'If I had to make a decision today, the Ballymore is where I'd be going with Gaelic Warrior'

Destination unknown. Gaelic Warrior is a single-figure price for five races at the Cheltenham Festival, but Willie Mullins has indicated the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle is his preferred option for the five-year-old who has won his three starts this season by a combined total of almost 105 lengths.

Gaelic Warrior was the subject of a major plunge ahead of the Liffey Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday, and despite jumping out to his right throughout the 10-11 favourite picked up impressively after the last to score emphatically from Nibiru and Ballyadam.

He is 7-2 with Paddy Power for the Supreme and the Ballymore, while bet365 make him a 3-1 shot for the Coral Cup and the County Hurdle. He is also 3-1 with BetVictor for the Martin Pipe.

But Mullins thinks Gaelic Warrior might be best suited to the Ballymore, and if the race were tomorrow that would be where Ireland's champion trainer would send him.

Mullins said: "Gaelic Warrior was very impressive on Sunday. It was good to see him win a handicap like that. It was a great trial for maybe going for the Ballymore. He could go for the Supreme, but if I had to make a decision today the Ballymore is where I’d be going. We’ll see what happens in the meantime."

When asked about Gaelic Warrior taking in a handicap rather than sticking to novice hurdles, Mullins replied: "Off his rating it would have been a sin to run him in a novice race. It was Leopardstown on Sunday or the Betfair Hurdle and I thought he would have a better chance going to Cheltenham if we ran him at the Dublin Racing Festival rather than going to Newbury."

Another exciting novice who has the option of the Supreme or the Ballymore is Impaire Et Passe, a decisive winner of last month's Moscow Flyer at Punchestown, the same race Vautour and Douvan won en route to landing the Supreme.

Impaire Et Passe has become Paddy Power's latest Supreme favourite after Facile Vega's flop on Sunday, and Mullins waxed lyrical about the unbeaten five-year-old.

"He looks a bit special," said Mullins. "He could do two miles but you’d probably be looking at going a bit further – probably two and a half. I certainly was last week, but now with Gaelic Warrior stepping up again, it’s nice to have the choice. I’d still be leaning towards the Ballymore for Impaire Et Passe."

Il Etait Temps wins the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing FestivalCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The big surprise package of the Mullins team of novice hurdlers over the weekend was Il Etait Temps, a 14-1 winner of the Grade 1 2m novice hurdle. Mullins was surprised he beat the disappointing Facile Vega, but not shocked.

He said: “I’ve always thought he was a fair horse and that’s why I ran him in the races I did last year. I wanted to keep him a novice, but what disappointed me this year was his jumping. He just wasn’t putting it together, and even yesterday I think he made a mistake at the first.

"Danny [Mullins, jockey] said to me that when he pulled him a bit wide, he just pinged his hurdles down the back and put it all together. When he put it together, he won. I know the two in front made it easier for him, but he’s going to keep learning, and I think once he gets it all together, who knows how good he could be?

“He was very keen. Once he learns to settle, I think his jumping will come together, and then his performance will improve again. He’s going to be a proper Grade 1 horse.”

Read more . . .

'The sport is shooting itself in the foot' - Willie Mullins fumes over timing of whip changes 

Gaelic Warrior stakes Cheltenham claim as Mullins lands magnificent five-timer  

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