'That was good enough for a Supreme' - Tullyhill as short as 5-1 for festival opener after dominant display

Tullyhill is as short as 5-1 for next month's Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle after impressing at Punchestown on Sunday to strengthen the already dominant hand Willie Mullins has in the ante-post market for the Cheltenham Festival opener.

The winner's 24-length defeat in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown in November is very much a distant memory now after he jumped well and quickened right away approaching the final flight under Paul Townend to score by nine lengths from the well-touted No Flies On Him.

Cheveley Park's grey is still behind his stablemates Ballyburn and Mystical Power in the market for the Supreme, but the Closutton trainer believes the six-year-old is really coming into his own at the right time of his novice campaign.

Mullins said: "He just needed some confidence in his jumping. David Casey was deputised for that job and he has done a right job. I was very happy with that. He's entitled to go anywhere after that performance. I think he's coming all the time. 

"I thought he was going to be an out-and-out stayer but he has plenty of speed and a great cruising speed. Now that his jumping is starting to match his cruising speed, that makes him a nice horse to have. 

"It was just a matter of getting some confidence in his jumping. It was terrible here the first day but the work we've done is starting to pay dividends."

Tullyhill: only entry at the Cheltenham Festival is the SupremeCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Tullyhill's only entry at the Cheltenham Festival is in the Supreme, a race Mullins has won a record seven times. Ballyburn is odds-on in places following his dominant Grade 1 win at this month's Dublin Racing Festival, but he is also a general 5-4 in non-runner no bet markets for the Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle on the second day of the meeting.

Mystical Power, the seven-length winner of last month's Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle and an unbeaten son of the yard's Champion Hurdle heroine Annie Power, also has the option of the Baring Bingham over the longer trip of two miles and five furlongs.

Mullins said: "Tullyhill has an entry in the Supreme. I will have a word with the owners and see what they want to do."

Later, speaking to Racing TV, he added: "I thought he’d be one of our top novice hurdlers this year and that shoots him right back up to where we thought he would be at the start of the season. 

"I’m very pleased he’s got his jumping together and you can all see now what he’s able to do. I imagine he might go for the Supreme now, that performance to me was good enough."

Paddy Power went shortest with their quote of 5-1 for the Supreme. William Hill were less impressed and initially shortened Tullyhill into 10-1 before trimming him to 7-1.

Supreme Novices' Hurdle (1.30, March 12)

Paddy Power: 5-6 Ballyburn, 9-2 Mystical Power, 5 Tullyhill, 13-2 Firefox, 8 Jeriko Du Reponet, 12 Slade Steel, 14 Brighterdaysahead, 16 bar

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