Fairyhouse Grade 1 Big Race Verdicts: Ile Atlantique can bounce back in Sunday Gold Cup

• Six declared for Sunday's Fairyhouse Gold Cup and Mullins has three 

• Cheltenham re-match on from Dawn Run and expect the winner to improve again

• Alan Dudman delivers Big Race Verdicts for the two Grade 1s in Ireland on Sunday 

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Kiely heads the Mullins' trio for Gold Cup honours

As a prelude to the Irish Grand National on Monday, Sunday's action at Fairyhouse includes two Grade 1s and the WillowWarm Gold Cup over 2m4f is the headline act.

For trainers thinking Willie Mullins will be easing off, forget it. He has three of the six in the field and his Closutton team account for the first three in the betting on the Sportsbook.

Mullins has won this race five times out of the last six including Galopin Des Champs in 2022, and his Champ Kiely heads the market at 6/42.50 following his Flyingbolt win at Navan last time. He was barely troubled dropped down to 2m in the race and his jumping was good from the front. He did hold a Brown Advisory Novices' Chase entry for the Festival but Mullins was adamant he'd go down the Fairyhouse route - and here we are.

He did come up short against Ballyburn in a Grade 1 at the DRF and an awkward early jump didn't help his cause there, but his jumping was very good on his chase debut at Fairyhouse over 2m5f.

There's not a lot to take issue with as a 150-rated novice who already looks better over fences than over hurdles. He has track form, soft and heavy form and stays further and makes the running.

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Ile Atlantique can bounce back after DRF heavy loss 

Ile Atlantique was another who disappointed at the DRF in Majborough's Irish Arkle win, and a 30 length defeat harked back to his younger days as a hurdler as a bit of a free-goer and weak finisher.

Bar his DRF blip, he's taken to the fences well, plus with the tongue tie, his keen nature has been controlled. Hopefully his mask doesn't slip for Sunday as he looked the part making all to win on his chase debut at Navan - and you need to jump those Navan fences.

He also made the running down in trip at Naas, and with his way of racing, I would be surprised if he didn't make the running here.

Spindleberry completes the Mullins troika, and the mare is in receipt of the 7lb allowance. While a perfectly good chaser, she's about 10lb shy from the her more vaunted stablemates and her jumping was far from foot perfect at Cork earlier in the season.

The mare has made the running before, and all three of the Mullins team can make it. Mullins of course never knows what is going to happen and always leaves it to the jockeys, although when the jockeys are interviewed they usually say they leave it to the trainer!

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Elliott has two but Firefox looks beatable 

I outlined in my Irish Grand National preview for Monday that Gordon Elliott is a trainer that has fallen behind Mullins now and his Firefox was five lengths behind Ile Atlantique in the Flyingbolt.

Down Memory Lane was a horse I tipped for the Grade 3 at Punchestown in January behind Lecky Watson - but his jumping didn't stand up to the test, and much like Sandown, his technique is nowhere near as polished at this stage of his career.

I like him as a horse, but at the top level, he is prone to mistakes. He might be suited with more pressing tactics as he was held up at Sandown, but he did make the running on his chase debut. However, he has three Mullins front-runners to contend with.

Firefox won't be good enough in my opinion and looks a beatable horse.

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WillowWarm Gold Cup Verdict

Ile Atlantique is the biggest priced of the Mullins' three at 9/43.25 and is worth chancing back to a more suitable trip for Sunday.

Down to 2m1f in the DRF was too much of a gamble as he wasn't quick enough and lost ground at the halfway stage, which in turn put pressure on his jumping.

The ground will suit him and the return to 2m4f looks wise, and I like way he has taken to fences this term. Who knows, he might make the running.

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Who wins the Grade 1 Honeysuckle race?

Breaking news; Mullins does not have the favourite for the second Grade 1 on the card on Sunday. He does have seven of the 16 field, though.

Mares races at this time of year can be a nightmare to solve but there's a fair bit of Cheltenham form and strands here to hopefully help with this particular puzzle.

The Big Westerner for Henry De Bromhead (who has two of the top three in the market) ran a fine race in the Albert Bartlett when second to Jasmin De Vaux, but with her win over 2m7f previously at Limerick, will she have the pace to drop back down to 2m4f for Sunday?

Darragh O'Keeffe rode her at Cheltenham and rides again.

She's a big mare, plenty of size which is typical for a Westerner, and she showed tremendous guts at Cheltenham as she was hampered by Wingman on the inside in the closing stages and lost ground to Jasmin De Vaux, who scythed through the field and came on the stands' side.

Just on that run - with the pace the winner showed, there's enough to be against The Big Westerner purely on the drop back down to 2m4f, and she does hold an entry in the Grade 1 over 3m for Punchestown at the end of the month.

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Cheltenham form to be upheld

Rachel Blackmore was full of praise for Air Of Entitlement in her latest exclusive Betfair blog. Here's what she said of the Cheltenham winner:

"Air Of Entitlement was brilliant in winning the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

"There wasn't much between her and Sixandahalf at Cheltenham, and there shouldn't be much between them again here. It's a deep race too, as you would expect for a Grade 1 race.

"But Air Of Entitlement is in great form. She came out of Cheltenham really well, we couldn't be happier with her.

"The step up in trip to two and a half miles should suit her too. She is such a pleasant mare to ride, she is so uncomplicated, and she's obviously highly talented. It should be a great race, but hopefully she can do the business again."

I don't see the trip a negative at all, but the claims of Gavin Cromwell's mare of revenge here are obvious as she's such a smooth travelling type.

Jockey Keith Donoghue was gutted after her Dawn Run defeat, and her backers were too as she hit 1.041/25 in-running to emphasise just how well she was going.

On that run and a snapshot of the Dawn Run before the straight, Air Of Entitlement never looked like winning. Far side, and under pressure, Blackmore produced a pearl of ride to drive her home. And while Sixandahalf had all the field beat bar the winner - and a considerable gap to the third, Air Of Entitlement could well be pitching in her for her optimum trip as she was far stronger in the finish.

Sixandahalf holds an entry in the Chester Cup too, but given the price of Blackmore's mount, she looks the play in the race.

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Honeysuckle Grade 1 Big Race Verdict

This could be a classic in-running race. The Big Westerner is proven over further, while Sixandahalf has the flat speed but has the short priced defeat next to her name from Cheltenham. 

With a big field there should be pace on, and Air Of Entitlement could potentially improve again for the step up to 2m4f. 

Aurora Vega was 21 lengths behind in the Dawn Run and she's been weak on the betting on the Sportsbook from Saturday (out to 13/27.50), while Hey Sunshine for Mullins too might want better ground. 

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Now read more tips and previews for Sunday's racing here! 

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