Mullins continues to make Hay with 160th win

The Best Of Luck To The Irish At Cheltenham Maiden Hurdle at Gowran today was an appropriately titled race for Willie Mullins to win, with the Champion Trainer's Haymount (13/8jf) scoring under stable jockey Ruby Walsh.

Haymount, a son of Presenting, moved to the front early in the home straight and having shaken off the challenge of fellow 13/8 joint-favourite Double Island also fought off the challenge of Alamein on the run-in.

Afterwards Mullins, who is to send 60 high class horses to the Cheltenham Festival in mid-March, later stated “funnily enough his (Haymount) best form seems to be over two miles but I always thought he would be a staying horse.

“I was thinking he should go for the EBF Hurdle final at Fairyhouse or maybe he could go for one of the novice hurdles there over shorter.

“He's maybe just getting the hang of racing and will prefer better ground.

“When we tried him over three miles he got beaten but he was maybe too keen and now we have him settling he might be better over a trip.

“He's a horse we're looking forward to going chasing with.”

Haymount's win was Mullins' 160th of the current 2015/16 campaign in Ireland and the Champion Trainer later added his 161st when Marasonnien landed the hunters chase.

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson