Supreme favourite Appreciate It bids to enhance Mullins' remarkable record

2.10 Leopardstown
Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m | 5yo+ | ITV4/RTE2/RTE

The suggestion seemed to be that Appreciate It would need further than two miles for us to fully appreciate just how good he is, but his explosive performance over this course and distance at Christmas said otherwise.

The way last year's Champion Bumper runner-up quickened around the omitted (due to low sun) final hurdle in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle was very easy on the eye and he was instantly slashed for the Supreme. He is now no bigger than 5-2 for that.

Appreciate It posted an RPR of 155 there and a repeat performance would surely suffice. The ground is ideal, his jumping is fluent and he hits the line hard. It is hard to find any chinks in his armour.

Royal Bond winner Ballyadam has nearly 16 lengths to make up on Appreciate It from their Christmas clash. He clearly wasn't himself there and it will be interesting to see how close he gets if back to himself. His Royal Bond RPR of 145 is still 10lb inferior to what Appreciate It produced last time.

Ballyadam: Royal Bond winner needs to bounce backCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Perhaps the main danger to the favourite could come from his own stable. Blue Lord wanted to get on with things in the Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle and did too much too soon over 2m4f. This could be more his thing and he looks like a six-year-old with serious potential. A truly run two miles is just what the doctor ordered.

Master McShee has improved since his last tussle with Appreciate It, but place money might be the best he can hope for, while similar comments apply to Irascible and Keskonrisk.

It is hard to get away from Appreciate It, and Blue Lord is put forward for the forecast.

Meet the 39-year-old former labourer gunning for Grade 1 glory at Leopardstown

'I’m hoping Appreciate It can repeat the dose'

Samcro is the only horse to have broken Willie Mullins' vice-like grip on this Grade 1 since 2013.

Since Champagne Fever made all eight years ago, Vautour (2014), Nichols Canyon (2015), Bleu Et Rouge (2016), Bacardys (2017), Klassical Dream (2019) and Asterion Forlonge (2020) have all collected the main prize for the Closutton maestro and three of those followed up in the Supreme at Cheltenham.

There is a strong chance that double will be done in 2021 too, as Appreciate It is currently the clear favourite to win the festival opener and odds-on to repeat his classy Christmas display here.

Mullins said: "Appreciate It was good here over Christmas and I’m hoping he can repeat the dose. Conditions will be fine for him."

Mullins runs six in all and Blue Lord looks a potentially smart second string after chasing home Bob Olinger last time.

He added: "I’m bringing Blue Lord back to two miles as he was very free over further at Naas. In his first run at Punchestown we thought two might be too sharp for him but the money on offer and the way he ran last time persuaded us to have a go."

On the rest of his team, Mullins said: "N'Golo disappointed behind Appreciate It at Christmas but ran better than his finishing position suggests. We have to get the tactics right with him and my worry here is the ground being too soft for a Galileo.

"Galopin Des Champs was found to have an atrial fibrillation when disappointing at Limerick over Christmas. He recovered quite quickly from that. Mr Coldstone surprised us with the manner of his win at Tramore on New Year’s Day. He travelled and jumped well for a horse making his hurdling debut. This is a big jump in class for him.

"Hook Up came up against a top mare in Royal Kahala at Fairyhouse the last day. She has a serious finishing kick and if Danny can get her in a position to use that then she might get some nice prize-money."

Read more of our Sunday tipping . . .

Members' Club: Tom Segal thinks Willie Mullins is set for another good day at Leopardstown

Members' Club: Paul Kealy tipped 12-1 and 3-1 winners on Saturday and has six more fancies

Members' Club: David Jennings has four fancies for the final day of the Dublin Racing Festival

The Punt Daily: Tom Collins's free horse racing tip on Sunday afternoon

Sunday's free racing tips: six horses to consider putting in your multiple bets

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Ballyadam, Wide Receiver and Magic Tricks
Ballyadam has achieved a lot in a very short space of time and we were obviously thrilled when he won the Royal Bond. He wasn't himself at Christmas, but Jack [Kennedy] rode him in work during the week and was very happy with him. The ground would be a worry for him, he wouldn't want it too soft. Wide Receiver is improving all the time and won his maiden hurdle nicely at Christmas. We've always thought Magic Tricks was a nice horse, but he was a bit disappointing at Punchestown.

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Irascible
He’s a lightly raced individual and has always looked a decent type at home. He didn’t let us down in a Grade 1 last time when second to Appreciate It and he’s improving all the time.

Ian Power, rider of Master McShee
He was second to Appreciate It at Cork but Appreciate It had won his bumpers, is trained by Willie Mullins, had been to Cheltenham and was a short-priced favourite. It was effectively our fella's first run and if it's meant to be, we might give him a race of it this time. If it's not, then that's fine.

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Keskonrisk
This will only be his third run over hurdles after running well in a Grade 1 here over Christmas. We're hoping he'll acquit himself well again in what looks a strong race.

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