Turf Talk: Weight-ing game for Ladbrokes Trophy hero Total Recall

Ladbrokes Trophy hero Total Recall is unlikely to run again before the weights for the Randox Health Grand National are published on February 13.
Trainer Willie Mullins. PIC: PA WireTrainer Willie Mullins. PIC: PA Wire
Trainer Willie Mullins. PIC: PA Wire

Formerly trained by the now-retired Sandra Hughes, the nine-year-old bolted up on his first start for Willie Mullins in the Munster National at Limerick in October before claiming the race formerly known as the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury a month ago.

While the Cheltenham Gold Cup remains a possible target, Mullins is more keen on a tilt at the world’s most famous steeplechase at Aintree on April 14, for which he is a general 25-1 shot.

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Mullins said: “I think I’m going to wait and see. I’m looking at the Grand National and if we’re going to go down that route, do we want to run him again until the weights come out?

“Initially I thought about going for the Thyestes Chase (Gowran Park, January 25), but possibly he’s gone too high in the handicap to win that.

“Possibly he could go for the Bobbyjo Chase (Fairyhouse, February 24) and then the Grand National.

“Maybe if he ran in the Bobbyjo, he could go to Cheltenham and run in the Gold Cup and then go for the Grand National.”

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Hunters Call, ante-post favourite for the Betfair Hurdle, is likely to bypass the Newbury race and head straight to the Cheltenham Festival.

The eight-year-old made a winning debut for trainer Olly Murphy in a big Ascot handicap before Christmas and the Wilmcote handler is now favouring skipping the February 10 contest in order to arrive fresh for the Festival in March.

Murphy said: “All being well, Hunters Call will head straight to the Cheltenham Festival. He will have an entry in the Betfair, but he has gone up another 9lb and it is not easy to win two big handicaps let alone three.

“He will have entries in the Coral Cup, Martin Pipe and County Hurdle.”

SOBOT’S SELECTIONS

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LINGFIELD: 1.10 Summer Thunder, 1.45 Power And Peace, 2.15 Grey Waters, 2.50 Pattie, 3.25 Silver Penny, 3.55 Spring Waterfall (next best).

KEMPTON: 4.15 Touch The Clouds, 4.45 Kapow, 5.15 Sir Hamilton, 5.45 Mullarkey, 6.15 DONJUAN TRIUMPHANT (NAP), 6.45 Strategic Heights, 7.15 Eltezam.

LUDLOW: 1.20 Niblawi, 1.55 Dark Mahler, 2.25 Market Road, 3.00 Grove Silver, 3.35 Miss Fleming, 4.05 Shee’s Lucky.

AYR: 1.00 My Old Gold, 1.35 Mcginty’s Dream, 2.05 Ardmillan, 2.40 Old Salt, 3.15 Big River, 3.45 Star Of Lanka.