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The highly progressive Double Powerful goes in search of his own improbable ‘Magnificent 7’ when the serial winner heads to Ascot tomorrow.
The five-year-old, trained by Neil Mulholland, completed a sparkling six-timer with a gritty defeat of 15 rivals at Cheltenham last month in the hands of Dylan Johnston.
The talented conditional rider is again on board as the son of Ocovango strives to continue a winning sequence which began back in March when he exploited a mark of just 76 to secure victory at Fakenham.
Fast forward eight months and Double Powerful must now race off a rating of 121 tomorrow in the opening Howden Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, where 12 rivals will stand in the way of a seventh successive triumph.
Explaining his gelding’s rapid improvement, Mulholland told the Racing Post: “He’s been very mentally and physically backwards, probably more mentally, but he’s doing everything you’d hope a horse would do by progressing and he’s going the right way.
“I’m very happy with him and he’s doing well. I wanted to try to freshen him up a little bit, but because he’s so well I had to keep giving him a few pieces of work.”
Recalling Double Powerful’s Cheltenham win, Mulholland added: “It was special. He won at Fontwell before that, so everyone was expecting him to win.
“Thankfully he did everything he was supposed to do, he ran a great race and he put his head down while battling up the hill. He had all the quality we were looking for.”
Life won’t be easy for Mulholland’s charge with the stables of Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and in-form Ben Pauling in opposition at Ascot, but the Irish handler is confident Double Powerful can post another huge showing.
“He’s done well and although it’ll be a competitive race on Friday, wherever he goes he will be competitive. There’s probably no hiding place, but Dylan (Johnston) knows him very well – he’s won on him before – and he seems in good form,” he said.
