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| Cheltenham News 2007 |
Tom Mullins Happy With Asian Maze 13/03/07
Tom Mullins is hoping that he can emulate his father Paddy, who won
the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle courtesy of the great mare Dawn Run
in 1984, with another member of the fairer sex in Asian Maze in today’s £360,000
renewal.
The Anshan mare has four Grade 1 hurdles to her name, including the
Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at Punchestown in April, but has failed
to win in three starts this season, coming home 17 lengths adrift of
dual Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace in the Irish Champion Hurdle
at Leopardstown in January on her last outing.
Mullins said: “Asian Maze is in good form and travelled over well
- she’s as good as I can have her.
“She’s a stronger mare this year and that might be to her advantage. If she is happy in the first half a mile, I would say that she will go well, but if the pace is too hot for her, she might find it difficult.”
All five of the eight-year-old’s Graded race victories have come
over a trip of two and a half miles or further and Mullins is considering
running his charge in Thursday’s feature Ladbrokes World Hurdle
as well.
“She’ll be declared for the World Hurdle tomorrow and her participation will depend how she is after running in the Champion.”
Mullins also intends running ante-post favourite New Field in Wednesday’s
Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle and Chelsea Harbour in the Royal & SunAlliance
Chase on the same day.
The former finished third in the Pierse Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown
in January before coming seventh behind Heathcote in the totesport Trophy
at Newbury last month.
“New Field is good and travelled over well as well. All of his
work has been good and he was close up at Newbury.
“I was pleased with him there as he didn’t get the run of
the race and I’m hoping for better luck. The plan that day was
to be mid-division or better, but he was unlucky early on when they went
very fast and he was too far back with too much ground to make up.
“The ground is perfect for him, although I’m hoping he’ll be suited by the stiff Cheltenham hill but I am not sure.”
Chelsea Harbour was successful in the three-mile Grade 2 Woodlands Park
100 Club Novice Chase at Naas by five and a half lengths to O’Muircheartaigh,
but could then only finish fourth in the Dr P.J. Moriarty Novice Chase
at Leopardstown in February.
“He won well at Naas, but then we did the wrong thing in his last
race over 2m 5f when we should have pressed the pace but didn’t.
The race wasn’t run to suit and he’s back to three miles
and we’re hoping that he will be back to his best.
“The ground will be fine and I think that he goes on anything.
He would be up with the best that I’ve trained but I’ve only
been training three years.
“My best chance of the week would be Asian Maze.”
