Thyestes 2015

looks a cracker

For what

WILLIE MULLINS revealed he is favouring a tilt at next week's Goffs Thyestes Chase with Djakadam as the champion trainer admitted he had asked the horse ''a very unfair question'' in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in November.
With stablemate On His Own far from certain to bid for a historic third Thyestes win, Djakadam may yet emerge as the stable's main hope for a race special to Mullins.

While Djakadam remains the sponsor's ante-post favourite for the **** Handicap Chase at Leopardstown on Sunday, he has long been a Thyestes candidate in Mullins' mind and the champion trainer believes that he asked too much of him when he failed to justify Hennessy favouritism on his seasonal return at the age of five.

RELATED LINKS
Thyestes card
"The plan in the back of my mind has been the Thyestes all the time," said Mullins, who would become the most successful Thyestes trainer with a win next week.
"I have to think of Sunday as well but he will not run at Thurles on Thursday [in the Kinloch Brae].

"I think we asked him a very unfair question in the Hennessy. That plan was hatched back in April and May and we didn't envisage going there without a run at the time. There was a for and against it - ultimately it was too ambitious.

''However, you have to do ambitious things now and again or you achieve nothing. I've a bit more thinking to do about where he runs.''

Last year's Gold Cup second On His Own won the Thyestes in 2012, and again 12 months ago, but his chance of becoming the only horse to snare the €100,000 handicap for a third time was hurt on Monday when handicapper Noel O'Brien revealed he was raising the horse's weight from 11st 10lb to 12st. This was to give the others who have been entered in the race, the majority of whom would otherwise be out of the handicap, a better chance.

Mullins added: "You wouldn't expect [the weight rise for On His Own]. He is 22lb higher than last year ratings-wise too. It's tough and a little unexpected. However, this was a horse built to do it. He is a Gold Cup horse in fairness."

With Road To Riches all but ruled out of the Hennessy at Leopardstown on February 8, On His Own would be a leading fancy if he takes his chance in that, having beaten all bar the Noel Meade-trained winner in the Lexus last time.

Mullins added: "He likes the track at Gowran and that is worth a lot. I haven't fully decided if he will run - I'll see how he works between now and then and the Hennessy [at Leopardstown] is obviously the race for him."

It was a bad call alright. 4th ever chase, never run over 3 miles, was fto and had fallen on his last start, his only big field race.

The do hold him in very high regard, they thought only about his ability and his mark.

I've had an EW bet on Goonyella to get it right.

Ruby Walsh on Djakadam: "The one big concern I have is that he could be vulnerable to a challenger a bit lower down the weights."


Now that is insight, when you're riding the top weight!!!!!!!!!!

My Murphy could go very close based on last year form around this time and 20/1 e/w is worth a decent sized punt

Delighted Djackadam showed what he could do "the lemmings" were right to keep the faith!!!
A real live chance in the gold cup for me now?