Willie Mullins is already mulling over next seasons options for several of his stable stars with the Champion Trainer elect stating that Vautour may remain over hurdles with a possible tilt at the Champion Hurdle in mind.
Mullins was speaking on At The Races and hinted towards a couple of his main hopes targets for next season including for Un De Sceaux.
The Clossutton handler had three winners at Cheltenham with two of the most impressive winners of the week coming from Vautour and Faugheen. His other winner, Quevega broke the Cheltenham record taking her sixth consecutive win at the Festival.
Hurricane Fly, his stable stalwart failed to fire at Prestbury Park and Mullins feels that he may be just getting on too much in years. Many felt that Mullins may have a viable alternative to Hurricane Fly in Un De Sceaux but Mullins may have other plans for the horse; ‘’ Hurricane Fly is not getting any younger and Un De Sceaux still has to prove he’s a Champion Hurdle contender. The way he (Un De Sceaux) jumped his hurdles in France, he might be a chaser, and a very good one.’’
With Un De Sceaux taking on the race in France a couple of weeks ago, it shows that Mullins was clearly sussing out all the option for the horse ahead of the summer with French Hurdles jumping very similar to Chase Fences and he may send this impressive gelding over the larger obstacles sooner than previously expected.
Of Vautour however, Mullins had previously said that both he and Neptune Investments winner, Faugheen, would be going over fences next season. But with the apparent changing of the guard as far as Hurricane Fly is concerned, Vautour may become their Champion Hurdle horse.
Having torn apart the Supreme Novices Hurdle from the front, Vautour was visually the most impressive winner at Cheltenham while his novice counterpart, Faugheen, did not jump quite as well but came up the hill like a train to record another easy success for the Ricci and Mullins team.
“We have to look at that. It’s always nice to have a Champion Hurdle horse.
“Faugheen doesn’t strike me as a Champion Hurdle horse, but who knows.
“He’s possibly good enough to come back to two miles because he can keep up such a good gallop and maybe he’d be better jumping at two miles.
“They are all things we are going to have to decide and we’ll make a decision on that during the summer.
“I would imagine one of them will be kept for a Champion Hurdle campaign next year.”
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