Carter McKay and Patrick Mullins© Photo Healy Racing
Connections of Champion Bumper favourite Carter McKay have warned the form his win at Naas on Saturday should be treated with an element of caution.
The six-year-old preserved his unbeaten status since joining Willie Mullins when making all in a four-runner affair at the County Kildare track under the Closutton handler's son, Patrick.
Following that display, the Pearl Bloodstock-owned gelding is now as short as 3-1 to make it three from three in the championship event at the Cheltenham Festival on March 15.
Mullins junior said: "I was really looking forward to riding Carter McKay at Christmas and I thought he would win easier than he did in Leopardstown, but the horse that he beat (Bakmaj) came out and won very easily next time.
"It looked like he had improved going into the race at Naas. It was a very slowly run race and it turned into a sprint, which it can sometimes do.
"It is a bit hard to tell the form of the race as I don't think Joseph O'Brien's horse (West Coast Time) ran to the best of his ability.
"Although he did it very impressively and easily, I would have slight question marks over it.
"He will go straight to Cheltenham now, but he is a horse for the future.
"It is nice to have a good horse for Sheikh Fahad. Hopefully he is excited about the prospect of having a Cheltenham favourite."
