Irish eye Cheltenham bumper
Tony and Willie Mullins, the two trainer sons of legendary Irish handler Paddy, today revealed that they intend to respectively run The Posh Paddy and Euro Leader in the Betfair Open Bumper at Cheltenham on Sunday.
The Posh Paddy was last seen in action when easily beating Major Burns by a length and a half in a bumper at Roscommon on August 18, having earlier won a similar event at Clonmel.
“He hasn’t really had a break since Roscommon – at all stages he was just always going to run in this race,” said Tony Mullins.
Owner Barry Connell was in the saddle on The Posh Paddy at Roscommon, having taken over from Karl Wyse, who partnered the Be My Native gelding at Clonmel.
“The Posh Paddy is going to be owner ridden as he was at Roscommon,” continued the trainer.
“Barry hasn’t ridden at Cheltenham before and he’s a Dublin businessman so he’s not like your normal Irish amateur – he would be an amateur in the true sense of the word.
“He rides well but he only rides his good horses and would have around 10 or 15 rides a year.”
This will be The Posh Paddy’s last outing in a bumper before he goes jumping.
“The Posh Paddy is a six-year-old and he’ll be seven in March so he wouldn’t be qualified for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Festival. This will be his final run in a bumper regardless,” explained Mullins.
“I’m not quite sure yet whether he’ll go hurdling. He’s a lovely, big decent type horse and we’re hoping to eventually make a good chaser out of him.”
Euro Leader is unbeaten in two starts at Listowel and Tipperary.
Willie Mullins said: “Hopefully, if Euro Leader works well, he’ll go to Cheltenham. He worked yesterday but I can’t elaborate as I didn’t see it as I’m away in Los Angeles.”
The Christy Roche-trained Martinstown is a third Irish-trained possible.
