EMMET Mullins has been discussing the Cheltenham Festival prospects for some of his horses today after the Handicap weights were revealed today.
Noble Yeats (Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup)
“We couldn’t be happier with him. He’s been in great form since the Cotswold Chase and we’re just hoping we get a clean run with him between now and Gold Cup Day. I suppose the cheekpieces made a big difference for him last year (in the Grand National) so we’re hoping for a repeat event. Ground-wise I suppose we’re quite laid back and we’ll take what we’re given. I think a proper Gold Cup test will play to his strengths. Obviously, he’s going to have to step forward from his last run but it’s something he’s been able to do in the past and hopefully we can repeat it.”
Mctigue (Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle)
“We’ll get the Morebattle out of the way first but we’ve a few different options. I don’t think the weight for age scale works to our advantage in England, in Ireland you run off the weight you’re allotted while it counts against us here in that sense, which might narrow our options. He’s got top-weight in the Boodles but if he wins the Morebattle he won’t carry a penalty because you can’t carry more than 11st 12lbs in a race – so that’s another angle for him as well. He was a good two year old on the Flat for Jim Bolger so he’s always been precocious in his own right and he’s taken to the jumps very well.”
Corbetts Cross (Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle)
“He’s been a bit of a talking horse since the weekend (when winning a Grade Two contest at Naas) and to be fair he’s in very good form coming into it, so he has to be taken seriously wherever he turns up. He’s definitely a horse to look forward to.”
The Emmet Mullins trained Corbetts Cross (left) on the way to winning Grade 2 Johnstown Novice Hurdle at Naas Racecourse last weekend
Photo: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Filey Bay (McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle)
“He’s come out of the race well (second in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury) so we’re happy with the horse. We were unfortunate to bump into a very good horse on the day there and he’ll be competitive at Cheltenham but he just might bump into something again.”
So Scottish (Magners Plate)
“So Scottish is good, he’s come through his work well and fingers crossed he gets to the Plate. I think Its On The Line has got a big shout as well (in the St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase). It might come a year too soon as he’s still a six year old but he’s doing everything right and he’s in a rich vein of form at the moment. He could be a nice horse for next year, possibly even a graded horse but what he’s done as a six year old has been great.”
By The Jockey Club
