'It's a big ask but Noble Yeats doesn't seem to be a normal horse'
Foreign-trained winners of France's biggest chasing prize come along with such vanishing rarity that excitement surrounding the chances of Noble Yeats and the Willie Mullins-trained pair Franco De Port and Carefully Selected ought to come with an appropriate health warning.
Yet, whereas former Gold Cup heroes Long Run and Al Boum Photo were arguably past their prime when tackling the Grand Steeple-Chase, Noble Yeats is an eight-year-old with form that the French handicapper rates almost 13lb superior to the best of the home team, the 11-year-old Carriacou.
Emmet Mullins is busy redesigning the art of the possible as a trainer and few of his contemporaries would even consider attempting the Gold Cup, the Grand National and the Grand Steeple in the same spring.
Mullins' uncle, Willie, has been trying to win this race for most of his career but with Franco De Port he has dedicated a whole year of careful preparation, with this race set to be his fifth try around Auteuil's fearsome chase track. If Paul Townend can get him travelling sweetly on the first circuit, his track experience could carry him a long way through the 3m6f test.
In a year when top chasers such as Figuero and Docteur De Ballon have not made it to the biggest dance of all, Gex is likely to be the local favourite. His trainer Emmanuel Clayeux, whose former proteges include Al Boum Photo, has enjoyed a flawless preparation with the Prix Murat winner.
'Noble Yeats has been showing me he wasn't done for the season'
Sean Bowen will be having his first ride in France on Noble Yeats, who has already produced two huge efforts in finishing fourth in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Randox Grand National.
"It's definitely a big ask to do all three," said trainer Emmet Mullins. "In an ideal world I would say two of the three would be your norm to aim for, but Noble Yeats doesn't seem to be a normal horse and he's been in great form at home.
"We were very undecided after the Grand National but we kept him going and I felt he was showing me he wasn't done for the season. He's been training well and we definitely thought we should be here to take our chance."
Although the green light was given only in the last few days, the Grand Steeple is far from an afterthought, although Noble Yeats' seasonal debut here in the Prix Heros XII came to a premature end when he was pulled up by James Reveley after a serious error at the second fence.
"I know the start of the season here didn't go to plan, but I don't think the horse had a bad experience and he came back home and won two races in the space of six weeks," said Mullins.
"We didn't get far enough to do any of the bigger tests and we're still in the unknown, but he's negotiated Aintree twice – the second time carrying such a big weight – and that would have to settle your nerves.
"If he gets the first circuit under his belt and he's still in contention, he'll definitely gallop to the line and be there or thereabouts."
Following his National win in 2022, Noble Yeats attempts to emulate Jerry M , who won the 1910 Grand Steeple-Chase and the 1912 Grand National, and Troytown, successful at Auteuil in 1919 and Aintree in 1920. Troytown was also the most recent Irish-trained winner of Auteuil's biggest prize, while Mandarin won for Britain in 1962.
Willie Mullins chases major omission on glittering CV
Willie Mullins admitted during a press conference this week that, when compared with his continued success over hurdles at Auteuil, he had not properly planned a Grand Steeple-Chase campaign for any of his runners before Franco De Port, who stayed on stoutly to be third here 12 months ago.
"He surprised me and we came out of Auteuil last year saying we would come back again and try to gear his year for the Grand Steeple," said Mullins.
"At home he’s a very keen horse and very free. But the French fences settled him down hugely and I think it brought about huge improvement in him, and that’s why we’re back again."
Carefully Selected is officially the second highest-rated in the race behind Noble Yeats, although this will be his first experience of Auteuil.
Mullins said: "We gave him all the time off that he needed and he came back and won the Thyestes Chase in very heavy ground at Gowran. He’s been very sound all season, the trip suits him and he’s a good jumper."
What they say
Isabelle Pacault, trainer of Carriacou and Metasequoia
This time last year Carriacou was retired but he became bored in a field. I was surprised by his comeback win because I hadn't worked him hard. I hope Metasequoia has enough maturity for a test like this and he seems ready to give his best.
Nick Littmoden, trainer of Imperil
We were thrilled with the President de la Republique, which to me was his bare minimum trip, and I wasn't too disappointed with his run in the Group race because the ground was a bit quick and the distance was a bit short. We're hoping to have a few things back in his favour.
Emmanuel Clayeux, trainer of Gex
I've been able to prepare him as I'd like. He doesn't show a lot in the mornings but it's all gone well and, with James Reveley on the sidelines, it's a plus to be able to call on a jockey of the quality of Bertrand Lestrade, who already knows the horse.
Francois Nicolle, trainer of Poly Grandchamp and Starlet Du Mesnil
Poly Grandchamp was a little below the level of this race earlier in his career, but he’s 11 years old now and he’s earned the right to have a second go at this race. Starlet Du Mesnil is an exceptional jumper and the question is the trip, as it’s the first time she’ll have been this far, though many of the runners are in the same boat.
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