Cheltenham countdown: Patrick Mullins to partner Transmission

Neil has confirmed Patrick Mullins will ride Festival hope

Transmission

in the Princess Royal National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase on Tuesday.

The marathon event is open to professional riders for the first time this season, with James Bowen and Conor O’Farrell both having ridden the stayer at various parts of the current campaign.

Mullins partnered to victory at Prestbury Park in November and he will be back aboard the eight-year-old next week, as the jockey seeks a record-extending fifth win in the National Hunt Chase.

Mulholland said on Wednesday: “Patrick Mullins rides him, he won on him in November giving him a fantastic ride.

“James Bowen would be the normal rider, I know he has his appeal (against a whip suspension) tomorrow, but Patrick is down to ride him at the moment.

“Professional riders are there but he’s a horse who is not keen and if anything a lad who rides with a great length of leg suits him. Patrick got a great tune out of him before and fingers crossed he can do the same next Tuesday.”

Transmission is a best-priced 6-1 for the final race on day one and having thrived over the larger obstacles earlier in the season, he has followed the route used by Mulholland with his only Festival winner, The Druids Nephew, by tuning up for this assignment in the Cleeve Hurdle on Trials day.

Mulholland continued: “I’m very happy with him and all is good. He won very well at the track in November and we’re looking forward to running him.

“We’ve obviously had this race in mind all season really and even his last run in the Cleeve, he was galloping all the way up the straight and was doing his best work at the end.

“We ran him in the Cleeve as his mark was already there and he may as well have a run over hurdles and go have a look at the stands and see the whole layout again and keep him familiar. It gave him a nice day out and let him see everything he’s going to see on the day that matters.”

Meanwhile, a ate decision can be expected on the Cheltenham Festival target for up-and-coming chaser Jagwar.

The Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero-trained six-year-old is three from four over fences and enhanced his reputation when winning at Cheltenham on Trials day in January.

Owned by JP McManus, Jagwar heads the market for the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap and the TrustATrader Plate, which are both on the Thursday of the showpiece meeting.

“He is in great form and looked brilliant doing his fast work,” Guerriero said. “He will do his last bit of fast work on Saturday and then he will be ready to go.

“The drying ground will be a plus for him, he will be even better on quicker ground, he seems in great form and looking forward to it.

“I think with him it’s all about his jumping and if that all sticks together. He was a lot better last time at Cheltenham and seemed to cope with the track, but he needs to makes sure he jumps well or he will have no chance.”

Guerriero stressed a call on which race Jagwar will contest had not yet been made.

“No, we have to see what declares in what. They are both on the same day so ground won’t come into it or the track, so it will literally be what we feel will be easier to win, which we won’t know until we see what’s declaring in what,” he said.

“Ideally, we would go for the novice because you would think they would go slightly easier earlier on and find his feet a bit better, but we will have to see.”

Whatever race he goes for, one thing the Jagwar team do have in their favour is winning course form.

“Definitely yeah, which is why we went there,” said Guerriero.

“We said to JP early on, after he’d won a couple of chases, that we would go there in January and see if he copes with it, and then we can think about going to the Festival if he does, so it’s got to give you some confidence.”