Today's racing is very much a case of the calm after the storm on the back of a terrific weekend of National Hunt racing and Willie Mullins' stranglehold on jump racing grown ever tighter. Mullins landed three of Saturday's four G1 contests at Leopardstown, with Valseur Lido unfortunate in the feature Irish Gold Cup won by last year's winner Carlingford Lough. John Kiely's 10-y-o was cut to 20/1 (from 66s) with BetVictor for the Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival and similarly trimmed to 25/1 (from 50s) for the Grand National at Aintree.
Valseur Lido was one of a number of Mullins inmates to harden their Cheltenham Festival credentials and was also cut to 20/1 (from 40s) for the Gold Cup, and similarly trimmed to 6/1 (from 8s) for the Ryanair Chase. Footpad had earlier landed Leopardstown's G1 Juvenile Hurdle and was cut to 10/1 (From 20s) for the Triumph Hurdle with stablemates Lets Dance and Allblak Des Places similarly trimmed to 12/1 (from 14s) and 16/1 (from 20s) after completing a 1-2-3 for the King of Clossuton.
Outlander and Bleu Et Rouge completed a quick-fire treble for the handler winning the G1 Novice events over fences and hurdles respectively with the former cut to 10/1 with BetVictor for both the JLT and RSA Novice Chases at the Festival and the latter cut to 8/1 and 12s for the Neptune and the Supreme at next month's ‘greatest show on turf'.
Festival clues are on offer this afternoon at Musselburgh with excellent field sizes likely out for better ground and Gordon Elliott's Moonman (4.00) a confident selection to make a winning debut under rules. The selection won a point-to-point in his native Ireland and looks to have been found the ideal opportunity to make the ideal start under Richard Johnson.
Johnson partners Jetstream Jack for Elliott earlier on the card and is respected dropping down in grade. He must have leading claims dropping back down to two and a half miles but stablemate Fagan (2.00) gets the nod to make a winning hurdles debut under Jack Kennedy. The teenager remains excellent value for his 5lb claim and after winning a trio of bumpers at Perth, Ayr and Musselburgh can make a winning debut over timber to maintain his unbeaten record and go 4/4 in Scotland.
Lucinda Russell's Mumgos Debut (2.30) has been well-backed for a trio of handicap chases since returning from an absence of eight months in November and can make it fourth time lucky this term under regular partner Peter Buchanan. The selection failed to make all in his previous two starts when a beaten favourite over two miles at Ayr and Newcastle and must go close now stepping up in trip from just a pound higher mark.
Whilst Mumgos Debut continues to disappoint, Neil Mulholland's Halo Moon (2.50) has been nothing short of impressive in his back-to-back successes at Fakenham and Newcastle and can complete the hat-trick at the former under Noel Fehily. The selection couldn't have won any easier last week under Mark Quinlan and should be able to go in again under a 7lb penalty.
A field of five go to post for the opener where Hugh Evans' Vent Nivernas (1.45) must go close under 7lb conditional Will Featherstone. The selection returned from a break to chase home Hassadin last month at the track over the minimum trip but should prove even better over two and a half miles and score at the expense of last time out runners-up Astrum and Lake Chapala..
The Tom George yard appear to be creeping back into form and his runner On The Case (3.50) looks well-handicapped to go close in the 2m Handicap Chase. The selection has failed to sparkle in a trio of runs since returning from a break but was well-backed prior to being brought down at the first last time out at Musselburgh and remains of interest with Paddy Brennan replacing Jamie Bargary in the plate.
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