Willie Mullins plans to give smart novice hurdlers Boston Bob and Sous Les Cieux one more run each before they head to the Cheltenham Festival.
Both horses have struck at Grade One level in Ireland this season and are high in the ante-post lists for the major novice hurdles at Prestbury Park in March.
Navan winner Boston Bob missed an engagement at Naas last weekend, but should be back in racecourse action again in the near future.
“His aim would probably be the Neptune (at Cheltenham), I’d imagine,” said Mullins.
“He’s won at two and a half miles and he won a point-to-point. It will be one of the longer novice races anyway – the Neptune or the Albert Bartlett. I’d love to get another run into him. I just felt the race in Naas the other day was coming too quick, as he hard a hard race against Mount Benbulben at Navan, and Mount Benbulben probably wasn’t at his best that day.”
Sous Les Cieux oozed class when winning the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse, but was beaten at odds-on at Leopardstown over Christmas having made much of the running.
Mullins is unsure what tactics best suit his charge, but remains optimistic about his Festival claims.
“Myself and Ruby (Walsh) had a difference of opinion as I thought he should have let him roll and Ruby took a pull because he thought they were going too fast,” Mullins told At The Races.
“I think he’s coming back for the Deloitte Novice Hurdle, which is over two miles and two (furlongs). If there is something in the race going to go a good gallop we’ll settle in behind. We don’t have to make it (the running).”
Tags: Albert Bartlett, Boston Bob, Cheltenham Festival, Grade One, horse, ID, Ireland, Mount Benbulben, NH, OK, PA, Prestbury Park, Sous Les Cieux, Willie Mullins
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