Danny Mullins gears up for big Aintree mount with double on student raceday

Thursday: Limerick

Danny Mullins will look to work his magic once more on Flooring Porter in the Liverpool Hurdle on Saturday and couldn't be heading to Aintree in better form after a double on Limerick's student raceday.

Always a force to be reckoned with when dictating the pace, the double Stayers' Hurdle-winning rider was seen at his best when guiding useful Flat performer Rebel Step to his first hurdles success for trainer Andrew Slattery in the opening race.

Owner Pat Garvey's four-year-old had been thought highly enough of to run in last season's Irish 2,000 Guineas when finishing down the field, and was making his third start over hurdles.

Danny Mullins on Rebel Step (left): 'some of those milers on the Flat don't see out that last furlong well but I liked what I saw from him today'Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The top three in the market came to the fore in this 2m maiden hurdle, with the winner, who was sent off 5-2 joint-favourite, just denying 95,000gns purchase Weddell Sea and the consistent Bynx.

Mullins said: "It worked out nicely. He showed good battling qualities from the back of the last to the line. Some of those milers on the Flat don't see out that last furlong well but I liked what I saw from him today.

"He's learning all the time and had a good run on his hurdles debut even, although he fell at the second-last."

Mullins, who will be riding Agusta Gold in the Randox Grand National, added: "He got the job done nicely here, handled the [good] ground and could have a good summer ahead of him. With some of the late spring festivals and summer festivals coming up, I think he can win plenty more races."

The second half of a brace for the rider was completed when the gutsy Sparkling Stars pulled out all the stops to make it two wins from three starts since joining trainer Richard O'Brien.

Mullins said of the 11-5 favourite: "It was a good, tough performance from him. He was second at Navan last time and maybe drier ground suited him here. He's really starting to fill into himself."

Improving Heidi off the mark

Matthew Smith's string appears to be hitting a decent vein of form and the shrewd trainer sent out one of the more impressive winners on the card when Light Heidi opened her account in a 2m5f handicap hurdle under Bryan Cooper.

Having entered a few notebooks when fifth at Naas last month, the 81-rated mare took a nice step forward to win more convincingly than the winning margin of a length suggests.

Connections of Light Heidi after her Limerick successCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

She returned the 9-2 favourite, providing the stable with a confidence-boosting win ahead of Ronald Pump's BoyleSports Irish Grand National on Monday week.

Cooper said: "Going up in trip was a big help on that [good] ground for her. She lacked a bit of experience last time.

"She was careful early doors but when I got out into a bit of room, she jumped well and I was always comfortable. She's a good, fun mare and will jump a fence in time."

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