WILLIE Mullins may look at stepping Kilcruit and Blue Lord up in trip after they both finished third in the first two races of the Cheltenham Festival.
Trainer Willie Mullins
Photo: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Mullins’ first string, Dysart Dynamo, was a faller in the Supreme Novices and Kilcruit was a distant third as Constitution Hill led home a Nicky Henderson 1-2 ahead of stablemate Jonbon.
“I’ve spoken to Paul (Townend, jockey on Dysart Dynamo) and he’s good after the fall and he just picked the wrong option. He went left and the horse went right but he seems right. He went very fast throughout the race, so it doesn’t look as though he’d win it. Constitution Hill was a very worthy winner.
“Kilcruit ran well but it appears what we all thought that he probably wants two and a half miles. He won his trial over two miles, so we came here for that and today he looked like he needs another half mile. It’s the same with Bring On The Night who was having his second run over hurdles and I’m happy with him. Both of those will go up in trip.”
Patrick Mullins was the jockey on Kilcruit and said:
“We’ve gone a very strong gallop and my lad has just been flat out all the way. His jumping was a little bit scrappy, so he probably wants stepping up in trip.”
There was a British winner of the second race as well with Edwardstone justifying favoritism to win the Sporting Life Arkle Novice’s Chase ahead of the Gavin Cromwell trained Gabynako.
Blue Lord was back in third and Wille Mullins said:
“Blue Lord ran well. He had every chance but looked like another horse who might want to go up in trip. He jumped well but Paul said he had to use his jumping throughout the race to keep up with the pace they were setting.
“Softer ground would probably have helped him at the trip, but we are happy with him and have no excuses. Haut En Couleurs was running a great race and coming down the hill it looked like he might get involved, but he cut out, which was disappointing. Sean O’Keefe was unlucky on Saint Sam as he got jumped out of the saddle when there was that faller at the second last.”
