Patrick Mullins believes Saint Roi is currently a leading contender to win next year’s Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old was a winner at the Festival in the Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle earlier this year, but he was beaten into second on his most recent run in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown last month.
Indeed, the JP McMamus-owned gelding is yet to win a Grade One race, but despite that lack of top-level success, Patrick Mullins, who is his father’s assistant, believes he is the yard’s leading contender for the Champion Hurdle.
“Saint Roi looks the number one at the moment. I know he hasn’t won a Grade One, but he has huge potential,” Mullins said at the launch of Leopardstown‘s Christmas Festival.
“He’s won around Cheltenham and for me, at he moment he could be the Champion Hurdle horse.”
Mullins also confirmed that Saint Roi’s next port of call is likely to be the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown on December 29, although the Closutton yard also have Concertista and two-time defending champion Sharjah entered in that race.
