MULLINS DELIGHT AT RULE OF LAUR
LAURINA earned a 3-1 Champion Hurdle quote — and lavish praise from trainer Willie Mullins — with a winning return to action at Sandown yesterday.
Unbeaten in four outings last season for Mullins, Ruby Walsh’s mount faced just one rival in a match for the Listed Unibet Mares’ Hurdle — and justified odds of 8-1on by 48 lengths.
The per formance prompted Betfair to clip Laurina’s Champion Hurdle odds from 7-2 to 3-1 second favourite, and Ireland’s champion trainer said: “Ruby was very, very pleased with her. Every time he took a pull, she wanted to go faster and faster.”
Mulllins is no stranger to success at Cheltenham with mares – Annie Power captured the Champion Hurdle in 2016 and Quevega won six times at the National Hunt Festival. “At this stage of her career, she must be as good, if not better, than any of them,” he added.
“Getting to Cheltenham sound now is my priority.”
Elixir De Nutz refused to crack in the Grade 1 Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle, and is now 14-1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
With 6- 5 favourite Rathhill toiling in the rainsoftened ground, the Colin Tizzard trainee, running in the colours of Terry Warner – a Champion Hurdle victor with Rooster Booster in 2003 – dug deep for jockey Tom O’Brien to repel Grand Sancy by half a length.
“He’s surprised us,” said winning trainer Colin Tizzard.
“He’s not that brilliant at home, but the way he crosses a hurdle, he takes a length nearly every time, and I think Cheltenham spring ground will be perfect for him.”