2 weeks Ago By Irishexaminer.com
Willie Mullins looks set for a profitable day in Thurles on Thursday, the champion trainer having leading claims in five of the seven races, and Mistergif can get his day off to the best possible start by taking the Thurles Racecourse Beginners’ Chase. The five-year-old was a runaway winner on his first start for current connections and ran well considering his lack of experience when fifth to Slade Steel in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. He was quite well beaten behind stablemate Mystical Power at Aintree but when he was run down late on by Gorgeous Tom at the Punchestown festival, it appeared a touch disappointing.
However, the winner has done plenty for the form in his subsequent chase outings, and this fellow can follow a similar path. Chasing should help to curb his enthusiasm enough for him to show what he is truly capable of. The danger is likely to come from former stablemate Ho My Lord, who has the form in the book to be a leading player.
The best race on the card is the listed Racing TV Black Friday Offer €14 Per Month Chase and Appreciate It can land the spoils for Mullins and Townend. It’s quite a competitive race, with Nick Rockett, Embassy Gardens, and overnight favourite Fil Dor in the race, but former Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Appreciate It can come out on top. He didn’t win a race last season, but he began it by pushing Fastorslow to half a length in the John Durkan Chase and finished the season being beaten less than six lengths into fifth place behind the same horse in the Punchestown Gold Cup.
What happened in between didn’t live up to that level but if he runs as well this time as he did on last season’s debut, he will come home in front. Mullins’ Karafon will surely be a very short price to take the www.thurlesraces.
ie Maiden Hurdle and should have little trouble obliging. Well beaten on his first two outings on the Flat, he showed improved form on his first start at three, and similarly so when sent hurdling six weeks later. After that he was sold and sent to Mullins and was dropped right into the deep end for his only start of last season.
Contesting a Grade Two juvenile hurdle at the Christmas meeting in Leopardstown, he was a touch keen but showed tremendous ability to be in contention jumping the final flight. He tired a little from that point but was beaten less than six lengths into fifth place in a race won by Kala Conti, with subsequent Grade One winner Kargese in second place, and Galway Hurdle winner Nurburgring in third. This represents a huge drop in class for the four-year-old and he should have little trouble putting this one on the board before going on to much better things.
Mullins’ Fishery Lane will also be a short price for the Killinan Maiden Hurdle and is hard to oppose, while Karamoja looks a likely type in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Maiden Hurdle, in which Baby Kate is a strong second string. THURLES Selections 12:05 Mistergif (Nap) 12:40 Appreciate It (NB) 1:15 Port Rashid 1:50 Fishery Lane 2:25 Karamoja 3:00 Karafon 3:35 Brave Troop Next best 12:05 Ho My Lord 12:40 Nick Rockett 1:15 Jacksons Gold 1:50 Committee Meeting 2:25 Baby Kate 3:00 Paul Collins 3:35 Thats All.
