‘Big run' expected from Absurde on York return
Willie Mullins' seven-year-old is a true dual-purpose performer who won the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2024 and then the Listed Chester Stakes later the same year.
He started his Flat campaign this season at the latter track when third in the Group Three Ormonde and now turns his attentions to the Knavesmire again, where he landed the Ebor under an inspired Frankie Dettori in 2023.
'He's an incredible horse, he's been to Cheltenham, Ascot and Chester,' said Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father.
'We're really looking forward to sending him back to York, he obviously won the Ebor there back in 2023.
'He's in great form at home, he's race-fit and we're expecting a big run from him.'
A field of five has assembled for the race, with Andrew Balding's Alsakib also bringing course-and-distance form to the table as the winner of the Silver Cup last term.
Charlie Appleby's El Cordobes and David Simock's Raja Raja both run, and so too does Karl Burke's Al Qareem.
The six-year-old was the runner-up behind Alsakib in the Silver Cup last year, and has returned to action this season in good form with a win in the Listed Further Flight and a second-placed effort ahead of Absurde in the Ormonde.
'He's in great form at home, the ground isn't going to be ideal but hopefully we'll get a shower,' said Nick Bradley of ownership group Nick Bradley Racing.
'The alternative was to go to the Listed race at Goodwood that Hamish won (the Tapster Stakes), we'd have had the ground there but the race would have potentially been a bit tougher.
'He's in great form and this will hopefully set him up nicely for the rest of the season.'
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Rhyl Journal
20 hours ago
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Willie Mullins eyeing famous Ascot success with Reaching High
The master of Closutton has long been at the top of the training tree and it should perhaps be no surprise that the first man to pass a century of winners at the Cheltenham Festival and who also holds his own on the Flat is the first Irishman to train for the reigning monarch. If Mullins was feeling any nerves after being bestowed such an honour, he can take comfort from heading to the familiar territory of the Ascot Stakes with Closutton's royal inmate, a race he has won four times and which came immediately on Reaching High's radar after a pleasing stable bow at Leopardstown. 'I've been very happy since his first run, he did everything nicely at Leopardstown and if he could run a similar type of race at Ascot I would be very pleased,' said Mullins reflecting on Reaching High's short head defeat in the hands of Jody Townend. 'It would be great to have a winner for Their Majesties. It's great of them to send me a pedigree like this to train and we're hoping for the best and that it all goes well on the day.' Mullins of course has previous with the royal family at their own meeting having been the man who saddled Simenon to narrowly finish second to the late Queen Elizabeth II's Estimate when she achieved a famous Gold Cup success in 2013. Estimate was trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by Ryan Moore and it is perhaps fitting that Mullins' first horse since being added to the royal roster is a former Stoute-trained offspring of Estimate set to be partnered on Tuesday by Moore. Mullins though, is determined to enjoy his week attending Flat racing's annual jamboree, even if the magnitude of victory for the King and Queen will see him bookmarked in racing history yet again. 'Why wouldn't you look forward to Royal Ascot,' said Mullins. 'Yes we'll have a few runners and hopefully a winner, but it's sort of a busman's holiday that gives you a good chance to get round and meet people who I don't get to meet at Cheltenham. 'While the Flat trainers are working away, I can catch up with all our owners just like the Flat trainers do while we're busy during Cheltenham and it works well. If we can then get a winner it's a bonus, even one in the first four is great.' Mullins currently has 10 Royal Ascot winners to his name and will also bid for a Copper Horse Stakes hat-trick with Charlus on the opening day card, while the biggest threat to Reaching High could in fact come from within his own Closutton camp in the form of Triumph Hurdle hero Poniros. Owned by Brighton and Hove Albion supremo Tony Bloom, for who Mullins saddled Stratum to win back-to-back Queen Alexandra Stakes in 2021 and 2022, the Ascot Stakes marks what could be a busy summer on the level for the shock 100-1 Cheltenham Festival scorer who was bought with dual-purpose designs. 'Poniros is well entitled to go there and he ran well there at the meeting last year,' continued Mullins. 'I think we could have some fun with him this summer and he would be one we can look forward to in all of those staying handicaps.'
Rhyl Journal
20 hours ago
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Consistent Al Qareem bags another big prize
Karl Burke and Nick Bradley Racing's reliable six-year-old was a 9-2 chance under Clifford Lee, with Willie Mullins' 2023 Ebor winner Absurde the even-money favourite having travelled over from Ireland. It was those two who did battle from a long way out as the Listed event reached a crucial stage, but Al Qareem is not a horse to shy away from a battle and he put his head down to pull clear and prevail by four and a half lengths. 'He's so honest, he's a very sound horse and he just does it every time you ask him to,' said Burke. 'When the favourite came looming up I had a smile on my face, the commentator was saying the favourite was coming after him but you know he's going to fight for it. 'I think he'll be handicapped out of the Ebor, but the Irish St Leger and the Curragh Cup, especially the Irish St Leger, could be very interesting. 'It's on a lovely, big, galloping track (Curragh) and he stays that one-mile-six (furlongs) so well. They are the two races we'll be looking at.'
North Wales Chronicle
21 hours ago
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Willie Mullins eyeing famous Ascot success with Reaching High
The master of Closutton has long been at the top of the training tree and it should perhaps be no surprise that the first man to pass a century of winners at the Cheltenham Festival and who also holds his own on the Flat is the first Irishman to train for the reigning monarch. If Mullins was feeling any nerves after being bestowed such an honour, he can take comfort from heading to the familiar territory of the Ascot Stakes with Closutton's royal inmate, a race he has won four times and which came immediately on Reaching High's radar after a pleasing stable bow at Leopardstown. 'I've been very happy since his first run, he did everything nicely at Leopardstown and if he could run a similar type of race at Ascot I would be very pleased,' said Mullins reflecting on Reaching High's short head defeat in the hands of Jody Townend. 'It would be great to have a winner for Their Majesties. It's great of them to send me a pedigree like this to train and we're hoping for the best and that it all goes well on the day.' Mullins of course has previous with the royal family at their own meeting having been the man who saddled Simenon to narrowly finish second to the late Queen Elizabeth II's Estimate when she achieved a famous Gold Cup success in 2013. Estimate was trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by Ryan Moore and it is perhaps fitting that Mullins' first horse since being added to the royal roster is a former Stoute-trained offspring of Estimate set to be partnered on Tuesday by Moore. Mullins though, is determined to enjoy his week attending Flat racing's annual jamboree, even if the magnitude of victory for the King and Queen will see him bookmarked in racing history yet again. 'Why wouldn't you look forward to Royal Ascot,' said Mullins. 'Yes we'll have a few runners and hopefully a winner, but it's sort of a busman's holiday that gives you a good chance to get round and meet people who I don't get to meet at Cheltenham. 'While the Flat trainers are working away, I can catch up with all our owners just like the Flat trainers do while we're busy during Cheltenham and it works well. If we can then get a winner it's a bonus, even one in the first four is great.' Mullins currently has 10 Royal Ascot winners to his name and will also bid for a Copper Horse Stakes hat-trick with Charlus on the opening day card, while the biggest threat to Reaching High could in fact come from within his own Closutton camp in the form of Triumph Hurdle hero Poniros. Owned by Brighton and Hove Albion supremo Tony Bloom, for who Mullins saddled Stratum to win back-to-back Queen Alexandra Stakes in 2021 and 2022, the Ascot Stakes marks what could be a busy summer on the level for the shock 100-1 Cheltenham Festival scorer who was bought with dual-purpose designs. 'Poniros is well entitled to go there and he ran well there at the meeting last year,' continued Mullins. 'I think we could have some fun with him this summer and he would be one we can look forward to in all of those staying handicaps.'
