Hot To Trot: Alexander looking great

Jumps Trainer: Willie Mullins (Click trainer’s name to view a full list of entries)

It will perhaps come as no surprise to learn that Willie Mullins, a 12-time Champion Jumps Trainer over in Ireland, is coming into form at the turn of the year, though it is worth noting that Mullins has enjoyed a particularly good spell with his hurdlers of late, with Sharjah, Aramon and Good Thyne Tara all winning graded contests for the yard over the Christmas period.

As you would expect, Mullins has three interesting entries in Sunday’s Grade 1 Novices Hurdle at Naas (you can read our preview of that race here), but he has some interesting entries over timber next week, too, beginning with French Made, who is entered at Clonmel on Thursday. Brought over from France by JP McManus, French Made has had just one start so far, finishing second in a bumper at Angers in April, and it would be no surprise should she prove to be a good prospect for her powerful new connections.

With there being no racing from Monday-Wednesday next week, Mullins has several entries on Thursday’s card at Clonmel, including three in the Munster Hurdle. The most interesting of Mullins’ intended trio is Lac Kivu, who we haven’t seen since August 2017. He looked something out of the ordinary when winning a novice contest on his first start for the yard in May 2017, and whilst he disappointed slightly at Galway 9 weeks later, he’s a good prospect – provided he’s ready to go after an absence. Harrie is also in the race and looks open to more improvement after getting off the mark at Tramore last month, whilst Epswell got back on track at Gowran last time having disappointed at Galway in October.

Mullins also has three French imports entered in the maiden hurdle on the card, in the form of Dento Des Obeaux, Cash Back and Breaken. Of the three, Breaken perhaps looks the best prospect based on their French form, but all three are open to improvement now switched to Ireland, and are worth a look in the market on Thursday afternoon.

Away from timber, Billaway is an interesting entry in a hunters chase at Clonmel on Thursday, having had just the two starts in bumpers to date. It’s intriguing that he heads straight over fences, an unusual route, but he has made an encouraging start to his career so far, twice finishing second at Cork and Tipperary respectively, and is worth a check in the market if taking his chance.

Flat Trainer: Karl Burke

We may be just five days into 2019 at the time of writing, though Karl Burke has already enjoyed a positive start to the year, considering that he has tended to start slowly over the past few years, as the below graph shows.

Burke has several entries at Wolverhampton on Monday, the most interesting of which being Thunder Buddy, who is due to run in the apprentice handicap on the card. He’s come into his own on the fibresand the last twice, getting off the mark on his most recent start at Southwell on Thursday, and he may be up to following up provided he can transfer his form over to the tapeta. Wind Storm meanwhile underperformed on the fibresand last time out, but she ran respectably at Newcastle in November and ought to be competitive off her lowly mark if taking her chance in the fillies’ handicap.  

Mardle showed improved form to get off the mark at Newcastle in November, and he looks to have leading claims of following up over the same course and distance now switched to handicap company on Tuesday. His opening mark is a solid one, and he could well be up to completing the double.

Later in the week, Burke is due to send two to Lingfield on Wednesday, in the form of So Hi Storm and Dancing Ballerina. The latter failed to progress from her promising start at Wolverhampton last month when down the field 17 days later, and as such it is So Hi Storm who is the more interesting proposition. So Hi Storm completed a double at Chelmsford in October, and whilst he hasn’t been in the same form in two starts since, he had valid excuses on the first occasion and may be worth chancing now dropped 1 lb by the handicapper and handed a small break by his trainer.

Under The Radar: Nick Alexander

Generally, as the winter months arrive, the Nick Alexander team begin to hit top gear, and his yard have once again began firing in and around the New Year, as the below graph shows.

Alexander has a host of entries in Scotland at the beginning of next week, beginning with four at Musselburgh on Monday. The most interesting of those is Dance of Fire, who along with Ballynanty is entered in the handicap hurdle on the card. Dance of Fire shaped well on return from a year off the track over C&D last month, finishing sixth, and giving the impression that he would improve significantly for that outing. Dropped 5 lb for that effort, he’s well handicapped on his Flat form, and could well be up to winning this if building on that run.

At Ayr on Tuesday, Alexander has four entries in the opening race on the card, the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle, and the most interesting of his quartet is Up Helly AA King, who shaped as if needing the run on reappearance at this track in November. This would be his second run since a breathing operation, and, dropped 5 lb, he ought to be competitive at his level sooner rather than later.

Off The Hook has an entry on the mares’ novices’ hurdle on the card, and she would have leading claims if taking her chance. She excelled herself when third in a listed contest at Haydock last month, handling the testing ground well, and she looks a big player now dropped back into novice company. The Orange Rogue has an entry on the card, though he has been running poorly for a while, disappointing at Newcastle last month, and as a 12-year-old, he’s firmly into the veteran stage of his career now.