RACING NEWS:WILLIE MULLINS has been in all-conquering form in Ireland this season and now bookmakers are running scared that the champion trainer will break new ground at next month's Cheltenham Festival.
Despite continuing doubts about Hurricane Fly making it to Cheltenham, there remains enough ammunition in Mullins’s likely festival team to make him as low as 3 to 1 second favourite to be the leading trainer at the festival.
Britain’s champion trainer Paul Nicholls, winner of the prize for the last three years, is favourite to do so again but the continuing hot streak enjoyed by his Irish counterpart means bookmakers reckon he has a genuine challenger this year.
“It is unusual for an Irish trainer to be so short but Willie has a very strong hand,” a Paddy Power spokesman said yesterday. “He has such strength in depth in the bumper that it’s highly likely he will win that and he is so strong in the novice department that whoever he runs in the Supreme will probably start no more than 7 to 4. Then you’re looking at Cooldine starting no more than 7 to 2 for the Sun Alliance.”
No Irish-based trainer has picked up the leading handler award at Cheltenham in modern times with usually three to four winners being enough to win the prize. However, Edward O’Grady has shared the most tally-of-winners in both 1996 and 1980 with two victories each year.
Mullins reported yesterday that Hurricane Fly remains “sore” after being found to be lame on Saturday morning and missing out on Sunday’s Deloitte at Leopardstown as a result. “We are treating him as best we can. It seems to be a splint bone but we’re not sure whether he got a knock or it’s just active. The vets who saw him on Sunday think it might take six to eight days to heal and it will have to be that as I have to get him ready for Cheltenham,” Mullins said. “I think we had plenty of work into him which gives me a chance to give him a little easy time.”
Hurricane Fly was taken out of some ante-post lists for Cheltenham yesterday with Cashmans now making Cousin Vinny a 9 to 2 favourite for the Supreme with Mikael D’Haguenet a 5 to 1 shot for the Ballymore.
Cousin Vinny has emerged unscathed from his last-flight exit on Sunday and Mullins is keeping his options open with the horse as regards running in the Supreme over two miles or the Ballymore over two miles and five furlongs.
“Sunday’s race was over two miles and two but he certainly showed lots of gears, more than even I thought he had going into the race. The Supreme is certainly a race I will look at but I’ve got Hurricane Fly and Kempes who could run in that so thankfully I’ve got a few options,” he said.
“I’m not going to say I’m leaning one way or the other. If you look at last year we changed our mind with Fiveforthree at the 11th hour and went for the Ballymore so we’re not making a decision yet. But Cousin Vinny certainly has enough speed to think about the Supreme anyway.”
There was also an upbeat report on Mullins’s Grade One winner on Sunday, Cooldine, who continues to lead the market in the RSA Chase betting.
“We were delighted with him and he looks an out-and-out stayer. I thought he jumped really well and showed great powers of reserve after the last as he looked beaten and then came back to win,” Mullins reported. “I would think the RSA Chase would be the obvious target as his owner (Archie O’Leary) has Golden Silver in the Arkle.”
CHELTENHAM LEADING TRAINER: Paddy Power bet: 11-10 Paul Nicholls, 3 Willie Mullins, 9-2 Nicky Henderson, 7 Alan King, 10 David Pipe, 20 bar.
