Blood Destiny will clash with Spillane’s Tower once again when he is tasked with extending Willie Mullins’ excellent record in the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday.

The master of Closutton has a stranglehold on this Grade One event, winning the last five runnings – with Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes Al Boum Photo and Galopin Des Champs both on the roll of honour.

Currently locked with Jim Dreaper on five victories in the race, Blood Destiny has the chance to make Mullins the outright leading trainer in the two-and-a-half-mile event if building on his impressive success in the Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan earlier this month.

Blood Destiny put six and a half lengths between himself and Spillane’s Tower on that occasion, but the scoreline between the duo is one-one, with Jimmy Mangan’s likeable six-year-old gaining the upper hand when they met over the WillowWarm Gold Cup trip at Punchestown in January.

“Blood Destiny and Spillane’s Tower are having round three and I think conditions are probably going to suit Spillane’s Tower better with it being back up in trip and level weights,” said Patrick Mullins, assistant trainer to his father.

“But we’re probably going to use the same change of tactics with Blood Destiny as we did the last day. We had been riding him forward, but we’re now riding him more conservatively and maybe that will help Blood Destiny turn the tables from the last time they met over this trip anyway.

“We were hoping he was going to be an Arkle horse, but just the way the season started with him, we changed tack. This is a very valuable race at a prestigious meeting, so it worked well.”

Only Galopin Des Champs of the five Closutton winners of this race has been favourite and also classed as the Closutton first string, so it could prove wise to pay attention to the all-conquering stable’s second runner in the line-up, Tactical Move.

Second to Irish Grand National fancy Nick Rockett here on New Year’s Day, he has since impressed in two further starts over the larger obstacles and justified odds-on favouritism in good style when claiming a Naas Grade Three most recently.

“Tactical Move is out of a sister to Denman and is a horse of huge ability, just very fragile,” continued Mullins.

“You couldn’t rule him out either and he’s a horse with a huge engine. He’s obviously a lot older than your usual novice, but he has Grade One potential without doubt.”

Mangan won this with Conna Castle in 2008, while Gordon Elliott is also seeking a second WillowWarm Gold Cup and will rely on Cheltenham Festival fourth Zanahiyr and Saint Felicien.

Noel Meade was the last trainer to win this before the recent Mullins dominance and he will attempt to break the Closutton streak with Flanking Maneuver.

Denis Hogan’s Thecompanysergeant completes the field following his second to Mister Policeman in the Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase at Thurles.

Dual Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle has given birth to her first foal, a filly by Walk In The Park.

The news was announced on social media by Peter Molony, racing manager to Honeysuckle’s owner, Kenny Alexander, who said: “It’s a girl! Honeysuckle has foaled a bay filly by @coolmorestud @grangestud Walk In The Park at 11:30 last night!! Mother & daughter reportedly doing well.”

Honeysuckle was trained expertly by Henry de Bromhead to win 17 of her 19 races including the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2021 and 2022.

She met with the only defeats of her career at the beginning of the 2022-23 in the Hatton’s Grace and Irish Champion Hurdle but went out in a blaze of glory when winning the Mares’ Hurdle last March.
Now 10, Honeysuckle is slated to visit Blue Bresil for her next covering, the sire of Constitution Hill.

Musselburgh’s Premier meeting, due to feature the £100,000 Virgin Bet Queen’s Cup, has been abandoned due to a waterlogged track.

Despite only 3mm of rain falling in the early hours, that came on top of already saturated ground which tipped conditions over the edge.

Musselburgh’s general manager Bill Farnsworth said on social media: “Unfortunately racing today has been abandoned. We had 15mm of rain yesterday and we had a further just over 3mm this morning.

“The ground is very wet, it has been an incredibly wet winter. Normally Musselburgh would take this rain no problem but just because it is so wet and the water table is very high it hasn’t taken it so well and the ground is saturated in places.

“Next to the running rail the ground is just soft and fine but just a few strides away from that line it is much softer and we would regard it as unfit for racing, it is saturated.

