WILLIE MULLINS and a ‘dazzled’ Nicky Henderson have confirmed two of the most exciting horses in training are firmly on course for a titanic clash at Cheltenham Festival.
Mullins has been blown away by the electrifying Kopek Des Bordes, who he says has been ‘fantastic’ schooling over fences.
While rival Nicky Henderson is purring over Arkle challenger Lulamba’s work at home.
It’s Mullins’ Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner, though, who heads the market for the top 2m chase ahead of his planned return at Navan this weekend.
The Closutton boss is back in Ireland after his awesome Breeders’ Cup Turf win and spin to Melbourne for the Cup.
And it’s all systems go for the jumps now – where it doesn’t get much bigger than 7-2 Arkle chance Kopek Des Bordes.
He destroyed his peers over hurdles last season and can be forgiven a blip at Punchestown Festival.
While he may not always have been the most convincing over his obstacles, he undoubtedly possesses a monster engine.
Mullins, speaking to Racing TV at Naas on Sunday, said what Kopek Des Bordes had shown him suggested the signs are ominous for everyone else.
He said: “Kopek Des Bordes will go for a novice chase there (at Navan) – he’s been fantastic and has far more respect for his fences than his hurdles.
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“We’ll also have a couple of nice ones for the maiden hurdles there as well.”
While Henderson confirmed it would be chasing for Lulamba.
The Joe and Marie-Donnelly-owned Grade 1 winner looked for all the world like he had claimed the Triumph last March under being pipped by Mullins’ 100-1 roughie Poniros.
Lulamba got revenge at Punchestown and his trainer had been toying with the idea of keeping him over hurdles, entering him for a Grade 1 contest in France.
But the Seven Barrows supremo – who was said to be ‘dazzled’ by the four-year-old’s work at home – confirmed to the Racing Post his future very much lies over fences.
Henderson said of 9-2 Arkle second-fav: “I think the most likely place you’ll see him is at Exeter on Monday week in a two-mile beginners’ chase.
“He’s been very good at home, and he’s been so good that he’s telling us we’ve got to go and do this.
“Entries for the French race closed months ago, so I stuck him in because at that stage we had hardly started any schooling.
“But he’s schooled two or three times since then and we’ve been very pleased with what we’ve seen.”
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