Hunters Yarn ready winner of Listed novice hurdle

Hunters Yarn (3/1) was a ready winner of the the Listed I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Novice Hurdle to complete quick doubles for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.

Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the three-time bumper winner, who had won on his second hurdles start at Naas last month, sat second as 11/8 favourite American Mike made the running.

After heading that one three out, the winner put his seal on the race between the final two flights. A mistake at the last didn't stop him at all and he was ridden out to beat Imagine by half a dozen lengths.

Winning trainer Wilie Mullins said: “He didn't jump as fluently as I was hoping he would but he showed a nice turn of foot.

“I think he is possibly Supreme Novice-bound if Simon and Isaac want to go there.

“I'm not sure that he stays, the couple of times we've tried him over longer trips he hasn't been up to it yet.

“I liked what I saw there, liked the turn of foot that he has, and he's going to make a very smart novice chaser, I think.

“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.

“I think he's going to be way better over fences, he'll probably have more respect for bigger jumps because he's well able to jump.”

Paddy Power go 8/1 (from 25s) about the winner for the Supreme.

Quotes from Gary Carson