Mob-handed Mullins offers chance to bolster festival funds

Naas brings the curtain down on its jumps season with a quality seven-race card and the opening 2m novice hurdle provides punters with the first opportunity to build up their Cheltenham betting bank.

Willie Mullins is double-handed in the opener and said of his two: “Bleu Berry is an improving horse who goes on the ground and we're expecting a big run from him.

"Riven Light won his maiden hurdle at Thurles by 12 lengths but he hasn't been able to make of an impression at Grade 1 level since and we are hoping that he can perform well now that he is dropping down in class.”

One of the most intriguing runners on the entire card is the Alan Fleming-trained Zaheer who won a bumper in Barry Connell’s silks last year but has not been seen since.

Connections had contemplated running the five-year-old in the Champion Bumper next week but sidestepped that engagement in preference for sending him over hurdles.

Fleming said: “He’s a lovely horse but we have had to take our time with him. We put him away after he won his bumper as he is such a big horse and just needed a bit of time and it was well documented that our horses just weren’t firing very the winter months so we bided our time with him. We are looking forward to running him and he has schooled well.”

Gordon Elliott may well hold the key with Minella Till Dawn, and Mark Walsh has chosen the JP McManus-owned gelding over the Jospeh O’Brien-trained Outspoken.

Elliott said: “He’ll probably get further in time but he’s very well at the moment and this looks a nice race for him. We are looking forward to it.”

Elsewhere on the card, Townshend should be impossible to beat for Willie Mullins and his son Patrick in the 2m beginners’ chase while Mystic Theatre has similarly strong claims in the concluding bumper for the pair.

"She had an entry in the Champion Bumper but takes her chance in this instead," her handler said.

He added: "She has won two point-to-points and we think she has improved since then. Hopefully conditions won't tell against her."

Naas card