we rode him out as if he hadn’t run, he did some fast work on Saturday and he’s on course for the Lexus, I hope,” said Mullins.
The Lexus has become a cross-channel benefit in recent years with six of the last seven renewals falling to British-based runners. Only Pandorama in 2010 has broken the run, with Paul Nicholls scoring three times courtesy of Denman (2007), What A Friend (2009) and Tidal Bay last year.
Up-and-coming star
The latter is still a possible to try and repeat but Nicholls appears to be leaning more towards the up-and-coming star Unioniste at this stage. "Tidal Bay has the option and if it got testing, it would be interesting. But Unioniste is one that probably will go even though we'll make our minds up in the next few days. He has progressed from handicaps, and there are if and buts about so many in that race," Nicholls reported.
The scale of Willie Mullins’s overall dominance in Ireland right now, however, is indicated by betting on Betfair yesterday where the trainer is rated only 25/1 to win all seven of the Grade One races on offer at Leopardtown over the Christmas period. It is evens he will win three or four.
Possibly the most eagerly-anticipated Grade One of all is the €100,000 Ryanair Hurdle on the final day of the festival, where Hurricane Fly is scheduled to take on two of the rising stars on the hurdling scene, Jezki and Our Conor.
The latter hasn't jumped a flight since his stunning Triumph Hurdle success last March and hasn't been seen in action since running on the flat in October. However, trainer Dessie Hughes plans to give him a racecourse gallop before his return to action and gave an upbeat bulletin on the horse yesterday.
'Good shape'
"He's in very good shape now. We'll take him to a racecourse between now and Christmas and do his last bit of work there. I've been very happy with him, he's a stronger horse, he's moving terrific and I'm looking forward to the 29th," said the trainer who outlined his respect for the reigning champion.
“I suppose you could say Hurricane Fly in the Morgiana was adequate. They can only win. I thought it was a good, fast-run race, they went a real proper gallop and he won and he’ll improve on it so you’d have to be very much afraid of him,” he said.
“He’s had no real strong opposition for the last three years apart from the other grey horse of Willie’s (Thousand Stars) who was placed to him each time he ran. It looks a different cup of tea this year, the novices are much better than they were two years ago,” Hughes added.
Another top performer on show over Christmas will be the World Hurdle hero Solwhit who is on course to run in the new Grade One prize, the Woodies Hurdle over three miles.
Solwhit hasn't run since finishing runner-up to Gemix in the French Champion Hurdle in June but trainer Charles Byrnes said yesterday: "He had a break after Auteuil so he was late coming back in. That's why he's just ready to start off now. He's good and on target for Leopardstown."
