Blueking d'Oroux serves up Select success
Cobden has shone in recent weeks, particularly when winning the Scottish National on Willie Mullins' Captain Cody, and dictated matters perfectly.
Having looked a sitting duck on the run to two out, both Dan Skelton's runners Take No Chances and Gwennie May Boy dropped away and Mullins' favourite Kitzbuhel got caught flat footed.
It was Gary and Josh Moore's Salver who briefly headed Cobden, looking to give the stable a treble on the day, but Blueking d'Oroux (10-1) battled back to give Paul Nicholls a fifth win in the race by a head.
Nicholls said: 'He deserved that and he's a decent horse who loves good ground. He struggled a little bit in the winter but he only just got beat at Ascot, Fontwell and Windsor the ground was against us, so in the future we'll just have to pick our battles depending on ground.
'It was a great ride from Harry from the front and he dug deep and kept finding. I'd saved him for today and it was the obvious race for him – there was no point running in handicaps with his mark and this was the obvious race for him before he goes chasing.
'He wants good ground and that is key, but I think he will be a better chaser than hurdler. He jumps well and stays nicely and I think he will be a very fun horse. To me he is a mirror of Pic D'Orhy and if he is anywhere as good as him, you would be happy with that.
'I thought I had this lad and Pic D'Orhy in the form of their lives today and it just shows you how different 30 minutes can make in racing – thankfully Pic D'Orhy is perfectly all right and will be back.'
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North Wales Chronicle
26-04-2025
- North Wales Chronicle
Blueking d'Oroux serves up Select success
Cobden has shone in recent weeks, particularly when winning the Scottish National on Willie Mullins' Captain Cody, and dictated matters perfectly. Having looked a sitting duck on the run to two out, both Dan Skelton's runners Take No Chances and Gwennie May Boy dropped away and Mullins' favourite Kitzbuhel got caught flat footed. It was Gary and Josh Moore's Salver who briefly headed Cobden, looking to give the stable a treble on the day, but Blueking d'Oroux (10-1) battled back to give Paul Nicholls a fifth win in the race by a head. Nicholls said: 'He deserved that and he's a decent horse who loves good ground. He struggled a little bit in the winter but he only just got beat at Ascot, Fontwell and Windsor the ground was against us, so in the future we'll just have to pick our battles depending on ground. 'It was a great ride from Harry from the front and he dug deep and kept finding. I'd saved him for today and it was the obvious race for him – there was no point running in handicaps with his mark and this was the obvious race for him before he goes chasing. 'He wants good ground and that is key, but I think he will be a better chaser than hurdler. He jumps well and stays nicely and I think he will be a very fun horse. To me he is a mirror of Pic D'Orhy and if he is anywhere as good as him, you would be happy with that. 'I thought I had this lad and Pic D'Orhy in the form of their lives today and it just shows you how different 30 minutes can make in racing – thankfully Pic D'Orhy is perfectly all right and will be back.'
