Mullins taking Aintree ‘risk’

Mullins taking Aintree ‘risk’

Emmet Mullins admits sending Cape Gentleman to Aintree for the Betway Mersey Novices’ Hurdle is a “risk”.

The five-year-old put in a hugely positive showing when winning on debut over hurdles in December, however, he has endured a mixed 2021.

Cape Gentleman was pulled up at Leopardstown in February after struggling with a left-handed race, but he bounced back to win the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton last month.

Mullins acknowledges that his Cape Gentleman doesn’t like going left-handed but is preparing to test his charge out again in those conditions at Aintree.

“Cape Gentleman will probably go to Aintree for the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One,” said Mullins.

“Ground is probably key to him – he’s by Champs Elysees, he definitely wants a bit of nice ground.

“We are taking a bit of a risk going back left-handed after Leopardstown went against us. There were a lot of things went wrong on the day at Leopardstown.

“We are probably taking a bit of a chance going back left-handed in Aintree but I think the ground could be most of it and we won’t know until we try.”