The powerful connections of leading owner JP McManus and master trainer Willie Mullins combine with the Spring Juvenile Hurdle favourite in Narciso Has at Leopardstown this year. Run under the sponsorship of Gannon’s City Recovery & Recycling Services on the opening day of the Dublin Racing Festival, Saturday, 31, January, the Grade 1 four-year-olds only race sees him face some fillies.
Narciso Has, purchased out of France like so many Mullins mounts, arrived in Ireland with a big reputation. He shaped as if needing the run when second on his bow in the Emerald Isle. The fourth foal out of French race mare Chegei Has conceded a recent run and 3lb to Robcour filly Mange Tout in a Grade 3 during the Fairyhouse Winter Festival.
Since then, however, Narciso Has stripped much fitter for that first start in 224 days and readily landed a Grade 2 here on the Southside of Dublin over Christmas. Off the back of that 11-length victory, he’s not only a strong fancy for the Spring Juvenile Hurdle of 2026, but also one of the Cheltenham Festival favourites for Gold Cup day and the Triumph Hurdle.
The front two at Fairyhouse pulled well clear of the third, Adrienne. Narciso Has did so again at Leopardstown, so Ted Walsh goes down the alternative route of running in handicap company against her elders instead where she will receive 12lb weight for age. Adrienne may appreciate stepping up in trip to two-and-a-quarter miles even at this still relatively early stage of her career.
Elliott Launches Three-Pronged Attack Spearheaded by Mange Tout
Cullentra House handler Elliott declares three in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle of 2026, nominating Leopardstown fourth Barbizon and Punchestown winner Immediate Effect alongside Mange Tout. The latter looks very much like the stable’s first string as she takes on Narciso Has again off 4lb better terms here compared to Fairyhouse. A daughter of Born To Sea, she puts her unbeaten record on the line here.
Still unbeaten!
Mange Tout lands Grade 3 honours at the expense of the highly-regarded Narciso Has in the @Bar1Betting Juvenile Hurdle for @gelliott_racing @Fairyhouse pic.twitter.com/IGeNrp28rs
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 30, 2025
Mange Tout won in France before joining Elliott and landed her Irish bow around Down Royal in November. She landed her hat-trick with Narciso Has subsequently franking the form during her midwinter break. Of those entered in both this and the Triumph Hurdle, she has best Cheltenham odds of 10/1 for then and clear second-favourite here.
Immediate Effect, a Flat convert from Sir Mark Prescott’s Newmarket yard, landed a Punchestown maiden hurdle on New Year’s Eve that can be a good form guide to the Spring Juvenile Hurdle. Rated in the high 80s on the level, he should make up into a decent hurdler, but this is obviously a major step up in grade.
Barbizon has an even loftier Flat mark of 101 for Gigginstown House Stud, meanwhile. A comfortable Navan maiden winner on his hurdles bow, he found the sounder surface against him over Christmas when weakening into fourth some 12.5 lengths behind Narciso Has. The going at Leopardstown will be more testing now, which gives Barbizon a chance of improving on that effort.
Elliott sent another Robcour filly in Highland Crystal over to Doncaster for a race last weekend, but she got loose on Town Moor before the start and had to be withdrawn. Given that recent fruitless trip across the Irish Sea to Britain, she doesn’t take up her back-up engagement in this higher grade.
Selma De Vary, Bertutea Other Mullins Mounts
Mullins doesn’t rely solely on Narciso Has for the Spring Juvenile Hurdle in 2026. Rich & Susannah Ricci have had the likes of Vauban and Lossiemouth win and place here in recent seasons. These owners have representation in recent French import Selma De Vary. This daughter of Zarak hasn’t had long to settle in to life in Ireland at Closutton, however.
Selma De Vary made her final start for Emmanuel Clayeux in November when she scored by nine lengths at Auteuil. Her previous fifth in a Grade 3 doesn’t read too badly as the third home has come out and won at the next level since. Mullins has a good recent record with fillies in this race too with Gala Marceau and Kargese both featuring on the roll of honour in the 2020s.
He also has a Gigginstown horse running in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle of 2026 in Bertutea. Yet another French purchase, this gelding made it third time lucky over hurdles on his Irish and stable debut around Limerick over Christmas. Bertutea ran out a nine-length winner on heavy going, but also could take a major step up in grade now.
A juvenile on the ⬆️
Narciso Has, who bumped into Mange Tout at Fairyhouse last time, makes no mistake on his second start for Willie Mullins.
He looks very smart.@dan2231 | @LeopardstownRC pic.twitter.com/jUPjmafO3e
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) December 26, 2025
It’s crystal clear who the number one Mullins mount is here with prices on Cheltenham betting sites reflecting that. Splitting Adrienne and Barbizon in the Leopardstown Grade 2 during the Christmas Festival was Gavin Cromwell’s re-opposing North Shore. Put up 2lb overweight on that occasion, it proved costly as this gelding by The Grey Gatsby lost second close home.
North Shore should come on for his first experience of hurdling, but does have something to find with Narciso Has on that course and distance run. As a stayer on the Flat in France, he could be another one that finds softer conditions to his advantage during the DRF.
Spring Juvenile Hurdle 2026 Shortlist & Verdict
The value in the market here lies with MANGE TOUT. She receives the full 7lb sex allowance from Narciso Has now, which puts her 4lb better off from their Fairyhouse encounter. Elliott may have been wise to give her a short midwinter break that freshens her up for this. Narciso Has is definitely first choice from the Mullins mounts, though.
As for the rest of the field, they will need to be very good to match the standards set by the first two in the betting. Narciso Has already has a rating of 144 with Mange Tout on 137. Immediate Effect looks open to further progress, while Selma De Vary could be a dark horse. The return to softer going means the likes of North Shore and Barbizon may get closer to Narciso Has.
