Willie Mullins has sent 25 runners to Ascot Racecourse in the last five years on the Flat, and four of them have won. That is a pretty healthy return and it is not too often that he sends a 66-1 shot to run in Britain, that’s for sure.
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The Mullins horse in question is Stratum who runs in the opening Long Distance Cup. The nine-year-old wouldn’t have the class of some of his rivals and he disappointed at Doncaster when last seen. However, he is two wins and a place from three runs at Ascot in his career and he did win the Queen Alexandra here in June conceding weight all round.
Stratum stays all day but it is likely that he will find at least a couple too good in this lineup. Trueshan and Eldar Eldarov look the main two in the market and although Waterville is short enough in the market, Aidan O’Brien’s runner needs to step up a lot again to figure in this. So, if the top two don’t perform then it looks like a rather open race, and third is up for grabs.
Ground should be fine, track fine, and Willie Mullins doesn’t send one to Britain just for the fun of it. Stratum might run a bigger race than some out there expect.
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