Walsh satisfied World Hurdle is right direction for Annie Power

IF the supermare Annie Power maintains her unbeaten record at next month’s Cheltenham Festival, connections will be able to attribute the success to a winning visit to Doncaster at the end of January.
Annie Power and Ruby Walsh on their way to victory in the OLBG Mares Hurdle at Doncaster (Picture: John Giles/PA.Annie Power and Ruby Walsh on their way to victory in the OLBG Mares Hurdle at Doncaster (Picture: John Giles/PA.
Annie Power and Ruby Walsh on their way to victory in the OLBG Mares Hurdle at Doncaster (Picture: John Giles/PA.

For it was the manner of the six-year-old’s victory in the two-mile OLBG.com Mares Hurdle that has convinced trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh to step up in trip and take on the history-seeking Big Buck’s in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle on Thursday week.

And the decision throws up the mouth-watering prospect of the mercurial Walsh riding against Big Buck’s, which he rode to a record four victories in the three-mile race from 2009-12 before the horse missed last year’s Festival through injury.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Though Annie Power was hardly extended when stretching her winning sequence to 10 on Town Moor – John Quinn’s Cockney Sparrow appeared beaten when falling two out – this magnificent-looking mare did not appear to have the sharpness required to win a Stan James Champion Hurdle.

By galloping to the line, Annie Power gave the impression that a longer distance will suit and her mare’s weight allowance of seven pounds could give her the edge over Big Buck’s, the standard-bearer for the Paul Nicholls stable, and AP McCoy’s mount At Fishers Cross.

It has been a close call – the horse’s owner Rich Ricci, the top investment banker, wanted to run Annie Power in the Champion Hurdle in opposition to the Mullins-trained Hurricane Fly, who will be seeking to win the race for a third time in four years.

The Ladbrokes World Hurdle also avoids the possibility of Annie Power denying her stablemate Quevega a record sixth successive win in the OLGB Mares’ Hurdle a week today, eclipsing the great Golden Miller’s five Gold Cup triumphs in the 1930s.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

As such, many were tempted yesterday by Betfred’s 25-1 offer on Hurricane Fly, Quevega and Annie Power all prevailing at Cheltenham.

Among those to have no qualms about Annie Power staying three miles is Sir Peter O’Sullevan.

The legendary racing commentator, 96 yesterday and still one of the shrewdest judges in the business, says the Irish raider is a deserved favourite – a vote of confidence endorsed by the mercurial Walsh himself.

“I think she will stay,” said the jockey who was in the saddle when the mare, an impressive physical specimen in her own right, won over two-and-a-half miles at Cheltenham on a rain-lashed New Year’s day.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Her pedigree is all stamina. She’s out of an Old Vic mare and she’s by Shirocco.

“The further she goes the more it’ll suit her, but you can’t be certain until she goes and does it.

“She’s never run over three miles, but things had to be considered and that’s where we feel she has her best chance.”

Walsh also revealed the thinking behind the decision.

“Willie asked my opinion and everything had to be weighed up and we all felt it is the right race for her. There are four or five outstanding horses in the Champion Hurdle and maybe two, possibly three, in the World Hurdle so you weigh up your options and take your chance,” he said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“She jumps well, she’s got pace and has bundles of stamina. She has lots of potential and we’ve never gotten to the bottom of her.

“Her form is quite solid, she’s beaten Zarkandar twice in England this year and won well at Doncaster, albeit in not too hot a race. But she looks well, she’s going the right way and fingers crossed, the real Annie Power will turn up. She could be a Gold Cup horse one day.”

As for Big Buck’s which he rode to victory on 18 out of 19 occasions, Walsh was sanguine – he left the Nicholls stable at the end of last season because of the strain of shuttling between England and Ireland every weekend.

“He’s a hell of a good horse and he’ll be very hard to beat,” added Walsh. “I’ve had 10 months to come to terms that I wouldn’t be riding him so I’ve put that out of my mind.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Meanwhile Mullins, whose late father Paddy trained the 1986 Gold Cup winner Dawn Run, who remains the only mare to win the blue riband race, is preparing to send a formidable team across the Irish Sea.

The winner of five races last year, taking his career tally to 29, perhaps the most impressive horse during a workout at Leopardstown was Champagne Fever who will seek a third successive Festival win after taking the Bumper in 2012 and Supreme Novices Hurdle 12 months ago. Now bound for the Racing Post Arkle Trophy, Mullins said: “He jumped from fence to fence, and Ruby said he was absolutely brilliant.”

One horse who will not make the World Hurdle is Monksland.

Trainer Noel Meade hopes to get his charge back on the track this season, but a number of his string are under the weather and Cheltenham is off the agenda.

Related topics: