Mulholland eyeing twin assault on Kerry National

PA Sport Reporters
September 17, 2020 2:57 pm

Shantou Village and Soupy Soups bound for Listowel.

Neil Mulholland is set to be double-handed in next week’s Guinness Kerry National with Shantou Village and Soupy Soups due to line up in the Listowel feature.

Shantou Village is no stranger to the three-mile contest, having finished fifth in 2018 before unseating his rider at the final obstacle when still in with every chance last year.

The 10-year-old has had two spins over hurdles since the resumption of British jumps racing in July and he will be joined by stablemate Soupy Soups, who recently struck gold at Perth, on the trip to Ireland.

Mulholland said: “The plan is to run both Soupy Soups, who won the Perth Gold Cup for us at the end of last month, and Shantou Village, who picked up for prize money when fifth in the race in 2018 and was unlucky last year with what happened at the last fence.

“It is a great race with great prize money and hopefully everything works out. The drier it stays the better it will be for both our horses.”

Peter Fahey is also hoping for dry weather for his contender Peregrine Run, who lifted a Grade Three chase back in July and was last seen finishing fifth in a Flat handicap at Leopardstown in August.

Fahey said: “It is looking like a favourable weather forecast and he’ll run if the ground is good. It just went too soft for him at Galway (pulled up in the Galway Plate).

“He’s fresh and well, really he’s in brilliant form and if the rain stays away, he’ll take his chance.”

The Kerry National is the highlight of the week-long Harvest Festival at Listowel and the contest has 35 contenders at this stage, headed by top weight The Storyteller for Gordon Elliott.

He also has Ravenhill, Three Musketeers and Timiyan entered, while Henry De Bromhead also has four in Spyglass Hill, Plan Of Attack, Kupatana and Minella Times.

Willie Mullins has whittled his team down to Cabaret Queen, Robin Des Foret and Blazer with Snow Falcon, successful in the 2018 renewal, and Cap York standing their ground for Noel Meade.