“The most important thing is we put the safety of the jockeys and horses first. We’ll be back another day, it’s not the end of the world but it is very disappointing.”

Oisin Murphy got his fractions spot on as Fire Demon came with a strong late run to reel in Cross The Tracks in the BetMGM All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships Handicap at Newcastle.

Owned by Juddmonte Farms, he was heavily backed into 9-4 favouritism but Andrew Balding’s charge looked to have plenty to do with two furlongs to run.

Cross The Tracks appeared to have slipped the field under Sean D Bowen, with the bottom weight holding a two-length advantage at the furlong pole.

His stride visibly began to shorten, though, just as Fire Demon was hitting top stride.

With nothing else making up any ground, it was left to Murphy and Balding to take the race for the second successive year, having scored with Desert Cop last season before the race was run as a handicap.

Murphy said: “I was in the perfect spot and this race suited him. He came here in good form, looked great in his coat and Andrew was very sweet on him.

“A stiff six (furlongs) probably does suit him. If the horse was on a different continent, you’d imagine he’d get two turns going a mile in America, maybe one day.

“He’s really straightforward to ride now. We ran him over seven a couple of times early on where he led and didn’t quite finish, but this sort of test suits him.

“He’s all there now as a three-year-old and it’s great that Juddmonte are good supporters of Park House Stables.”

Benoit de la Sayette’s loss was Danny Tudhope’s gain as Prydwen ran out an easy winner of the BetUK All-Weather Championships Marathon Handicap.

With former champion apprentice De La Sayette stuck in traffic on his way north, George Scott turned to Tudhope for the six-year-old and few ride Gosforth Park better than the Scotsman.

Sent off a 10-1 chance, Tudhope settled just on the quarters of the pace-making Palace Boy, before he made his move shortly after turning into the straight.

Tudhope headed to the rail and soon accounted for Palace Boy and while the hat-trick seeking Spartan Army and Vaguely Royal looked in prime position to attack, they could not get near the winner.

The race was over a furlong out as long as Prydwen saw out the trip and he ran right through the line. Duke Of Oxford made late gains to claim second, beaten three and a half lengths, with Spartan Army in third.

Tudhope said: “He gave me a lovely ride, I had a nice position early, he was happy where he was and he controlled the pace.

“I was always confident, I was always going well. I don’t know much about his form, it was a late call-up. George said the track might not play to his strengths, but he travelled sweetly and did it the hard way.”

Karl Burke’s Cuban Tiger added to the trainer’s smart crop of three-year-olds when just getting the better of Sayedaty Sadaty in the BetMGM Burradon Stakes at Newcastle.

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, who has moved the majority of his string to Burke’s Leyburn stables, the Havana Grey colt looked to have plenty to do on the official figures with a rating of just 87.

However, he had only had two runs, winning on his debut and just losing out to Charlie Appleby’s Notable Speech last time out – and he had clearly improved for that experience.

Appleby’s unbeaten Silent Age looked a major contender but he did his chances no favours by becoming upset in the stalls and it was Oisin Murphy on Sayedaty Sadaty who tried to dictate.

Despite at one stage looking like being swallowed up, Sayedaty Sadaty gamely stuck to his task but while the favourite Orne and Silent Age dropped away, it was Clifford Lee and Cuban Tiger who challenged last and got the verdict by a neck.

Burke already has a smart three-year-old cold in Night Raider, while his Fallen Angel is strongly fancied for the 1000 Guineas.

“We were hoping he’d run really well, but you never know what you’re taking on with two-year-olds coming into their three-year-old career,” said Burke.

“The Gosden horse (Orne) looked pretty strong and the Godolphin horse (Silent Age) fluffed the start, but I knew we had the horse that was better than his rating, so I wasn’t worried about handicaps and it was just a question of how good he was.

“He loves that surface and he’s a good moving horse, I don’t think he’d want too softer ground. We’ll discuss with Sheikh Mohammed Obaid where we go next.

“He’s a lovely horse who is still green. I don’t think he needs to go further than a mile at the moment.

“We’ve got a big team of three-year-olds and some real nice stuff there, so fingers crossed they can all stay in one piece.”

