Willie Mullins says there is a “good possibility” Yorkhill will make his seasonal bow in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.
The seven-year-old has not been seen since his narrow defeat to Road To Respect in the Ryanair Gold Cup at Fairyhouse, an outcome which ruined his perfect season having been victorious in all three of his previous outings, including the JLT Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.
That was his second successive Festival triumph having previously claimed the honours in the 2016 Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle. You too can claim a big with the 7 sultans app.
Yorkhill holds an entry for the Ryanair Hurdle for next year’s Cheltenham Festival but Mullins is keen on stepping him up to three miles having initially pencilled him in to makes his come back in last Sunday’s John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown.
Having sidestepped that race, Mullins is eyeing the Christmas Hurdle at the end of December as he begins plotting a path towards a potential Cheltenham Gold Cup outing.
Asked why Yorkhill did not run on Sunday, Mullins told the Irish Times: “He probably would have run except it was right-handed. Opportunities left-handed are a little harder to get for a horse like him. But Leopardstown at Christmas looks a good possibility.
“His pedigree is all staying and I imagine he’ll go for the longer trip alright. I imagine that (Leopardstown Christmas Chase) will be it.
“He fine and I’m happy with him.”
