Mullins going for Gold with Yorkhill as he eyes €350k gap to Elliott

YORKHILL puts his unbeaten record over fences and huge reputation on the line in the Ryanair Gold Cup at Fairyhouse.

Neither trainer Willie Mullins nor jockey Ruby Walsh have made any secret of the regard in which they hold the seven-year-old and he came up with the goods to win at the Cheltenham Festival for the second year in succession in last month’s JLT Novices’ Chase.

He is a red-hot favourite to see off six rivals in today’s Grade One feature as Mullins bids to make inroads in Gordon Elliott’s lead in the race to be crowned this season’s champion National Hunt trainer in Ireland.

Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: ‘Yorkhill has been good since Cheltenham and we’ve never won this race before, so it would be nice to do it. He won his beginners’ chase here, so the track and the trip and the ground won’t be a problem and we’re obviously very hopeful.’

The master of Closutton currently trails Elliott by over €350,000 ahead of what could be a pivotal Easter weekend. With Elliott fielding 10 of the 30 runners in tomorrow’s Irish Grand National, Mullins admits the team are up against it as they bid to retain the title.

‘The Easter racing is always big in Ireland and we need a lot of things to go right,’ said Mullins junior.

‘If it happens it happens and if it doesn’t it doesn’t. We obviously need to make ground and not lose ground and we probably can’t afford to stand still. With Gordon having a third of the field in the Irish Grand National it will make it tough, but we’ll see what happens.’

Walsh is excited to be reunited with Yorkhill, even if he admits the return to a right-handed track is not ideal for a horse who has a tendency to edge left at his fences.

‘The two-and-a-half miles looks a natural progression for Yorkhill as if we waited for Punchestown, it’s two or three miles. Having won over this trip it looks obvious,’ the jockey said. ‘He’s only had three runs this season. He’s fresh and well and David Casey is very happy with him.

‘Unfortunately he’s going to have to go right-handed, which is a slight drawback for him but I thought he jumped straight at Cheltenham so he should be able to cope.

‘I just think he’s a very good horse, he’s not flashy, he just does what he has to do. He pulled himself up on the run-in but went again when Top Notch came to him. He’s very exciting. He’s got a huge engine.’