Blackbow© Photo Healy Racing
Patrick Mullins hopes he is not left with egg on his face after keeping faith with Blackbow in the Racing Post Champion I.N.H. Flat Race For The Conyngham Cup at Punchestown.
Blackbow won what was considered the strongest bumper of its type run before Cheltenham at Leopardstown in February, but he could only finish fifth in the Championship event last month.
To make matters worse for the jockey and assistant trainer, he finished behind three stablemates which he could have chosen instead and the same four horses meet again, with Mullins riding Blackbow once more.
“I’ve kept the faith with Blackbow,” said Mullins.
“Come Wednesday evening I might look silly, but I’ve a lot of time for this horse and I just thought, a bit like Getabird the atmosphere got to him at Cheltenham.
“I think Punchestown as a track will suit him much more so I decided to go again with him.”
Relegate, the Cheltenham winner, will once more be ridden by Katie Walsh, and Mullins admits he and his father still do not really know how good she could be, given she is unbeaten and has won her last two starts at 16-1 and 25-1.
“Relegate obviously sets the standard, she won her debut at Punchestown but she doesn’t show much at home and because of that we don’t know how good she is, she only ever does the bare minimum,” he said.
“Carefully Selected and Tornado Flyer were second and third to her at Cheltenham and are two very good spare rides for Derek O’Connor (Carefully Selected) and Richie Deegan (Tornado Flyer).
“We’ve a very strong hand, I’d prefer it if I won it but I hope one of them does.”
Gordon Elliott runs Felix Desjy, who was sixth at Cheltenham, Getaway John and Rapid Escape, while Noel Meade fields Young Ted and Where Eagles Dare.
