Gold Cup bid a possibility for D'Haguenet

Mikael D'Haguenet fell on his first start over fences in Ireland

  PICTURE: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)  Gold Cup a possibility for Mikael D'Haguenet
 By Racingpost.com staff 12:54PM 19 DEC 2010 MIKAEL D'HAGUENET, 25-1 with the sponsor for the Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, will be entered for the festival showpiece, trainer Willie Mullins said on Sunday.

RELATED LINKS Gold Cup betting Arkle betting RSA Chase betting Free bets  The 2009 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle winner fell at the last when in with a winning chance in the Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse last Wednesday on his first run over fences, following a long absence.

Mullins said: "He will be entered in everything at Cheltenham. He won the Ballymore over two miles five, but he has plenty of speed over two.

"The RSA is three mile one and the Gold Cupis three mile two and that's another ball game. We have never been worried about him staying. He's one of those horses that can change gear and go with faster horses as well."

He also told At The Races: "I'm looking at the entries for Christmas. He's in the two-mile novice (Bord Na Mona With Nature Novice Chase) on St Stephen's Day

Mikael D'Haguenet faces nine on Irish chase debut

Mikael D'Haguenet: star staying novice hurdler of the 2008-2009 season

  PICTURE: Caroline Norris  Mikael D'Haguenet faces nine on Irish chasedebut By tony o'hehir 10:59AM 14 DEC 2010 MIKAEL D'HAGUENET, the star staying novice hurdler of the 2008-2009 season, when he was unbeaten in six starts for Willie Mullins, will face nine rivals on his Irish chasingdebut in the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse on Wednesday.

RELATED LINKS Drinmore card RSA Chase betting  Runner-up on his only previous start over fences at Auteuil in May 2008 before joining Mullins, Mikael D'Haguenet missed all of last season due to a setback but is second favourite behind Time For Rupert for the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Head Of The Posse, who is two from two over fences, Berties Dream, winner of the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and who has finished fourth on his two starts over fences, Realt Dubh, another dual chase winner, and Jessies Dream are among Mikael D'Haguenet's rivals in the 2m4f event.

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Mikael D'Haguenet 'tough to beat' in Drinmore

Mikael D'Haguenet: Irish chase debut will be his first run in 18 months

  PICTURE: Caroline Norris  Mikael 'tough to beat' in Drinmore return By Jessica Lamb 10:14AM 26 NOV 2010 MIKAEL D'HAGUENET, off the track since a Grade 1 double at the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals last year, will be "tough to beat" as he goes over fences on his return at Fairyhouse on Sunday, according to trainer Willie Mullins.

RELATED LINKS Drinmore card  The 10-1 second favourite for the RSA Chase heads a field of nine in the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase over 2m4f, with Noble Prince the only absentee from the original entries.

"He is fine and we are sure he will handle the ground okay," Mullins said. "We just hope he jumps well.  He will be tough to beat if he has a clear round."

Mikael D'Haguenet ran once over fences in his native France before joining Mullins, but has not run in a chase since and will be returning from a 576-day absence.

In an unbeaten six-race campaign as a novice hurdler in the 2008-09 season, he won five consecutive Graded events, including the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

Leading the opposition on Sunday are the Gordon Elliott-trained Jessies Dream, a 20-1 shot for the RSA Chase, and Grade 2 Craddockstown Novice Chase scorer Realt Dubh.

Noel Meade, Realt Dubh's trainer, said: "The two and a half miles will help as he stays very well and fingers crossed he jumps soundly."

The going at Fairyhouse is soft, soft to heavy in places with severe frosts forecast for Friday and Saturday night. Frost covers have been put on the landing and take-off sides of the obstacles.

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Mikael D'Haguenet delights Mullins at Punchestown

Mikael D'Haguenet and Paul Townend school after racing at Punchestown

  PICTURE: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)  D'Haguenet delights Mullins at Punchestown By Tony O'Hehir 7:00AM 15 NOV 2010 MIKAEL D'HAGUENET delighted trainer Willie Mullins and rider Paul Townend when schooling over a circuit of the course after racing at Punchestown on Sunday.

RELATED LINKS Drinmore card Hattons Grace card Free bets  The star novice hurdler, who was unbeaten in six starts for Mullins in the 2008-2009 season when he won three times at Grade 1 level, could make his debut over Irish fences in the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse on November 28.  

Mikael D'Haguenet schooled with seven stablemates and jumped like an experienced chaser with his trainer and Townend expressing themselves "thrilled "with his display.  

Mullins said: "You'd have to be delighted with that.  He jumped from fence to fence. He did run second in a chase in France over two years ago before he came to us and while the Drinmore will be a big ask first time over fences for us, it is quite possible that he will run.  

Townend said: "I let him go to the front after jumping a couple of fences as the horse leading us wasn't really striding on and he was brilliant. He winged his fences and you'd have to be really pleased."  

Mikael D'Haguenet missed all of lastseason after suffering a couple of setbacks.