'How well in could Absurde still be?' - top trainers on an ultra-competitive County Hurdle

The Mullins family has been a good place to start for punters looking to solve this tricky puzzle, with Willie and his brothers Tom and Tony responsible for nine winners since 2007. Could this be the year that nephew Emmet adds to the legacy?

Emmet Mullins has saddled two runners in the County, one in each of the last two runnings, and both have been beaten at single-figure prices. The difference between those and this year’s hopeful McLaurey is that he’s far more unexposed.

Filey Bay may have only had five runs over hurdles before running in the 2023 County, but he’d won two handicaps and was beaten a length in the Betfair Hurdle, while So Scottish had run eight times over hurdles and seven times over fences before lining up last year – both had shown their hand somewhat.

McLaurey has run in four maidens, showing good form when a length and a quarter behind Turners Novices’ Hurdle fourth Forty Coats at Punchestown in December, and made it two from two since dropped to two miles when landing a hot handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival last month.

He made up ground from well from off the pace at Leopardstown and won with more authority than the winning margin of a length suggests, having idled in front. A 16lb rise asks a big question, but he’s certainly improving and has a nice weight and profile for this race.

Willie Mullins has won five of the last ten runnings and is mob-handed. Absurde was a most impressive winner of this last year and is just 6lb higher here.

He finished fifth in the Melbourne Cup on the Flat when last seen in November and should prefer this sound surface, but the long break is of slight concern and Paul Townend has jumped ship to Kargese.

A dual Grade 1-winning juvenile, who also finished second to Majborough and Sir Gino at Cheltenham and Aintree, it’s no surprise to see Kargese at the top of the market.

Her defeat to Take No Chances at Ascot in January shouldn’t be viewed too harshly, as she needed her reappearance the season before, and the winner showed the strength of the form when finishing third to Lossiemouth in the Mares’ Hurdle on Tuesday.

Valgrand hasn’t really kicked on since impressively winning a Grade 2 in October and his handicap defeats don’t read particularly well, but they could have been sighters with a view to this and it’s hard to discount anything from Dan Skelton, who has a fantastic record in this race.
Analysis by Harry Wilson

Skelton: Valgrand has a big chance

Dan Skelton has dominated the County Hurdle alongside Willie Mullins and while he respects the Irish champion trainer's powerful team, he is more concerned about another opponent.

Skelton (four) and Mullins (seven) have won 11 of the last 15 runnings of the 2m1f handicap and they have five chances between them to extend that incredible record.

Valgrand is the sole contender for Skelton with Mullins saddling a four-strong team containing Kargese, Absurde, Ethical Diamond and Daddy Long Legs.

Valgrand: a Grade 2 winner at Cheltenham this seasonCredit: John Grossick

Last year's winner Absurde and Kargese, the choice of jockey Paul Townend, feature at the head of the market, along with the Joseph O'Brien-trained Lark In The Mornin, who won last year's Fred Winter.

Of the rivals to Valgrand, Skelton said: "How well in could Absurde still be? Willie's also got Ethical Diamond and Kargese. And then probably the biggest threat of them all is Lark In The Mornin."

Skelton went into the festival with a strong hand in the handicaps and Valgrand, a Grade 2 winner at the track in October, has always been regarded as one of his best chances.

"I think he's got a big chance," the trainer said. "It's a competitive race but drying ground suits him. He's been freshened up for this. 

"I always thought Be Aware was our best handicap chance [in the Coral Cup] and he turned in with a chance but didn't quite pick up. Right behind him were Unexpected Party [second in Grand Annual] and Valgrand."

What they say

Gavin Cromwell, trainer of Pinot Gris
The handicapper has been harsh on him. We were almost not going to run but there's only one Cheltenham, so we'll let him take his chance and hopefully he'll run well.

Gary Moore, joint-trainer of Hansard and Spirit D'Aunou
Hansard's form when nearly five lengths behind the Champion Hurdle winner [Golden Ace] looks quite good now. He's training well and we're very pleased with him. It's the same with Spirit D'Aunou, who has a lovely racing weight, which gives him every chance. They've both got experience in big fields, so it shouldn't faze them.

Gary Moore: runs Hansard and Spirit D'Aunou in the County Hurdle

Ewan Whillans, trainer of Cracking Rhapsody
We're hopeful more than confident as it's a competitive race. He's gone up the weights for winning the Morebattle, but he's in decent nick. We're going for the bonus and it's nice to have a runner down there.

Emmet Mullins, trainer of McLaurey
He's improving but whether he's up to it this year, I don't know yet. He's going the right way and hopefully there'll be more to come even if it doesn't happen here. The penny is dropping a bit slow with him so he should improve with more time and another summer on his back. He's one for the future but hopefully he'll run well.

Chris Gordon, trainer of Our Champ
I'd love the ground to keep drying up because the better the ground, the better he is. He seems in very good order and always runs his race. In his two runs at Cheltenham, he's won and finished third, which obviously helps. It's going to be a tough ask, but I'd like to think we won't be too far away.

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Lark In The Mornin
He's prepared well for this and has been in good form since his run at Christmas. We're hopeful of a good run.

Willy Twiston-Davies, assistant to father Nigel, trainer of Norman Fletcher
He's in really good form at home and the ground should suit. He'll like the New course and should be a lively each-way contender.
Reporting by Andrew Dietz

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