'We need a bit of luck' - Willie Mullins hopes Saldier can make Ebor cut

Willie Mullins reports Saldier to be in "fantastic form" but faces an anxious wait to find out whether the Galway Hurdle winner will make the cut for the £500,000 Sky Bet Ebor on Saturday.

Saldier is 8-1 co-favourite with Paddy Power alongside Live Your Dream and Sonnyboyliston but is currently number 29 on the ballot so is not guaranteed a run with a maximum of 22 entering the stalls.

It will be a nail-biting few days for Mullins before he finds out whether his dual Grade 1-winning hurdler will make the line-up.

Mullins said: "Saldier is great. He's in fantastic form and has come out of the Galway Hurdle in great order. I'd love him to get in but I think it's going to be very tight. There are five horses with the same rating as him as well so we're going to need a bit of luck."

Mullins still has eight entries in the Ebor but M C Muldoon, Rayapour, Burning Victory, Royal Illusion and Baby Zeus look unlikely to make the cut. With a mark of 110, Tax For Max certainly will as should the 105-rated Mt Leinster who just needs two to come out.

Mullins added: "I don't think anything below Saldier has a chance of getting in. Tax For Max has a very high rating and he's guaranteed a run. He's still a maiden over hurdles but I think he's progressing nicely and he ran well at Galway.

"We've had the Ebor in mind for a while for Mt Leinster too and he seems to be very good. I'm really happy with him."

Mt Leinster: won three times from four starts on the FlatCredit: Patrick McCann

Mt Leinster is a 16-1 shot with Paddy Power, while Tax For Max is available at 25-1 with the same firm – the same price Sesenta went off when winning in 2009.

That remains the trainer's only success in the Ebor. He was ridden by Gary Carroll to foil a monster plunge on the Aidan O'Brien-trained Changingoftheguard who was backed all the way into 15-8 but lost out by a head.

Mullins also intends to run Stratum in the Group 2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup at York next week and reports the Queen Alexandra winner to be in great shape ahead of that date.

"Stratum is in the York team and will head over for the Lonsdale Cup," he said. "He was very good at Ascot and seems to be in very good form at home."

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