Chance Jimmy in case odds-on Bally Burns your fingers
WHEREVER Ballyburn turned up at the Festival he was going to prove hard to beat and connections have chosen the longer 2m5f of the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle (1.30pm) over yesterday’s Supreme.
A winner of a point-to-point and over this trip on his penultimate start, there’s no doubting Willie Mullins’ charge will see this out well and he could prove stronger over this distance compared to the minimum trip.
He could hardly have been more impressive in the Grade One two-mile novice at the Dublin Racing Festival, when leaving a good horse in Slade Steel trailing seven lengths behind him.
Before that he had bolted up by 25 lengths over 2m4f at Leopardstown in December and both those performances make him clearly the one to beat.
He looks to be Mullins’ top novice this season and we all know the wizard of Closutton very rarely misses the target with his best chances.
Ballyburn is clearly very hard to oppose and really should win this, but I can’t get enthused with the idea of backing a 4/11 shot.
As was the case in yesterday’s opening contest, Mullins fields 50 percent of the runners here with five and all are worthy of consideration.
Mullins fielded the first three home in this contest last season and it could be a similar story as he has the top three in the market here.
Ile Atlantique was sent off a short price for the Lawlor’s Of Naas last time but came up short on his first attempt at this trip and I’ve a feeling he could be vulnerable to stronger stayers.
Predator’s Gold won’t have any stamina issues and looks a player, but the one I’m keen to take an each-way chance on is the outsider of the five in JIMMY DU SEUIL.
While he has plenty to find on ratings, this five-year-old has shown real promise in both of his starts in Ireland since joining the Mullins yard.
He was just touched off by his more experienced stablemate Asian Master on his debut this season at Thurles, but readily made amends on his most recent start at Clonmel.
It was noticeable how well he travelled through the heavy ground that day and won with any amount in hand.
This new test, now stepping up to 2m5f for the first time, should suit him well as will the likely stamina-sapping ground.
With plenty of these liking to get on with things at the front of the field, there could be a good deal of pace injected into the early stages of this contest.
If the others take on Ile Atlantique and Ballyburn early on they could do too much and not have enough left for the crucial climb up the Cheltenham hill to the finish.
With that in mind I can see this setting up well for a horse that comes from off the pace to pick up the pieces, and hopefully Jimmy Du Seuil can do that under Sean O’Keeffe.
There’s still 28/1 available in places, and with only eight runners and three places to aim at, that’s the kind of each-way bet I like.
Of the others, the British challenge is spearheaded by Handstands and Jingko Blue, who both look progressive and hold claims.
I’m not convinced their form is as strong as that of the Irish novices though and certainly on rating they need a considerable step up to feature.
POINTERS
Jimmy Du Seuil e/w 1.30pm Cheltenham