Hunters Yarn states Supreme case at Navan

Mullins’ runner now 8-1 for Cheltenham Festival.

Hunters Yarn further strengthened Willie Mullins’ potential hand for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham next month with an authoritative victory in Listed company at Navan.

The most successful trainer in Festival history already houses the ante-post favourite for the traditional curtain-raiser in Facile Vega, while his Leopardstown conqueror of last weekend Il Etait Temps and Impaire Et Passe are other high-class operators in the mix for the Closutton handler.

Three-time bumper winner Hunters Yarn was beaten at odds-on in his first two hurdle races, but made it third time lucky with an impressive display at Naas last month to earn himself a step up in grade.

American Mike, runner-up to Facile Vega in last season’s Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, was the 11-8 favourite to bounce back from from a below-par effort at the track in the autumn, with Hunters Yarn a 3-1 shot in the hands of Paul Townend.

American Mike cut out much of the running in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Novice Hurdle, but was unable to resist the strong-travelling Hunters Yarn, who ultimately won comfortably by six lengths, with Imagine staying on for second and Inothewayurthinkin pipping American Mike to third.

Paddy Power reacted by cutting Hunters Yarn to 8-1 from 25s for the Supreme in their non-runner no bet market, while Coral offer 16s from 33-1 ante-post.

“He didn’t jump as fluently as I was hoping he would, but he showed a nice turn of foot,” said Mullins.

“I think he is possibly Supreme bound if Simon (Munir) and Isaac (Souede, owners) want to go there.

“He works very smartly at home and we just ran him over the wrong trip last year on his first run when Simon and Isaac were over in Ireland. That taught us a lesson to just keep him to the minimum trip for the time being.”

Firm Footings and Jordan Gainford winning the opening race at Navan
Firm Footings and Jordan Gainford winning the opening race at Navan (Brian Lawless/PA)

Firm Footings (100-30) opened his account over obstacles in the first division of the Navan Ford & Opel Maiden Hurdle.

Gordon Elliott’s Galway bumper winner had been placed on his first three hurdling starts and made no mistake at the fourth time of asking – seeing off 4-5 favourite Horantzau D’airy by a length in the hands of Jordan Gainford.

“He’s a grand horse and he probably wants further, but he has a good attitude,” said Elliott.

“He gallops and jumps. Jordan said he would have been an unlucky loser as he left his hind legs in the second-last.

“I thought this might be a bit short for him, but I needed to get a fourth run into him to qualify for the handicaps at Cheltenham.”

The second divison went the way of Mullins and Townend through 1-3 shot Ho My Lord.

An early faller on his Irish debut at Leopardstown over the Christmas period, the French Flat winner put that behind him with a comfortable four-and-a-half-length success over Banjaxed.

Mullins said: “He got his confidence back quickly after his fall at Christmas. He jumped high over the first few but then came down and started to hurdle.

“The further he was going, the better he was going and I’d imagine we’ll go out in trip.

“He’s in the Ballymore (at Cheltenham) and that would look a possible target. He’s earmarked for that, I think he has enough ability to go for it and he showed today that he jumped well enough.”

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