The Herald Scotland
25-04-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Mullins hot favourite to keep hold of his ‘cookie jar'
There is a slightly different feel to the conclusion of this year's race, with Skelton having led the way for virtually the entire campaign and he appeared home and hosed before Mullins fired in eight winners across three days at Aintree and saddled five of the first seven home in the Grand National. Even a Mullins one-two in the following weekend's Scottish Grand National could not knock Skelton off top spot and the Alcester handler will take a lead of over £68,000 into the last day thanks to Friday's success for Coco Mademoiselle at Perth and Doyouknowwhatimean's Chepstow second – but with Mullins running 21 horses to his nine at Sandown, Skelton admits he is fearing the worst. Trainer Dan Skelton at Ayr (Steve Welsh/PA) 'Everyone here is full of hope and full of the possibility, but I feel like I know what's coming on Saturday,' he said. 'I've known since Aintree that Willie was going to bring a few over for the Scottish National and a few for the midweek meetings and then he was going to attack Sandown with some vigour. 'But I didn't sit back after Aintree and say the inevitability of all this is going to subdue me and my team. We've come out and done everything we can, our horses have been phenomenal and I'm so proud of everybody. 'My owners and my team, we've never been champion, we've never been to that dance. But the excitement that we might have done it and we might still do it – and the tenacity everyone is showing – is something I've taken a lot of heart from. 'It's different when you've never won one, as you're trying to get through the door and onto the dancefloor. Maybe the bouncer won't let us into the party on Saturday, but we'll try and do it.' Trainer Willie Mullins after winning the Randox Grand National with Nick Rockett (Nigel French/The Jockey Club) Despite the fact Mullins has not yet been in front during this season's title race, the master of Closutton is long odds-on to emulate O'Brien by successfully defending his British crown. The man himself, however, is taking nothing for granted. He said: 'Dan is in front and we can think about all the points we might get on the board, but as we see every year in the Premier League, having points on the board is worth more than anything. 'The fact we are both in different countries means we're not meeting each other all the time in the weighing room like you would in Ireland and we don't ring each other seeing what each other is going to run or things like that, so it's been very quiet and he's doing his business and I'm doing mine. 'I'm sure we'll have a bit of fun on Saturday and one of us is going to be disappointed and one of us is going to walk away with the cookie jar (the trophy) – it's where I kept all my sweets in and whoever wins on Saturday might be lucky and find one or two left at the bottom! 'We had a great day at Sandown last year and they looked after us very well and we were totally amazed with the support we got, it was a great day and a fantastic atmosphere.' This is going TO THE WIRE! Skelton vs. Mullins at the last and this time it's Team Skelton who come out on top with Riskintheground beating O'Moore Park — The Jockey Club (@TheJockeyClub) April 16, 2025 With Mullins not represented until race three, Skelton has the chance to extend his lead with Riskintheground, who following two wins in the space of a week earlier in the month, goes in search of the hat-trick in the second race on the card – the bet365 Josh Gifford Novices' Handicap Chase. 'We were always planning for him around this time of year, I always had the Cheltenham race in mind and we thought we'd go to Ayr beforehand,' said Skelton. 'He's in the form of his life, he looks fantastic. It's been 10 days since he ran, so it's not like I'm running him three days later, and he absolutely loves it. 'I'm sure he'll run very well, whether the handicapper has caught up with him, we'll find out.' Mullins fires a four-pronged assault on the Grade Two bet365 Oaksey Chase, with hot favourite Gaelic Warrior joined by a trio of stablemates in Gentleman De Mee, Appreciate It and Classic Getaway. Gaelic Warrior on his way to victory at Aintree (Mike Egerton/PA) He said: 'It took me all year to get Gaelic Warrior right but I got him right for Aintree. Sometimes you get a horse right once and that will be it for the year, but he will have to be at his best again. 'Paul (Townend) rides him and Mark Walsh rides Gentleman De Mee. They would be the first team while Appreciate It and Classic Getaway are sort of the second 11.' In the same race, outsider Boombawn represents Skelton, who said: 'He's been a fabulous horse all year, he's Grade One placed and a Grade Two winner, but look what's coming over! We're asking him an impossible task.' Grade Two honours are also up for grabs in the bet365 Select Hurdle, in which Mullins again saddles the market leader in Kitzbuhel while Skelton runs Gwennie May Boy and Take No Chances. 'He's a nice horse, but Nicky Henderson's horse Lucky Place might be the one we have to beat. If Kitzbuhel turned up at his best, I'd expect him to go very close,' said Mullins. Skelton added: 'Take No Chances has had a phenomenal year, she's been consistent all the way through and will love the track and the ground, and the trip is no problem. 'Gwennie May Boy underwhelmed a little bit last time but was very good the time before. I'd like to think the pair of them can be real competitors.' Mullins outnumbers Skelton 10 to one in the bet365 Gold Cup and has twice as many runners in the concluding bet365 Handicap Hurdle with four.
