BURN-ING QUESTION

Ben Morgan fancies Mullins ace to turn up heat or it’s looking Blue

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MILDMAY NOVICES CHASE

It will be interesting to see how Willie Mullins splits his battalion here. Ballyburn, Dancing City, Quai De Bourbon and Brown Advisory winner Lecky Watson look to be his leading candidates.

at Prestbury Park and the jumping certainly left a lot to be desired. Dancing City was in a good rhythm prior to a bad mistake at a crucial time of the race so could be forgiven. I would be interested in backing him if he did line up but the course might suit Ballyburn better if they let him bowl along in front.

He never got into any sort of rhythm at Cheltenham and Mullins mentioned after that they might just let him do his thing next time out. That would make him a dangerous runner here as this track so often suits horses that get into that rhythm out in front and I can see him putting in a big run here if allowed to run here.

If they don’t make the trip over then I think JINGKO BLUE would be a really interesting runner. It wouldn’t be ideal arriving here on the back of an unseat but I think he might be good enough to handle that slight negative. He made Jagwar look average at Uttoxeter on chase debut and that performance still resonates with me now. Obviously the form has worked out extremely well but the manner in which he did it was also very taking. Nicky Henderson has always thought plenty of both he and Jango Baie and with his stablemate doing the business in the Arkle I hope it might just spur him on to victory on Merseyside.

Handstands has been saved for this and should be in the three as a consequence. He looks a real nice type who keeps on improving and has reacted well to a nasty fall on chase debut. Some horses would have lost their confidence after a similar fall but this lad seems to have taken it on board and excelled. He has racked up victories in both the Towton and the Scilly Isles already this season and looks primed to finish his season on a high.