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The novice hurdle races at the Cheltenham Festival remain a mystery following a media morning at Willie Mullins’ yard on Monday, with the master of Closutton reluctant to make any decisions about where his young stars will head.
Willie Mullins' novice hurdlers are headed by Ballyburn, who impressed with a faultless display in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival following two dominant maiden hurdle victories. The six-year-old, owned by Ronnie Bartlett and David Manasseh, is double-entered in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle on Tuesday and the longer Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle on Wednesday, with Mullins unwilling to indicate his preference.
"Ballyburn has been very impressive," he said.
"He's in the Supreme and Baring Bingham, pedigree-wise you'd say Baring Bingham but looking at his races you'd say Supreme. His owners haven't shown a preference and they'd be very happy to go wherever we go. I'll leave that one open for the time being."
Ballyburn will be joined at the Festival by stablemate Mystical Power, who boasts an unmatched National Hunt pedigree as the first foal out of Champion Hurdle heroine Annie Power.
"Mystical Power is another one, owned by JP who is good pals with Ronnie Bartlett, and will they want to take each other on?" he added.
"I've been very pleased with what he's shown over two miles as on pedigree I thought he'd want further but he's shaped more like a two-miler.
"I think he's a bit like his mother, a later developer. You get some pedigrees, like Quevega and all her progeny who are late developers, so this fellow is improving all the time.
"I was amazed with how much he'd improved in his last bit of work before the Lawlor's of Naas, but then that was put back a week so I said, 'let's go for the Moscow Flyer' and he was very good in that.
"You'd have to think Supreme, but we've had Moscow Flyer winners go both ways. It's been a very good race for us as a trial to Cheltenham."
Elsewhere on the yard, Readin Tommy Wrong and Ile Atlantique are expected to have different targets following a one-two in the Grade 1 Lawlor's Of Naas Novice Hurdle in January.
"Ile Atlantique, my preference all along has been the Baring Bingham, unless something awkward happens he'll go there," said Mullins.
"I thought he put up a tremendous performance in Naas when he was beaten by Readin Tommy Wrong. Ile Atlantique did all the donkey work and Daryl (Jacob) was very cute on Readin Tommy Wrong and just pounced on him.
"Cheltenham will be a different test and we'll see. I think it's harsh if people say he's soft, we can change tactics and ride more of a race. I think it's very harsh given he did all the work and then he was pounced on by a very good horse.
"Readin Tommy Wrong is in the Baring Bingham but is also in the Albert Bartlett and could go for either race. He has stamina and class so it's a nice position for Simon (Munir) and Isaac (Souede, owners) to be in."
Of all Mullins' novice hurdlers, he showed unmatchable enthusiasm for French recruit Majborough, who finished a fair third in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle on his stable debut at the Dublin Racing Festival.
"Majborough ran a cracker the other day. Every time I see him, I think Gold Cup, not Triumph Hurdle, he's just a magnificent beast," he said.
"I was surprised when he arrived from France to see what an individual he was. He's not a typical juvenile hurdler, you're looking at him and thinking three years down the road.
"Maybe he could be like Douvan and just fully develop as a four and five-year-old. I've got some nice juveniles, but he'd be in the top couple of picks."
