Willie Mullins’ highly-touted Melon to return at Down Royal
The five-year-old chestnut, twice placed at the highest level in his novice season, will start his new campaign off in the Grade Two WKD Hurdle at Down Royal on Friday.
LAST SEASON'S much talked about hurdler Melon makes his seasonal reappearance in the WKD Hurdle at Down Royal on Friday.
A great deal was expected of the Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old chestnut even before his debut on the track and, after winning stylishly on his Irish debut at Leopardstown, he was joint-favourite for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
While Melon came up short in that race, he ran with plenty of credit to finish second behind Labaik before finding only stablemate Cilaos Emery too good at Punchestown the following month.
Mullins' son, amateur jockey and assistant trainer Patrick, feels Melon will face a fair examination on his seasonal debut.
Mullins said: "Melon seems in good form and a second-season novice race like this is a nice starting point for him.
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"It will be a fair examination for him as Coquin Mans has a high rating and is as fit as a flea.
"Melon has only had the three runs over hurdles, so he's entitled to improve, but I'm sure he'll improve for the run, too.
"He's running pretty early in the season for one of ours and we'll know a lot more about him after the race."
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Of Coquin Mans, he added: "He's a very talented horse and has only beaten once, and that was by a Champion Hurdle winner in Jezki.
"He won't be a pushover and I think it will be a race."
Gordon Elliott's Mick Jazz and the Karl Thornton-trained Wakea look the two most likely to upset the Mullins party.
Jessica Harrington's mare Forge Meadow and Willie Codd's outsider Tellthemnuttin complete the Grade Two field.