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Impressive last-time-out winner Tullyhill spearheads Cheveley Park’s Cheltenham Festival squad.
Having finished runner-up to Champion Bumper winner A Dream To Share in the Grade 1 Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race at Punchestown, was sent off a 1/8 to chance to make a successful hurdling debut at the same venue last November but the Willie Mullins-trained grey could only finish a disappointing well-held second, jumping poorly throughout.
However, he would readily leave that effort behind when making all to get off the mark over hurdles at Naas in January before once again going pillar to post in Listed company back at Punchestown last month, a performance that would see the son of Martaline cut to a general 4/1 for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham next month.
Richard Thompson, managing director for Cheveley Park Stud, told Sky Sports Racing: "Willie (Mullins) has always had high hopes for him and last-time-out he really did look the real deal."
"He's only got the one entry next week on Tuesday in the Supreme (Novices' Hurdle). Obviously, we don't know what else Willie is going to run and as we know we'll probably find that out on Sunday."
"We're delighted with him though and we think he goes there with a very big chance."
Tullyhill has been partnered by Paul Townend on all three of his outings over hurdles thus far but could be forced to be partnered by a new jockey with Willie Mullins holding a handful of other leading fancies for the Tuesday Grade 1 opener.
"I haven't had any insight from Willie, but I thought Ballyburn (who currently heads the market for both the Supreme Novices' and Barring Bingham) would potentially go for the Gallagher Novices Hurdle, formerly known as the Barring Bingham, over two and a half miles."
Tullyhill is currently a 4/1 chance with Paddy Power in their non-runner money-back market for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham next Tuesday.
Tullyhill won't be the only horse sporting the famous red and white silks of Cheveley Park Racing at Cheltenham next week, with three-time Festival winner Envoi Allen bidding to go back-to-back in the Ryanair Chase on Thursday.
The ten-year-old went down narrowly to Gerri Colombe in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal in November, but Richard Thompson is looking forward to watching him defend his Ryanair crown.
"There was a plan to run him in between (Down Royal and Cheltenham) but we didn't want to take on Allaho and he wasn't quite 100 per cent, so we just thought we'd go straight to Cheltenham," he said on Sky Sports Racing.
"He's won three times at Cheltenham in the last five years, he's 10 years old now so he's getting on a bit, but he's in great shape, so we hope for a big run from him.
