Ile Atlantique carrying high hopes on second chasing start

Ile Atlantique returns to Naas on Sunday with the opportunity to enhance his chasing reputation and erase the demons of 12 months ago.

Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old has always been held in high regard and was sent off the 6-4 favourite for this card’s feature Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle last year, agonisingly headed late in the piece by stablemate Readin Tommy Wrong.

However, he made a near foot-perfect start to life over the larger obstacles when a nine-length winner at Navan last month and connections are hopeful he can combat the drop back to two miles as he returns to graded action in the Racing Post Novice Chase.

“The plan has always been to look for a nice race after Christmas, having won well at Navan,” said Sean Graham, racing manager to owner Tony Bloom, the Brighton & Hove Albion chairman.

“That was obviously over a much longer trip and now we’re dropping back to two miles, but there are very few races to run in and once you have won your beginners’ chase it is hard to find these better races.

“We would have preferred it to be over a longer distance, but the horse doesn’t lack speed and he jumps fluently. It’s a big ask, but the only way you are going to find out about these horses is running in the races and that’s what you have to do.

“If the race was two and a half miles you might be a bit more confident, but it is what it is and he’s in great form since he ran first time out.”

Ile Atlantique spent the spring of 2024 battling some of the best novice hurdlers around, but he has always been stamped with the ‘chaser in the making’ moniker, with both his performance at Navan and visible growth during the off season suggesting he could make his mark over fences this term.

“He probably came up short at Cheltenham behind Ballyburn and his season tailed off after that, but he has come back a bigger, stronger horse this year,” continued Graham.

“I spoke to Paul Townend both before and after the race at Navan and he felt he’s got bigger and grown and also felt he is a stronger horse than last year. He’s just a big horse who needed time to fill into his frame.

“He did a lot of the donkey work at Navan out in front and there was some good horses behind him that day and we go to Naas hopeful.”

Ile Atlantique is set to clash with Gordon Elliott’s Firefox once again after the duo first clashed in a Fiaryhouse bumper and also went toe-to-toe over hurdles last term.

Owned by Elliott’s long-time supporters Noel and Valarie Moran of Bective Stud, the Grade One-placed hurdler made a successful fencing bow at Down Royal before narrowly falling short when third in the Drinmore at Fairyhouse.

He is another dropping in distance for this Grade Two event, but the likely favourite is Henry de Bromhead’s Inthepocket, who was ultra-impressive when opening his chasing account at Wexford.

That was the eight-year-old’s first outing following almost a year on the sidelines and with high-level hurdling form to his name, his camp are looking forward to the outing.

Owner JP McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry said: “Inthepocket came out of his last race good, Henry is very happy with him and we’re looking forward to running him on Sunday.

“Hopefully all goes well with him, as he’s had his little issues, but touch wood all is good with him at the moment.”

Berry also confirmed that Triumph Hurdle winner Majborough, who was among the initial entries for this contest, would “probably go to Leopardstown” for the Dublin Racing Festival following what was an imposing chasing bow last month.