On Night Raider, he added: “He came out of Southwell really well and he’s a lovely horse. You’d have to say he’s got more gears than this fella, that’s for sure.

“He’s a very good horse, whatever he does. It’s a massive step up from two Southwell novices to a 2000 Guineas, but at the moment he deserves to be in it and his future is ahead of him beyond the Guineas.

“That (racecourse gallop at the Craven meeting) is Plan A and I’ve got to discuss it with Steve (Parkin, owner). Steve is very keen not to have a run and just go for the gallop, but when Danny (Tudhope) jumped off him at Southwell, he felt he was still very green.

“For me, another race would do him the world of good, but at the moment it’s a racecourse gallop, with probably an entry in the seven-furlong conditions race and we’ll just see what that looks like.”

Limestone Lad, one of the most popular Irish hurdlers of the modern era, has died at the age of 32.

Trained, owned and bred by the late James Bowe, Limestone Lad won 35 of his 65 races during a six-year career that featured four victories in Grade One company.

Three of those top-level triumphs were achieved in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse, most famously beating a familiar foe in the brilliant three-time Champion Hurdle winner Istabraq when bagging his first win in the race in 1999.

His other Grade One success was achieved in the 2002 Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at Punchestown, while he was also narrowly beaten in the 2003 Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown by Like-A-Butterfly and was twice placed in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

“It is a sad day, Limestone Lad was a one-off and he actually died in the field he was reared in,” said Bowe’s son and long-time assistant, Michael.

“He was a great horse who for whatever reason captured the public’s imagination. He was a bit like Robin Hood as he took from the rich and gave to the poor!

“Beating Istabraq in the Hatton’s Grace was a big day, but there were lots of good days. I remember him winning the Morgiana in Punchestown one year when he looked well beaten and somehow fought back to get back up – it had to be seen to be believed.

“He wore his heart on his sleeve and whenever he ran there was nowhere to hide for the opposition. He was a one-off and I only wish I was able to clone him.

“It is sad that he’s gone, but he had a great retirement and he enjoyed every minute – and we’ve still got the memories…and the trophies!”

Ascot Gold Cup runner-up Coltrane bids for a big-race victory on the international stage in a Dubai Gold Cup stacked with staying talent at Meydan on Saturday.

Owned by Mick and Janice Mariscotti, the Andrew Balding-trained seven-year-old has been an ever-present in the top marathon events over the past few seasons and was consistent as ever last term.

Winner of the Sagaro Stakes in May, he returned to Ascot to go down by less than a length at the Royal meeting, but turned the tables on Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami when landing the Lonsdale Cup at York in the summer.

Although not at his best in the closing stages of 2023, he is primed for action in the Middle East, with his big-race pilot Oisin Murphy full of respect for the opposition which features plenty of well-known names.

He said: “Coltrane has travelled to Dubai really well and Maddy O’Meara (Balding’s assistant) has been cantering him every day.

“It’s a really hot contest and there’s Trawlerman, Siskany, Eldar Eldarov, Giavellotto, Tower Of London and that’s with probably leaving some out – it’s a really competitive race.

“It’s a really competitive renewal of the race, but he’s beaten many of them before.”

The likely favourite is Aidan O’Brien’s Red Sea Handicap winner Tower Of London, who will bid to supplement his Saudi success over Ian Williams’ Enemy.

O’Brien said: “We were delighted with what he did in Saudi Arabia.

“We felt he was only just ready to start so for him to do that was very encouraging.

“We are stepping him up in class for the Dubai Gold Cup and we think he can come forward from his win last month. He handles fast ground, he’s pacey, he quickens and stays well. That type of horse can do very well around the world.”

Other runners familiar to a UK and Irish audience include Champions Day scorer Trawlerman and Roger Varian’s dual St Leger hero Eldar Eldarov.

Of the Godolphin-owned Trawlerman, joint-trainer Thady Gosden said: “He came here last year and was in Riyadh before when things didn’t quite go to plan, but his form improved through the year and of course won on Champions Day at the backend.

