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2026 Novice Hurdlers

No Mighty Park in Sheila Bourke on Sunday. Does this mean going direct to Cheltenham with only 1 run or 2m 4f prep and Turners ?
 
So I'm hoping Mighty Park will be in that race on the 19th. I'd like to see him again before the festival and isn't that the only option left?
 
Prestbury said:
No Mighty Park in Sheila Bourke on Sunday. Does this mean going direct to Cheltenham with only 1 run or 2m 4f prep and Turners ?
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Frank's intial thoughts after the race were they'd like to see him again so I'm hoping we do, on the 19th. Then turners bound. They wanted to start him over that distance at Christmas.
 
CJW said:
So I'm hoping Mighty Park will be in that race on the 19th. I'd like to see him again before the festival and isn't that the only option left?
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be unusual for willie but it's a JP horse so that would be the race if they want one before the 11th
 
Heads Up in the Sheila Bourke will be interesting, especially as a backer for the Supreme at big odds.

Can still get 80's NRNB, and I'll tell you what, there will be no prisoners taken if they let him off in the Supreme.

I'm not sure why they tried pissing around restraining him at Cheltenham LTO, but it didn't work at all. Wouldn't be surprised if he nicked a place in a Supreme though, with his running style. I remember a horse, For Pleasure, for Alex Hales, bolted off in front, managed to nick a place, albeit a little fortuitously with Blue Lord coming down.

The bumper form from last season hasn't looked too shabby either, the only one really letting it down from those that finished close up has been Caballero Cliff!

This will all, of course, be irrelevant if Heads Up can't win the Sheila Bourke well.
 
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Quevega said:
be unusual for willie but it's a JP horse so that would be the race if they want one before the 11th
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It doesn't make sense to me. Although JP calls the shots that is generally with the end targets for horses not the day to day training. If they wanted another run then surely the Sheila Bourke would make much more sense from a timing perspective. It may not be over what is considered the optimum trip but that has never worried Willie in prep races. Not sure why you would wait for a later race just to run 2m 4f - I'm sure they don't have any stamina concerns. Maybe they are worried about him pulling off the slower pace of the longer race but its likely the pace of the Turners would be faster than the speed they would go in the Sheila Bourke anyway. Puzzling to me.
 
Prestbury said:
It doesn't make sense to me. Although JP calls the shots that is generally with the end targets for horses not the day to day training. If they wanted another run then surely the Sheila Bourke would make much more sense from a timing perspective. It may not be over what is considered the optimum trip but that has never worried Willie in prep races. Not sure why you would wait for a later race just to run 2m 4f - I'm sure they don't have any stamina concerns. Maybe they are worried about him pulling off the slower pace of the longer race but its likely the pace of the Turners would be faster than the speed they would go in the Sheila Bourke anyway. Puzzling to me.
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I'd be fairly certain the racing manager's for JP are aware of the race programme sufficiently to let Willie know where they'd like them to run.
Between them all (Mullins and JP) They've obviously opted not to run sunday and have either opted for the michael purcell or go straight to cheltenham.
Or they aren't even coming over with him for some reason.

FWIW he looked too big and daft for punchestown over 2 miles IMO, but I understand what you're saying and the race might not take much winning anyhow.
 
Before anyone panics about Mighty Park, just to let everyone know, Willie Mullins has won the Baring Bingham (Turners) with a horse who had one start over hurdles previously. Fiveforthree.

Obviously the difference being the 3 bumper starts for him, and wasn't from a p2p background, but it can and has been done!
 
Quevega said:
I'd be fairly certain the racing manager's for JP are aware of the race programme sufficiently to let Willie know where they'd like them to run.
Between them all (Mullins and JP) They've obviously opted not to run sunday and have either opted for the michael purcell or go straight to cheltenham.
Or they aren't even coming over with him for some reason.

FWIW he looked too big and daft for punchestown over 2 miles IMO, but I understand what you're saying and the race might not take much winning anyhow.
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Its hard to believe they would go there off the back of only 1 racecourse run. I know Willie did it in the same race with Fiveforthree but he had run in 3 bumpers. Equally, if they have no intention of bringing him over then they could have scratched today which they didn't. That just leaves the Michael Purcell as a prep and what you would have to think is the Turners if everything goes ok.
 
Prestbury said:
Its hard to believe they would go there off the back of only 1 racecourse run. I know Willie did it in the same race with Fiveforthree but he had run in 3 bumpers. Equally, if they have no intention of bringing him over then they could have scratched today which they didn't. That just leaves the Michael Purcell as a prep and what you would have to think is the Turners if everything goes ok.
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Most likely, but this season both JP and Mullins are light in numbers - especially for the 2 main novice races.
Meaning they may break from normality.
 
The ground in Punchestown will be heavy, so not surprised they didn't want to go there with just over 3 weeks until the festival
 
darlojim said:
The ground in Punchestown will be heavy, so not surprised they didn't want to go there with just over 3 weeks until the festival
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That I agree with - likely that the Michael Purcell will not be much better so makes going straight there more likely. Will be some performance to win off the back of a glorified racecourse gallop.
 
Prestbury said:
That I agree with - likely that the Michael Purcell will not be much better so makes going straight there more likely. Will be some performance to win off the back of a glorified racecourse gallop.
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Been franked by Dino's good 2nd behind El Cairos however much we think he wasn't trying very hard. You'd have thought MP was a fragile sort as well as we haven't seen very much of him at all.
 
Lobos said:
Been franked by Dino's good 2nd behind El Cairos however much we think he wasn't trying very hard. You'd have thought MP was a fragile sort as well as we haven't seen very much of him at all.
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He's only a 5yo..

Ran in a 4yo point
 
Looking back at the the Willie Mullins sporting life quotes maybe he was always going straight to Cheltenham after Fairyhouse.


MIGHTY PARK SHOWED ON TRACK WHAT HE SHOWS ME AT HOME.

HE LOOKED VERY SPECIAL AND FOR ANY HORSE TO WIN ANY RACE BY 38 LENGHTS IS SOME EFFORT.

HE LOOKS TO BE OUT OF THE TOP DRAWER AND WILL HOPEFULLY PROVE THHAT.

HE BOOKED HIS CHELTENHAM TICKET BUT WE'RE NOT SURE FOR WHICH EVENT JUST NOW
 
Apache Tribe looked good at Ayr today in his first race over hurdles. Probably be the highest rated bumper horse on RPRs in the Albert Bartlett. May be too inexperienced but if he went to Aintree for what's usually a weaker 3m grade 1, he'd be of interest.
 
ComplyOrDie said:
Before anyone panics about Mighty Park, just to let everyone know, Willie Mullins has won the Baring Bingham (Turners) with a horse who had one start over hurdles previously. Fiveforthree.

Obviously the difference being the 3 bumper starts for him, and wasn't from a p2p background, but it can and has been done!
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Absolutely correct. For backers there is hope of course and he may just be extraordinary.

That said it’s was a pretty poor renewal that year. The horse he beat by a neck finished no better than 3rd in 12 subsequent attempts and I can’t think of anything significant any of the field did in graded company subsequently other than forpaddydeplasterer (I may be wrong of course). Had it been anything resembling an average renewal I doubt the precedent would exist.
 
MP has ran once in a race where nothing else wanted to get near him or Roc Dino, yet is around 5/1 for the Turners, madness.
 
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