Ruby Walsh: Kemboy situation won’t change Willie Mullins’ plans

You’d love to see the situation sorted out with Kemboy.

He’s a talented horse and it’d be great to have it cleared up for his career. I don’t know the ins-and-outs of it, but having it sorted out sooner rather than later is what you’d hope to see.

I think the plans for him will stay the same for Willie, whatever they are, it’s just getting it cleared up so he can run as soon as he can.

 Paddy Power Cork Grand National

There’s plenty of rain forecasted between now and Sunday, but Pont Aven is in there at the moment. He’s also entered in the Novice chase but, with a rating of 134, you would imagine he’d be more suited to a handicap.

It’s a decent race and a good distance at three-and-a-half miles. that opens the door for plenty of horses that haven’t had an opportunity in a while, and it’s usually a competitive race.

A lot of horses run here and then go to the Troytown, Minella Beau did that, and then they go to the Paddy Power at Christmas.

We’ve a few in the November Handicap in Naas too. It’s the last big handicap on the flat. I’d imagine most of them will take their chances there.

Stratum is carrying his penalty for his win in the English Cesarewitch, but, looking at the entries this morning, there’s a field of 16 and we could have six or seven of them.

Whatever gets in will probably run – that’d be the plan as they’re running out of options and they’re all fit and well, so I’d imagine Willie will take his chances with as many as he can.

Down Royal Champions Chase

Paul Nicholls has a good record in the Down Royal Grade 1 race on Saturday. Kauto Star has won it, Theranos won it, Kauto Stone won it as well. It fits in nicely with the Charlie Hall Chase this weekend as well, but a horse like Clan Des Obeaux would have to carry a penalty into that, when as he can run off level weights in Down Royal, so that’s a help for him.

Gordon Elliott and Noel Meade are well represented too in it, so it should be a competitive race.

We don’t know if Delta Work will go in this or the Grade 2 race, but it’d be an early Gold Cup guide if the two of them go head-to-head. He has the option of the other race, but it’s worth a hell of a lot less. He was a good winner over three-miles in Punchestown towards the end of the season. Whether Gordon will want to take on the King George winner with him this early we’ll know later in the week.

Samcro making amends

He looked very exciting horse going into last year. He has to redeem himself now. He’s obviously a horse with huge potential.

Hopefully, he can make amends for the poor year he had last year.

He always struck me as probably being a better chaser than a hurdler, but it’s easy being the top dog as a novice.

It’s a different story when you step into open company.

He’s going back novice chasing now and that could be a bit easier than the opposition he was facing last year.