Willie Mullins runs a trio of horses at Limerick this weekend and the first of the champion trainer's representatives, The Paparrazi Kid, brings a perfect three-from three track record into Saturday's €50,000 handicap chase.
The Paparrazi Kid beat his stable companion Felix Yonger in the Grade Two novice chase at last year’s Christmas festival, prior to which he’d also won over fences at Limerick while also securing a maiden hurdle success there at the start of 2013.
The Mullins runner reappeared at Newbury earlier this month when weakening in the closing stages in a race won by No Buts but, on his best form, doesn’t look too harshly treated on a mark of 140. Testing conditions will hold no terrors for him either.
Favourite backers
Fine Article can get favourite backers off to a good start on the Saturday card while Whistle Dixie brings winning point-to-point form, and an impeccable pedigree, to the business of winning the concluding mares bumper.
As a four-year-old the half sister to the Gold Cup and dual-King George winner Kicking King could find the ground conditions more testing than ideal but it doesn't look an especially hard race.
Limerick’s Sunday card throws up an intriguing four-runner feature which sees the Mullins hope Max Dynamite make a second start over flights against the 144-rated Kitten Rock who is having a first start in JP McManus’s colours.
Max Dynamite impressed on his first start in Ireland at Thurles and gets a useful 6lbs from his big rival. That’s a big ask against a horse who was running in Group 1’s on the flat in France but Kitten Rock impressed on his return to action at Naas, should strip sharper for it and won over the course and distance on heavy ground last March.
Upsie also carries the McManus colours as she is given a first start over fences in a Beginners Chase where the owner is also due to be represented by Beach of Falesa.
Viconte Du Noyer boasts a good third to Vautour and Clarcam over fences already however and looks a very decent benchmark for newcomers to aspire to. Charlie Swan gives Fulton a first start since this time last year in Sunday's bumper and it will be interesting to see how he gets on against See Me Here, who returned to action with a decent run at Cork in October.
