Mullins on weather watch
Trainer Willie Mullins is monitoring the weather before deciding on his team for The Open meeting at Cheltenham.
The County Carlow-based handler has entries in the Paddy Power Gold Cup Chase on Saturday and in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle and the Independent Newspaper Novices’ Chase on Sunday.
Mullins said: “Euro Leader is in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. I’ve Mountain Snow and Adamant Approach in the Greatwood Hurdle and both missed their engagements on Saturday with the meeting at Down Royal being called off.
“They’re all fit and in good order. Mountain Snow is fit from running in the summer and Adamant Approach has had one run back.
“Cheltenham is not Adamant Approach’s luckiest racetrack – he had the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2002 at his mercy when he was in front and fell at the last but he did run one good race there.
“I’ll see what is happening during the week with the weather and the ground.”
Mullins will wait until Thursday before deciding whether to send Davenport Democrat over for the Independent Newspaper Novices’ Chase.
The seven-year-old has won his last three starts over fences, most recently in a Cork two-mile handicap chase nearly a month ago, when he defeated Beechcourt by half a length.
“It’s just a speculative entry at the moment. We’ll see what the entries are like and the ground, as he needs it on the good side,” Mullins went on.
“He’s fit and well but I probably won’t decide until Thursday.”
