Willie Mullins says he will look at a run for Saint Roi at Leopardstown at Christmas following his odds-on defeat at Punchestown on Sunday.
Mullins was going in search of what would have been a 10th straight victory in the Morgiana Hurdle, but it was Abacadabras who managed to claim the spoils over the weekend.
Leopardstown now appears to be the next destination for Saint Roi, with Mullins hoping he can learn how to put things right after a disappointing result at Punchestown for last season’s County Hurdle hero.
“So much went wrong, but there are a lot of positives to take out of it,” said Mullins. “He was beaten only a neck and in another couple of strides past the line he was probably in front.
“He made mistakes and got on the wrong side of things here and there, but the performance was still good. He was pulling hard and Mark (Walsh) was caught between a rock and a hard place.
“The ground was testing and he was hoping he’d drop the bridle halfway around. Then they all rushed by him at the second last and he found himself in a bad position, but these things happen.
“I’m hoping what we learned about the horse might be to our advantage the next day. I’d imagine Leopardstown at Christmas is the obvious route with him.”
