Wetherby tops list for Mulholland’s stable star chaser

Neil Mulholland’s stable star was a faller on his seasonal return in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal where he would have finished fourth. A return to a left-handed track should see him in a better light.

“He just had a week off when he got back from Ireland,” said Devon-based Mulholland, who served his riding apprenticeship with Ferdy Murphy in North Yorkshire.

“His Gold Cup this year is the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham at the end of January. He does have an entry in the King George, but I think he’s more likely to run in the Roland Meyrick at Wetherby. It’s left-handed and he’s got more chance of getting his ground.

“Maybe the Roland Meyrick, the Cotswold Chase and the Bowl at Aintree will be his season, although the owners might want to run in the Gold Cup again. He hated the ground in Ireland and he wants to go left-handed.

“On better ground and on a left-handed track he’s much better.”

n Last year’s winner Hello Bud is one of 26 entries for the Betfred Becher Chase at Aintree on Saturday.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained veteran made nearly every yard of the running 12 months ago under the trainer’s teenage son Sam and will no doubt adopt the same tactics again.

Paul Nicholls has won three of the last seven runnings and has entered Meanus Dandy and Niche Market, while Always Waining, winner of the Topham at Aintree in April, is, along with Ballyvesey and Sun Tzu, one of three possibles for Peter Bowen.

David Pipe looks to hold a strong hand with Swing Bill, Master Overseer and Sona Sasta.

n Paul Nicholls has given Tataniano and Kauto Stone entries in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on Saturday as he seeks to continue his domination of the two-mile feature.

The champion trainer has won the last six renewals of the Esher showpiece, and eight times in all. Two of those wins were achieved by the great Kauto Star, whose half-brother Kauto Stone was a surprise name among the 11 entries.

Sizing Europe, the reigning Queen Mother Champion Chase hero, represents Irish hopes.

n He may have recorded his 150th winner yesterday at Folkestone on Storm Survivor, but 16-times champion jockey AP McCoy was still not satisfied.

On the time that it took to reach the landmark, McCoy said: “It’s not a quick one, that’s for sure. I’ll keep going and see where I get to, but the more important thing is to find some better horses.”

As for beating the 289 winners that he rode in 2001-02, the champion quipped: “I might get there if I keep riding at the third meeting on a Saturday, but we need some more good ones.”