The Herald Scotland
25-04-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Skelton fears title chances may go up in Smoke
However, the Lodge Hill team are hopeful the decision to skip the Scottish Grand National will pay dividend as they bid to keep trainers' title dreams alive in a race that could prove crucial. A big success for the Skeltons with Hoe Joly Smoke! 🥇 How many winners will the Skeltons have this week at Cheltenham? 🏆#ITVRacing — ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 9, 2025 'We never entered him in the Scottish National, rightly or wrongly, because I always felt this was the right race for him. We didn't expect Grangeclare West to turn up, but that's happened because of circumstances and we're 12lb wrong before we start,' said Skelton. 'We've got to give it a go. I feel a bit sorry for Harry, who has got to do 10st 2lb, which is not exactly a walk in the park, but he'd do 9st 2lb at the moment for me – I know how much support I've got from him and I know how much he wants it. 'We've got a nice chance, but the data shows it's going to be 12lb difficult before we start.' Skelton will also be cheering on fellow British trainers Olly Murphy and Emma Lavelle, who saddle the tough Resplendent Grey and in-form King's Threshold respectively seeking their own slice of the prize-fund, with the value of the former's National Hunt Chase fourth to Haiti Couleurs given a significant boost recently. Resplendent Grey has been a smart performer for Olly Murphy this season (John Walton/PA) Murphy said: 'He ran well in Cheltenham. He didn't go round very well but he came home strong. We'll ride him a little bit differently. 'He's got first-time cheekpieces and hopefully they will help him, he's got a lovely weight on his back and if he gets into a rhythm, he's got an each-way chance.' Sean Bowen will pick up his first title on the day but had to get off Haiti Couleurs at Cheltenham to ride Resplendent Grey and still awaits a first Festival winner. He did, though, win the Irish National on Rebecca Curtis' charge on Monday. Murphy added: 'It would be great if Sean could wrap up the season by winning this. He's been freshened up and we're looking forward to running him.' Neil Mulholland's Transmission was a place behind Resplendent Grey at Cheltenham, while Skelton's old boss Paul Nicholls runs Threeunderthrufive. However, it is hard to ignore the aces Mullins has up his sleeve and as well as the aforementioned Grangeclare West, he will saddle the likes of defending champion Minella Cocooner and High Class Hero, who is the trainer's idea of the stable first string. Mullins said: 'Paul rides High Class Hero and he's one who is going to be high on the list, if not right at the top. High Class Hero leads the Willie Mullins team (Brian Lawless/PA) 'We switched from the Irish National to this late, we had a lot of rain in Fairyhouse and we just felt a drier track would suit him. 'Grangeclare West and Minella Cocooner both ran well in the National and must have their chances.' There is also a Grade One winner amongst the Closutton team in Dancing City, while Mullins fancies O'Moore Park to go close having knocked on the door at Cheltenham the last twice. 'Dancing City fell at Aintree but on his form before that you'd think he would have a really good chance and I think he's a good enough jumper, maybe we just concentrate on getting him around, then see,' said Mullins. 'O'Moore Park is due a big race and has been improving all season, whether that win is this or next season, I don't know.' Klarc Kent in action in the Scottish grand National (Jane Barlow/PA) Others on the Mullins teamsheet include Olympic Man, Lombron, Klarc Kent, Spanish Harlem and Chosen Witness, with the reigning champion trainer not ruling any out of contention. He said: 'Olympic Man was running a great race for Patrick in Ayr and will be ridden by Johnny Burke. He will be wearing a hood for the first time as he just raced with the choke out a little bit at Ayr and he won't be without a chance. 'Klarc Kent ran a cracker when second in the Scottish National, but even with Kieran Callaghan claiming 5lb, he's still going to be out the handicap. 'Spanish Harlem I think will like this nice ground and he's not out of it and the same applies to Chosen Witness. 'They are two horses I haven't really run before on this type of ground, but I think it's time they did and we take a punt on the ground. They are two big, chasing types that I had been keeping to ground with soft in, but at this stage of the game it's time to let them take their chance.'
