Mullins confident Ballyburn can make Gallagher impact

Odds-on shot headlines trainer’s six-strong challenge on Wednesday’s Cheltenham opener.

Ballyburn heads a Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle line up dominated by Willie Mullins-trained contenders.

The six-year-old has been beaten just once in five runs under rules, winning two bumpers before coming home behind Gordon Elliott’s Firefox on his hurdling debut.

Next time out he won a Leopardstown maiden by 25 lengths and then followed that success up with another at Grade One level when taking the Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle by seven lengths from Slade Steel.

The latter run was over two miles, but the one before came at two and a half and the bay, who is a three-mile point to point winner, will step up a furlong at Cheltenham.

“Ballyburn is starting to walk the walk and I hope he can go close on Wednesday,” Mullins said.

Ballyburn at Leopardstown
Ballyburn at Leopardstown (Brian Laweless/PA)

“His pedigree suggests that he shouldn’t have any problem staying this trip.”

Paul Townend will be aboard as he has been on each of the horse’s hurdling starts and he was relishing the ride whether connections had opted for this race or the shorter Supreme.

He said: “Whether he turned up Tuesday or Wednesday, he was one I was looking forward to.

“I believe he has scared off a lot of them and it’s a bit of a Willie Mullins show.”

Mullins is set to field four further runners, including the Tony Bloom-owned Ile Atlantique.

Ile Atlantique during his bumper career
Ile Atlantique during his bumper career (Niall Carson/PA)

The gelding won his hurdling debut by 25 lengths and was last seen finishing second by a neck to Readin Tommy Wrong in the Grade One Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle over two and a half miles.

“He’s been great, it was a Grade One race that he ran in at Naas and I suppose he ended up doing all the donkey work and set the race up for Readin Tommy Wrong,” said Sean Graham, racing manager to Bloom.

“He had a hard enough race that day, so we decided to miss the Dublin Racing Festival and go straight to Cheltenham. This race was always the plan because we think the trip will suit him.

“Four weeks ago I wasn’t thinking Ballyburn would run in the race, so we could be racing for a bit of placed prize money rather than win prize money.

“People don’t want to take on short-priced horses as they think there’s no point in turning up, yet year after year you see so many of them beaten.

“We’re going into the race with a horse in great form, who’ll do his absolute best, the cards could fall our way.

“Ballyburn would have to under perform for us to win but these things can happen.”

Predators Gold at Punchestown
Predators Gold at Punchestown (PA)

Mullins will also saddle Predators Gold, who finished second at Leopardstown in both the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle and the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle, two Grade One contests.

The former run was over two miles and the latter over two miles and six and a half furlongs, leaving him well proven in terms of stamina ahead of his Cheltenham start.

Mercurey, first in a Punchestown maiden hurdle when last seen, is also entered for the yard alongside Clonmel winner Jimmy Du Seuil.

The British challenge is led by Ben Pauling and Handstands, a five-year-old gelding unbeaten in three runs under rules as well as a point to point.

His most recent success was a length-and-a-half defeat of Nicky Henderson’s well-regarded Jango Baie in the Listed Sidney Banks at Huntingdon.

Handstands winning the Sidney Banks
Handstands winning the Sidney Banks (David DAvies/PA)

He was ridden by Harry Cobden for the first time on occasion and the same jockey retains the ride and will take up the reins at Cheltenham.

“He has come through all his preparations in good order and, all being well, goes there with a chance,” said Pauling.

“He won without being fully extended at Huntingdon which is an exciting thing. We don’t really know where the ceiling is with this fella but I’m sure we’ll find out on Wednesday.”

Of the jockey booking, Pauling added: “It’s not been an easy decision. Woodsy (Kielan Woods, stable jockey) has never sat on him and Ben Jones did brilliantly on him (at Newcastle) but was unfortunately banned for the Sidney Banks.

“This is not a fact that I don’t have faith in my boys because I do, but it was very much the belief of the owner Tim Radford that Harry hadn’t a ride in the race, had won the Sidney Banks on him and we should probably keep him straight.”

Henderson’s Jingko Blue and Harriet Dickin’s The Grey Man both represent the home side and complete the field.

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