Aintree 'should be to Mystical Power's advantage' - but can Supreme runner-up fend off classy mares?

Mystical Power (second), Firefox (third) and Mistergif (fifth) were a few lengths away from each other in the Supreme, a contest which didn't produce anything special on the clock.

The Supreme runner-up hit a low of 1.06 in running before being outstayed up the hill by Slade Steel. The switch to a sharper course can be considered a positive, albeit a sounder surface is probably what he wants.

Mistergif did not appear to have many excuses, but was running for Willie Mullins for only the second time and improvement is possible. Firefox, however, did have a legitimate defence. He breezed into contention rounding the home turn and found his path blocked repeatedly in the straight. It represented a marginally superior finishing effort to Mystical Power’s.

Adding further intrigue to a fascinating affair is the presence of Grade 2 scorers Lump Sum and Personal Ambition. Neither ran at the festival so, like Dysart Enos, they are fresh for the challenge.

You would bank on Dovecote winner Lump Sum possessing a little more toe than Premier Novices’ victor Personal Ambition, but testing ground could blunt that in a race that usually places a greater emphasis on pure two-mile pace.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

RP Recommends: how to bet on the Top Novices' Hurdle

By Tom Park, audience editor

Sky Bet are money back up to £10 if your horse finishes second or third and I'm happy to take on the Supreme second and third here with Dysart Enos, who was a hugely impressive bumper winner at this meeting last year.

RP Recommends: Sky Bet

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Firefox
I think you'll see a different Firefox here to the one we saw in the Supreme. He ran well, but in hindsight I probably told Jack [Kennedy] to ride him with a bit more restraint than I should have. He's been very good since Cheltenham, so we're looking forward to it. It's a hot race.

Neil King, trainer of Lookaway
He's had a nice break since disappointing in the Betfair Hurdle. We deliberately avoided Cheltenham to come here and he's in very good order. The testing going means we're sticking at two miles.

Willie Mullins, trainer of Mistergif and Mystical Power Mystical Power ran a cracker in the Supreme and there was a moment after the last when it looked as though he had the race wrapped up, only for him to be outstayed up the hill. The track at Aintree should be to his advantage. If he runs up to the same form here as he did there, it puts him firmly in the mix. Mistergif ran okay in the Supreme. I thought he was going to be third between the final two flights only for him to fade into fifth. With that run and experience under his belt he might improve a bit to get into the first three.

Ben Pauling, trainer of Personal Ambition
He’s not done a lot wrong this season and he deserves a chance in a good race. He’s in very good form and we were toying between two and a half miles and two miles, but with the ground the way it is we’ve gone shorter.

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