With Ruby Walsh at Newbury and Paul Townend on duty at Warwick, Willie Mullins entrusts the hot-seat on the exciting Vroum Vroum Mag to his nephew Danny at Naas.
The ex-French mare is unbeaten in three starts in Ireland this season and is as low as 12-1 in some ante-post lists for the Grade One JLT at Cheltenham, one of a number of festival options open to her.
Vroum Vroum Mag has looked a fencing natural to date and anything but a smooth victory for her in the Opera Hat Chase will be quite a surprise.
Mullins also rides Blood Cotil for his uncle in the Beginners Chase and it is a surprise that this one has yet to win over fences, a surprise that could be maintained with Gilt Shadow in opposition here.
Stuart Crawford’s runner didn’t put a foot wrong on his chasing debut at Navan a fortnight ago until exiting with a horrible blunder at the last.
Crawford is inclined to blame a loose horse taking Gilt Shadow’s concentration that day where the evidence was that dropping back to two miles should suit this former top bumper performer very well.
Co Antrim-based Crawford gives Strongpoint a first start over fences in a year and a half in the two-mile handicap and this veteran could be well in here off a mark of 116.
Wicklow Brave
Willie Mullins’s big-race focus will be on Wicklow Brave in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury but Glens Melody looks to hold more obvious credentials for her listed assignment at Warwick where there is an 8am inspection.
Townend’s mount won twice at Warwick last season, including this race, and she ran a fine second to the Champion Hurdle outsider Kitten Rock on her previous start.
The Fairyhouse maiden winner Arbre de Vie should also be hard to beat in the Warwick opener.
