UPDATED 9:46PM, APR 7 2021
Betway Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m4f | 4yo+ | ITV/RTV
The winners of all seven Grade 1 hurdles at last month’s Cheltenham Festival were trained in Ireland and it is therefore no surprise that two of the top three in this market are based in the Emerald Isle.
Abacadabras could not hold a candle to Honeysuckle when second in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in February but it has since turned out that there are not many who can after the mare proved herself outstanding with victory at Cheltenham.
Abacadabras fell at the third flight in the Champion Hurdle and that is a concern. Backing last-time-out fallers in Grade 1 hurdles since the start of 2016 would have yielded a loss of £11.60 to £1 level stakes and only five have won from a total of 43 runners (12 per cent).
Mullins to give Townend every chance to prove his fitness in time for Aintree | Horse Racing News
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UPDATED 7:26PM, APR 5 2021
Ireland s champion trainer Willie Mullins will give Paul Townend every possible chance to prove his fitness in time for this weekend’s Grand National meeting at Aintree after the champion jockey injured his right foot in a fall at Fairyhouse on Sunday.
Townend was forced to sit out Monday’s BoyleSports Irish Grand National – won by 150-1 shot Freewheelin Dylan – having suffered a heavy fall from Egality Mans, and was replaced on Agusta Gold by Danny Mullins.
The trainer said: “Paul is going to have another visit with his doctor during the week. We re going to take it bit by bit and see how he s going before we make any firm decisions.”