“He’s been training well through the winter and he seems to be going the right way.”

Charlie Appleby’s Siskany, runner-up to O’Brien’s Broome in last year’s renewal, is another major contender for the Godolphin team, having already won twice at this year’s Dubai Carnival.

“Siskany does what it says on the tin really, he’s a very consistent horse who loves the flat tracks, he’s two from two for the winter and goes there in great order,” said Appleby.

“We’re putting the cheek pieces back on, just because we’re stepping up into tougher company. I feel this year’s renewal of the Gold Cup is one of the strongest we’ve seen for a few years.

“Turning in I thought we might have just nicked it in this race last year, but he probably just got outstayed. Two miles is his maximum trip and unfortunately we just came out second best.”

Charlie Appleby is confident Star Of Mystery will give Frankie Dettori a “good spin” as the legendary Italian prepares to don the Godolphin silks once more in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan on Saturday.

Dettori has a long and illustrious history with Sheikh Mohammed’s operation, of course, notably booting home three winners of the Dubai World Cup itself in the royal blue silks.

And having reversed his decision to retire last autumn, coupled with the fact Appleby’s stable jockey William Buick is unable to do the weight, the 53-year-old has been recalled by his former employers to partner a filly who appears to have major claims of striking Group One gold on the World Cup undercard.

Appleby said: “There’s no man with as much experience around Meydan as Frankie on World Cup night. Frankie rode for myself and the Moulton Paddocks team for a number of years and his Godolphin history is far longer and better than mine!

“With the weights as they are, William can’t do the 53 (kilograms) and having watched Frankie doing the light weights in America as he has been doing all winter, we approached him to ride a filly who, as I said to him, will give him a good spin around there.”

While Star Of Mystery won a Listed prize and finished second in the Group Two Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket last season, Appleby admits to being surprised by just how well she has done since being sent to the Middle East over the winter.

The daughter of Kodiac won her first two starts at Meydan, including the Group Two Blue Point Sprint in January, and her trainer feels she was unfortunate not to complete the hat-trick when runner-up to William Knight’s Frost At Dawn in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint four weeks ago.

Appleby added: “She’s thrived since she’s been out here. I’ll be brutally honest, when we rolled the dice in the Blue Point, we were sort of dipping our toe in to try and get that Group-race placing on her CV, but she was very impressive in the way she picked up and I felt she repeated it again on her last start.

“If you switched the positions on the track, we could have won again, but take nothing away from the winner Frost At Dawn, who has been very consistent as well and sprinting looks to be her forte.

“Dropping back to the five furlongs for the Blue Point and the Nad Al Sheba has taught our filly how to race the right way, she was always a bit free in the jockey’s hands over six and would get there too easily and was not doing things quite the right way round.

“Over five, she comes from way off the pace and hopefully that will allow Frankie to be able to drop her in and ride a race on her and use that finishing speed that she’s shown.”

Frost At Dawn is again in opposition, as is the Clive Cox-trained Diligent Harry, who steps up in class following successive Listed wins on the all-weather in Britain.

Knight said: “It’s massively exciting, to have a runner on World Cup night is what we all get up for, but to go into the race with what I feel is a real, live chance makes it even more exciting.

“Once we dropped her back to six furlongs and then to five on Super Saturday, she’s really shown her true potential.

“It’s probably been a blessing coming out here as we’ve been able to work out her trip properly. Having won a seven-furlong novice at Chelmsford in early December, it’s crazy to think we’re out here on World Cup night running in the Al Quoz Sprint.”

Emaraaty Ana adds further British interest for Jamie and Saffie Osborne following his lucrative win in Qatar last month, while Hong Kong’s California Spangle and American raider Casa Creed look the pick of the international brigade.

Aidan O’Brien is fully aware of the importance of Auguste Rodin to the thoroughbred breed as he aims to add another stellar Group One to his CV in the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic.

By the late Japanese sensation Deep Impact, Auguste Rodin showcased his talent on the world stage last year by completing the Derby double at Epsom and the Curragh before adding the Irish Champion Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Turf to his tally.

