Warwick Tips: Matter of time for Mullins contender
They race over jumps from 14:08-16:40 at Warwick on Wednesday, with the ground forecast to be on the slower side after heavy rainfall overnight.
I've selected a trio of Warwick tips - including a raider for champion trainer Willie Mullins - for you to follow at the West Midlands venue.
14:08 - Onlyamatteroftime @ 4/6
Fresh from being crowned Britain's champion trainer for the first time, any thoughts the natives might have harboured that Willie Mullins would be an infrequent visitor until the meat of the season returns appear to be misled as he rocks up with ONLYAMATTEROFTIME for the Class 4 Logicor William Eborall Maiden Hurdle that opens the card at Warwick.
It's a meagre £4,084 on offer to the winner but it's certainly an ominous statement that Mullins is targeting this sort of pot, so early in the season, as such small margins could be hugely significant come next spring and the culmination of his championship defence.
This Getaway gelding was highly tried in his first three runs for the Closutton maestro, contesting the Greatwood at Cheltenham in November and a couple of major handicaps at Ascot and Newbury either side of Christmas.
Sights were lowered last month for a Ballinrobe handicap (2m6½f, soft) where he finished second under a hefty 12st 4lb burden. He drops in trip slightly now and, more pertinently, returns to maiden company in the hands of his now owner-rider Patrick Mullins. They should land this Warwick opener.
16:08 - Home Free @ 5/6
A maiden hurdle winner at Lingfield (2m, heavy) in March, HOME FREE made a satisfactory start to his chasing career when second at Hexham (1m7½f, good) this month and can now go one spot better for Dan Skelton in a race the trainer may dominate.
The Soldier Of Fortune gelding has shown promise in all six starts in bumpers/hurdles races and was only headed late on by previous winner Five Dollar Fine in that chasing introduction 11 days ago.
He remains unexposed now upped to 2m4f and the fitting of a first-time tongue-tie should be an aid. He jumped nicely last time and now has in-form pilot Harry Skelton returning in the plate.
They can oblige here at the main expense of last month's Southwell winner/subsequent C&D second God's Own Getaway – with jockey bookings suggesting Home Free is the leading light in a race where Skelton has two major players in a field of just five.
16:40 - Kintail @ 2/1
Nicky Henderson is another powerful trainer that sends just one runner to this meeting and his representative KINTAIL is looking to make it 3-3 at Warwick.
He landed his bumper at this track in this month last year on second start and returned in November for a winning hurdles bow over 2m3f on soft ground in the hands of Nico de Boinville.
He wasn't disgraced when fourth in a hot Cheltenham novices' event in December and has been absent since finishing fifth in a novices' handicap at Lingfield's Winter Millions meeting in January on deep ground.
The five-year-old goes up in trip and his Seven Barrows handler could be plotting a summer campaign.
Find more Horse Racing Tips here at Betfred Insights
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