Fairyhouse preview: Mighty Potter on a recovery mission

Mighty Potter bids to bounce back from an odds-on reverse at the Cheltenham Festival in the WilllowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

The dual Grade One-winning hurdler was hugely impressive in winning his first three starts over fences including a top-level triumph in the Drinmore Novice Chase over this course and distance in December.

After following up at the Dublin Racing Festival, Mighty Potter was a 4-6 shot for last month’s Turners’ Novices’ Chase, but hung under pressure and passed the post in third behind Stage Star.

Connections believe they have a valid excuse for that reverse, though, and are hopeful he can show his true colours.

Joey Logan, racing manager for owners Caldwell Construction Ltd, said: “He lost a shoe in Cheltenham and was very sore after the race.

“He veered right coming up the straight and was still only beaten four lengths.

“He worked the other day and we’re very happy with him. He’s in great form and we think we have him back to his best.”

Willie Mullins has claimed this prize in each of the past four years, with his two subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes Al Boum Photo (2018) and Galopin Des Champs (2022) on the roll of honour.

His chief hope this weekend appears to be Appreciate It, who was half a length behind Mighty Potter at Cheltenham, having previously placed third in the Irish Arkle.

“Appreciate It has been a little disappointing the last twice, but perhaps the way the race worked out in Cheltenham didn’t see him to his best,” said Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father.

“I’d imagine we’ll ride him a bit differently this time and we’re hoping on Sunday he’ll start to show what we think of him.”

Appreciate It, the chosen mount of Paul Townend, is joined by five stablemates in Adamantly Chosen (Brian Hayes), Authorized Art (Danny Mullins), Flame Bearer (Sean O’Keeffe), James Du Berlais (Daryl Jacob) and Sir Gerhard.

The latter disappointed in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham and while looking forward to being on board this weekend, Mullins junior admits to have concerns about the track.

He added: “Flame Bearer is starting to get the hang of things and won at this meeting last year as a novice hurdler, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him run well.

“With Sir Gerhard, the last two years going right-handed in Punchestown he’s disappointed after Cheltenham, so that is probably a concern here.

“Having said that, it’s a Grade One over his distance and he has to take his chance and hopefully with that experience from Cheltenham under his belt he can fence better and run better.”

Diamond heads Mullins team

Ashroe Diamond leads an eight-strong Willie Mullins team into battle in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

The champion trainer has saddled five of the last nine winners of the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One and appears intent on adding to his tally on Easter Sunday.

Ashroe Diamond looks the first string under Paul Townend, having won a Grade Three prize here before a late setback ruled her out of an intended appearance at the Cheltenham Festival last month.

Patrick Mullins, who partnered the six-year-old to a high-profile bumper success at Aintree last season, said: “It was unfortunate she didn’t get to run in Cheltenham, but she’s been 100 per cent since and she’s definitely the number one.

“She’s obviously won at Fairyhouse and we’d like to think on her previous form in Grade Ones behind Facile Vega and Marine Nationale she’ll be hard to beat.”

Ashroe Diamond is joined by Night And Day (Daryl Jacob), Eabha Grace (Conor McNamara), Got Glory (Jack Foley), Hauturiere (Brian Hayes), Lot Of Joy (Nico de Boinville), Nikini (Patrick Mullins) and Pink In The Park (Phillip Enright).

“Night And Day missed Cheltenham as well and she’s a very talented mare,” Mullins added.

“She ran in this last year first time out, so that shows what we think of her and hopefully she can fulfil her potential.

“Got Glory is a mare with a lot of ability, but it is going to be hard for her on her first Irish start, and I ride Nikini, who ran all right in Cheltenham but the ground could be against her.”

Henry de Bromhead would undoubtedly love to win a prize named after his recently retired stable star Honeysuckle, who dominated her rivals in this race four years ago.

The trainer’s main hope appears to be Magical Zoe, who filled the runner-up spot in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, with stablemate Rioga Choice an outsider.

Gordon Elliott’s trio of Halka Du Tabert, Harmonya Maker and Shecouldbeanything also feature, as does the Tony Mullins-trained Princess Zoe.

The latter finished fifth at Cheltenham and her trainer expects to see his Group One-winning mare in a better light stepping back up in distance.

He said: “If you take the Cheltenham run on face value, going up half a mile will be a big advantage to us, but now this is a Grade One and there’s no penalties we’re 5lb worse off with Magical Zoe.

“If the half-mile negates the 5lb we’re right in there. You have to decide whether you think it will or not and I think it will – I think the extra half-mile is crucial to Zoe.”