On Saturday he is attempting to win on a third continent, with the brave decision to keep him in training as a four-year-old, especially given Coolmore will eventually be looking for him to take over from Galileo at stud, not lost on his trainer.

“He’s so important to the breed of the thoroughbred,” said O’Brien.

“He brings together the best of Japan and Europe – the best of two continents – and it’s fair to say he’s one of the most important and exciting horses we have ever had. He really does have a chance of exerting a huge influence on future racehorses.

“It was a very brave decision by the lads to keep him in training, most definitely. There was already huge interest in him as a stallion prospect. But his owners are enjoying their racing more than ever these days and they are conscious of how unique this horse is. I think it’s great for everyone in racing that we can enjoy him again this year.

“We feel he has matured well from three to four and the reports from the team at Meydan are that he has travelled there well and is in great form.

“He is ready to run to his best and we are very excited about the journey ahead.”

Later in the year O’Brien is keen to see if Auguste Rodin can handle a dirt surface, which would make him even more valuable and unique.

“I think, as a rule, Deep Impacts are more grass horses, but we were very surprised the way he worked on dirt in America during the Breeders’ Cup,” he added.

“He cruises over the dirt, he’s a beautiful mover. He’s a very unusual-actioned horse so it will be very interesting to see how the season progresses. We can’t wait to see him back.”

There is at least one formidable obstacle to Auguste Rodin, however, in the shape of the Japanese filly Liberty Island, a multiple Group One winner in her homeland and last seen filling the runner-up spot behind her esteemed compatriot Equinox, who was nothing sort of sensational in last year’s Sheema Classic.

Auguste Rodin’s jockey Ryan Moore knows the strength of Japanese racing as much as anyone, and is full of respect for Liberty Island in a deep field.

“He had a gallop at Dundalk last month and he has been gearing up very well for this target since then,” he told Betfair.

“We never underestimate the opposition though, and you’d be pretty foolish to, given the make-up of this field.

“The strength of the Japanese circuit is there for all to see in this – Liberty Island’s winning run was only brought to a close by Equinox in the Japan Cup and we have to give that filly 5lb here, which is a pretty big ask – and there are Group One winners everywhere else you look too, not to mention the progressive Spirit Dancer.

“The winner will have earned their success.”

The British contingent is headed by John and Thady Gosden’s top-class filly Emily Upjohn, who has not not been seen in competitive action since disappointing in the King George at Ascot in July.

Thady Gosden said: “Obviously things didn’t quite go right there (in the King George), so we gave her a bit of time afterwards and she’s been in good order since really.

“She’s been training well through the winter. Obviously it’s very difficult getting horses ready with the long, dark nights and the cold weather, but she’s enjoying her work and has travelled over without a bother. Like everyone she’s happy to be here and is enjoying the experience.

“She’s a filly who has always shown plenty of talent and she’s progressed well through her career, of course winning the Coronation Cup last year against the boys. She’s in a similar situation here over a mile and a half against colts, albeit in a much more international race against some of the best horses in the world, as you’d expect.”

Charlie Appleby and William Buick team up with 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Rebel’s Romance. The six-year-old disappointed behind Equinox 12 months ago, but returns for a second attempt off the back of claiming at Group Three prize in Qatar in February.

“It was great to see him back at that level in Doha. He obviously had that great spell two years ago, winning those Group Ones culminating in winning a Breeders’ Cup Turf,” said Appleby.

“Last year was a bit stop-start. Our plan of working back from the Sword Dancer met with a bit of a mishap where he clipped heels (at Saratoga in July). He didn’t go down, but Richie (Mullen) got a bad fall and the horse just lost his confidence.

“We went to Kempton for an easier assignment with the hope that he would gain confidence from it and you could visually see that he had and we went to Qatar with a horse that we felt was back on his A-game. It was a great ride by William that day, but you’ve got to have the horse underneath you and the combination did a great job and won very impressively.

“He’s come here in great nick. The Sheema Classic is probably the strongest race of the evening, but the mile-and-a-half turf division is always a strong division wherever you go.”