Klassical Dream 'should take some beating' says Willie Mullins as he sends seven-time Grade 1 winner chasing

All eyes will be on Klassical Dream when the seven-time Grade 1 winner makes his belated chase debut in the Download The BetVictor App Irish EBF Beginners Chase at Thurles on Thursday.

The nine-year-old won the 2019 Supreme Novices' Hurdle under Ruby Walsh and has since excelled in staying hurdles. He was last seen finishing third in a Grade 1 at Auteuil in May for Willie Mullins.

Chasing has long been on the agenda for Klassical Dream, as he was entered in a beginners' chase in Christmas 2020, but setbacks forced connections to keep campaigning him over hurdles.

He returned to the track after 16 months on the sidelines at the 2021 Punchestown festival when he bolted up in the Grade 1 Champion Stayers Hurdle and has won the same race for the last two seasons.

Things did not fall right for him in two efforts in the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham, finishing fifth as 11-4 favourite in 2022 and ninth last season.

Klassical Dream: a star in staying hurdles for the last few seasonsCredit: Patrick McCann

Mullins has been encouraged by Klassical Dream's jumping at home since he was beaten nine lengths by the smart Theleme in May's French Champion Hurdle.

He said: "Klassical Dream jumps very well and this trip and ground will be perfect. This looks a nice starting point for his career over fences and with a clear round he should take some beating."

The Mullins camp are never reluctant to send some of the older members of their string over fences, and they have done so to great effect in recent seasons. Sharjah has landed both his starts over fences since going chasing at the age of ten, while the remarkable Faugheen added two Grade 1 victories to his glittering CV when embarking on a career over fences at the age of 11 in the 2019-20 season.

Klassical Dream will be a short price to make a perfect start to life over fences but the Henry de Bromhead-trained Gold Bullion and Dermot McLoughlin's Digby could make him work for it after they made encouraging chase debuts on their latest starts.

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