'He'll have to come back to his best again' - Gaelic Warrior out to continue form resurgence in Oaksey Chase after classy win at Aintree

Willie Mullins’ full-blown assault on the British trainers’ championship is more beneficial to races like the Oaksey Chase than the bet365 Gold Cup. Without Mullins that historic spring handicap chase is likely to have filled, whereas the Oaksey field has almost doubled. 

Fantastic Lady’s surprise 9-1 strike last year was an outlier on recent trends. The previous five runnings went to short-priced favourites. Before that Menorah, who is celebrated in this race’s full title, bossed small fields for four years in a row. 

The penalty structure of the Oaksey is in favour of Mullins’ leading hope Gaelic Warrior. Grade 1 winners carry an extra 6lb and he has won four of those, while Mullins’ title rival Dan Skelton’s contender Boombawn is slapped with 3lb for picking up a soft Grade 2 novice chase at Wincanton in November.

Gaelic Warrior’s untrustworthiness gives the rest a fighting chance. His brilliance has truly shone through only twice in his career, in this month’s Bowl at Aintree and the 2024 Arkle. Those efforts aside, he is a 160 operator.

Gaelic Warrior: returned to winning ways in the Bowl Credit: Edward Whitaker

This test should suit Gaelic Warrior as it is now established that staying is his game, although even if he produces one of his lesser showings his trainer is well equipped to profit regardless. 

Appreciate It, who was brought down at the 21st in the Grand National last time, catches the eye at a more suitable distance. His smooth defeat of Classic Getaway two starts back suggests he retains a high level of ability as an 11-year-old, while Gentleman De Mee won the Topham from near the summit of the handicap last time. That brings him into the picture. 

Skelton’s best hope of prolonging the title battle may rest with his old boss Paul Nicholls. Pic D’Orhy has been Nicholls’ Ascot Chase horse for the past three seasons and matched his peak efforts when an impressive winner of that Grade 1 in February, silencing a few doubters.

Pic D'Orhy: runs in the Oaksey Chase at SandownCredit: Getty Images

The ten-year-old’s underperformance on two of his three visits to the Aintree festival will not have been lost on Nicholls, who is rightly gunning for Sandown instead. 

Pic D’Orhy’s career high points have been shared between right-handed tracks Ascot and Kempton, in races away from winter ground while he was fresh. 

The Oaksey looks the perfect fit then. The presence of four Mullins runners just makes Pic D'Orhy's favoured dictating-from-the-front style harder to execute.
Analysis by Robbie Wilders

Gaelic Warrior leads Closutton charge

In the first of four consecutive Sandown races in which Willie Mullins has a formidable hand, Gaelic Warrior bids to follow up his return to form in Grade 1 company at Aintree.

After an underwhelming effort over 2m1f at Leopardstown, he stepped up a mile in trip at Aintree and was expertly steered by Patrick Mullins to an authoritative victory over Grey Dawning. Paul Townend takes over in the saddle after choosing the seven-year-old over Closutton's other three representatives.

The JP McManus-owned Gentleman De Mee relished the step up in trip when arriving late to deny Lisnamult Lad in the Topham Handicap Chase at Aintree and could be set for a new lease of life over mid-range trips.

Gentleman De Mee: bids to follow up his Topham Handicap Chase victoryCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"If Gaelic Warrior and Gentleman De Mee perform, that'll be good," said Willie Mullins. "It took me all season to get Gaelic Warrior right but we got him there for Aintree. Sometimes you get a horse right and then that might be it for the season. He'll have to come back to his best again."

Appreciate It landed a Grade 2 in January before being brought down in the Grand National and Sean O'Keeffe takes the ride again, while Classic Getaway and Danny Mullins are another familiar partnership. They won the Red Mills Chase impressively at Gowran Park in February before finishing sixth in the Silver Trophy at Cheltenham ten days ago.

What they say

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Pic D'Orhy and Hitman
We missed Cheltenham and Aintree with Pic D’Orhy to keep him fresh and well for this. We thought he’d be coming here with a really strong chance but it hasn’t quite worked out as we'd hoped with all the Willie Mullins big guns. He’s in good nick and will love the ground. Hitman didn’t stay in the Grand National. I hope he runs well.

Dan Skelton, trainer of Boombawn
He's been fabulous all season and is a Grade 2 winner. But given what's coming over, we're asking him an impossible task.

Gary Moore, joint-trainer of Le Patron
I hope the ground is on the easy side for him. He’ll have his work cut out but it’s his last run of the season and he deserves to take his chance. He runs well at Sandown.
Reporting by Conor Fennelly

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