Monmiral has staying power and class to land Scilly Isles

Jumps fans are in for a real treat this weekend with the prestigious Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown and an array of top-quality racing in Britain, including the Grade 1 Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown and the Cheltenham trials at Musselburgh.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls could head into this year’s Cheltenham Festival with his strongest team in years and his hopes will be boosted if

wins the Scilly Isles on Saturday.

Runner-up on his two chase starts behind the mighty Jonbon at Warwick in November and The Real Whacker at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, he kept on impressively last time and should be suited by the uphill finish at Sandown.

Monmiral was rated more than a stone superior to his rivals over hurdles and should have too much class if he puts in a clear round of jumping.

MONMIRAL

Nicky Henderson has yet to win the Grade 2 William Hill Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby but there is every chance he will get on the board on Saturday with the wellregarded CITY CHIEF.

Chasing was always going to be the plan for the Irish point winner and connections would have been encouraged that he managed to win a couple of novice hurdles.

Having run green behind the more experienced Gelino Bello in an Exeter match on his chasing debut, he won comfortably at Hereford last time, beating Coconut Splash by five and a half lengths when conceding 3lb.

Willie Mullins has won five of the last eight runnings of the Grade 1 Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase (2.30) at Leopardstown and has a strong hand again on Saturday.

Although APPRECIATE IT is the oldest in the field, the nineyear-old is fancied to outshine the juniors. Winner of the 2021 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, he is two from two since converting to fences, including a 21-length victory at Naas in the same contest that Mullins took en route to victory here in the last two runnings with Energumene and Blue Lord.

Appreciate It has a perfect record from four runs at Leopardstown, including two Grade 1 hurdles and, with so much in his favour, I am making him my nap.

Gordon Elliott will be hopeful of bagging a few winners at Leopardstown too and one of his best chances is BETTER DAYS AHEAD in the Future Stars Flat Race on Saturday.

The stable landed the race in 2019 with Envoi Allen, who followed up in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, and Better Days Ahead is already 8-1 for the festival race.

Runner-up on his first start under rules when narrowly denied by the more experienced Carnfunnock in a three-runner race at Down Royal, he put the experience of that run to good use when bolting up at Fairyhouse last time.

The Nicholls-trained LALLYGAG can continue his steady progress in Thursday’s JenningsBet Christchurch Novices’ Hurdle at Wincanton, a race the stable has won twice in the past three years.

A game winner last time at Taunton, the six-year-old is held in high regard, having been sent off favourite in five of his last six starts, and I expect punters to be latching on to him again on Thursday.

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