Thyestes ante-post tips: Mullins to follow up?

Willie Mullins has won the Thyestes Handicap Chase 11 times since the turn of the century, including with subsequent Bobbyjo and Grand National winner Nick Rockett twelve months ago. The master of Closutton has ten entered for this year’s race on Thursday and it is easy to make a case for several of his runners.

However, there are two that appeal most at the current odds, and the first of those is last season’s Scottish Grand National winner CAPTAIN CODY.

Rated 150, 2lb lower than the mark Nick Rockett won the race off last year, he is another eight-year-old and he has had a similar prep by way of taking in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown on his latest start.

There, he finished a creditable seventh off top weight, yet things did not go all his way, with a highly unsatisfactory standing start compromising his chances. He still managed to run to a similar level of his third in the Drinmore behind Romeo Coolio on his first run of the season over an inadequate two and a half miles.

He is still relatively unexposed over this trip over fences, and it was particularly impressive how cosily he won the Scottish Grand National at Ayr in April as a novice. There could easily be much more to come.

A winner at Gowran Park over hurdles on the Thyestes card two years ago, we know he handles any ground, too, and he also has the added benefit of having had a recent run. Eight of the past 12 winners of the Thyestes had run within the past 30 days, yet four of the five horses quoted at shorter odds than Captain Cody have not run since November.

Another horse that could still be better than his current mark in this, despite being rated in the 150s, is QUAI DE BOURBON.

Who knows what he would have achieved last season had he not unseated Patrick Mullins in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham, and then three weeks later being brought down by Dancing City when sent off a 9-2 chance for the 3m1f Novice Chase at Aintree.

It was to his credit, that just two and a half weeks after that, he finished third in the Irish Grand National on his handicap chase debut on what was his first run over a marathon trip.

He was sent off favoruite for that race, but his preparation was far from ideal, yet he still mamaged to emerge from the race with a Timeform figure equal to the winner Haiti Couleurs, who was mightily impressive in winning the Welsh Grand National last month.

Given last season’s promise, It was therefore disappointing that he failed to fire last time out in the Troytown, but on very testing ground on his first run for seven months, I am inclined to draw a line through that performance.

It is worth remebering that the 2024 Thyestes winner Ain’t That A Shame also pulled-up in that same race before going on to win at Gowran at double-figure odds. Not since Monbeg Notorious landed the spoils in 2018 has a horse won the Thyestes having also won their prep.

He is still only seven and his best days could well be ahead of him, and he is another with course form, having won the Beginners Chase on this card 12 months ago.

QUAI DE BOURBON at a general 10-1.

CAPTAIN CODY at 14-1 with William Hill.