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My nearest miss of this years festival is probably one of my strongest fancies looking ahead into next years renewal. I followed Carefully Selected all last season after reading Jamie Codd's positive report on him in JTF 2017-18.
"A fine big horse by Well Chosen, who was with Ted Walsh, and Willie bought him in the May sale at Cheltenham. He is obviously going to a good home and i feel he has a nice future. He ran twice in (in PTP's) and looks like a horse that is going to improve, so don't be surprised to see this lad win a bumper for Willie. He won his PTP at Monksgrange and Katie Walsh speaks very highly of him"
His first bumper win was at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting over 2m 4f in soft ground and he made a good field look very ordinary, kicking for home on the turn in and winning going away from them all the way to the line. He looked a proper stayer in that race and the form has worked out very well indeed. The Big Dog (4th) and Master of Tara (6th) won next time and when the former went in at Naas, he beat Mount Pelier, who was runner-up in that Leopardstown race.
The third, Captain Cj, hasn’t run since, but the fifth, Lone Wolf, has. Lone Wolf was subsequently launched over flights in a Listed event at Punchestown last month and could hardly have performed any better in taking third behind Hardline, successful again in the meantime, and Riders Onthe Storm.
I don't think Willie felt he had the necessary speed for the champion bumper until he won over the distance at Naas next time out. He was ridden very prominently again and won as he wanted showing plenty of toe for a horse giving away weight to the rest of the field.
I couldn't have been more impressed with him next time out in the Champion Bumper despite getting done in the final strides. He led the field a merry dance doing everything but win, again being ridden aggressively to try take the finish out of the 'speed" horses in the soft conditions. It very nearly paid off!
On his last outing at Punchestown he most certainly didn't disgrace himself finishing a strong 3rd to his two stable mates Tornado Flyer and Blackbow who both looked far more suited to the trip.
The tactics the yard have employed with him in the 2m races last season tell me he's most definitely a stayer and the fact that he performed so well over 2m despite obviously needing further leads me to believe he has to have an excellent shout in the potato race. That coupled with his excellent record in PTP's. He's a big athletic type that should take to hurdles no bother, hopefully bringing further improvement provided he stays fit and well.
Willie's take on his future after his win at Leopardstown only furthers my confidence in him, even going as far as mentioning the Albert Bartlett as an obvious target 16 months out.
"I have to give him a crack at a winners' bumper rather than go hurdling now and chasing next year," Mullins said of Carefully Selected.
"He could be an Albert Bartlett horse for next year. That's the sort of road I'd be aiming at.
"There were a lot of fancied horses there and he made them look ordinary. He gallops all day and he's not the slowest horse either."
I know you take that with a pinch of salt given the 'Mullins Bingo' effect but to my eye it looks the obvious route for CS and I think 20/1 with Bet365 is a very fair price and I've had a nice e/w bet. Ted & Katie Walsh obviously think the world of him and who am i to argue.
Some good info on him in here....
"A fine big horse by Well Chosen, who was with Ted Walsh, and Willie bought him in the May sale at Cheltenham. He is obviously going to a good home and i feel he has a nice future. He ran twice in (in PTP's) and looks like a horse that is going to improve, so don't be surprised to see this lad win a bumper for Willie. He won his PTP at Monksgrange and Katie Walsh speaks very highly of him"
His first bumper win was at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting over 2m 4f in soft ground and he made a good field look very ordinary, kicking for home on the turn in and winning going away from them all the way to the line. He looked a proper stayer in that race and the form has worked out very well indeed. The Big Dog (4th) and Master of Tara (6th) won next time and when the former went in at Naas, he beat Mount Pelier, who was runner-up in that Leopardstown race.
The third, Captain Cj, hasn’t run since, but the fifth, Lone Wolf, has. Lone Wolf was subsequently launched over flights in a Listed event at Punchestown last month and could hardly have performed any better in taking third behind Hardline, successful again in the meantime, and Riders Onthe Storm.
I don't think Willie felt he had the necessary speed for the champion bumper until he won over the distance at Naas next time out. He was ridden very prominently again and won as he wanted showing plenty of toe for a horse giving away weight to the rest of the field.
I couldn't have been more impressed with him next time out in the Champion Bumper despite getting done in the final strides. He led the field a merry dance doing everything but win, again being ridden aggressively to try take the finish out of the 'speed" horses in the soft conditions. It very nearly paid off!
On his last outing at Punchestown he most certainly didn't disgrace himself finishing a strong 3rd to his two stable mates Tornado Flyer and Blackbow who both looked far more suited to the trip.
The tactics the yard have employed with him in the 2m races last season tell me he's most definitely a stayer and the fact that he performed so well over 2m despite obviously needing further leads me to believe he has to have an excellent shout in the potato race. That coupled with his excellent record in PTP's. He's a big athletic type that should take to hurdles no bother, hopefully bringing further improvement provided he stays fit and well.
Willie's take on his future after his win at Leopardstown only furthers my confidence in him, even going as far as mentioning the Albert Bartlett as an obvious target 16 months out.
"I have to give him a crack at a winners' bumper rather than go hurdling now and chasing next year," Mullins said of Carefully Selected.
"He could be an Albert Bartlett horse for next year. That's the sort of road I'd be aiming at.
"There were a lot of fancied horses there and he made them look ordinary. He gallops all day and he's not the slowest horse either."
I know you take that with a pinch of salt given the 'Mullins Bingo' effect but to my eye it looks the obvious route for CS and I think 20/1 with Bet365 is a very fair price and I've had a nice e/w bet. Ted & Katie Walsh obviously think the world of him and who am i to argue.
Some good info on him in here....
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