Willmount to bypass Aintree and go novice hurdling next year

Neil Mulholland’s five-year-old looks an exciting prospect for connections.

Neil Mulholland’s Willmount will be saved for next season after a highly promising bumper campaign.

The five-year-old, who was a costly purchase at GBP 340,000, won an Irish point-to-point as a four-year-old before changing hands and stables.

On his bumper debut and his first start for Mulholland at Doncaster in January he cruised home to win by 13 lengths, beating Nicky Richards’ subsequent winner Luckie Seven.

At the same track in March he was a winner again, taking another National Hunt Flat contest with a four-and-a-half-length victory when carrying 22lb more than the runner-up.

Cheltenham was never a target for the gelding and Aintree was only loosely mentioned, but connections have agreed that his season has come to a close and he will return for a novice hurdling campaign next term.

“We’ll just keep him for novice hurdles next year, I spoke to the owner last night and he’s not going to go to Aintree,” Mulholland said.

“He’s won his two bumpers, we’re very happy with what he’s done. We’ll put him away for next year and away we go.

“He can’t do any more, he won his bumper first time out by 13 lengths. The horse that finished second has come out and won a bumper since.

“We won his second bumper giving 22lb away to the second horse. Two runs, two wins – he’s done what we wanted.

“He’s a very nice horse, an exciting horse for the future, and we’re looking after him.”

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