Mullins Waits On Vole Target

Impressive recent Cork winner J'y Vole is unlikely to be seen in action in Grade Three company at Thurles on Thursday.

Willie Mullins was delighted with her excellent chasing debut but is keen to take things slowly and also has the progressive Pomme Tiepy entered in the Coolmore National Hunt Sires EBF Mares Novice Chase.

Mullins said: 'J'y Vole probably won't run on Thursday, but we'll see how she is tomorrow.

'She is entered at Naas on Saturday too and we'll just see how she progresses, but Pomme Tiepy will definitely run on Thursday, all being well.

'J'y Vole was very impressive first time, but over hurdles she would have been a bit better class-wise than the others, so the fact she jumped well was the main thing.

'We'll take it one race at a time with her but I'm delighted she handled Cheltenham so well last year in the Triumph, when she was the first Irish horse home.

'That would suggest she'd stay and we'll go for races of a longer trip.

'I'm just wondering, with all the new races being made for the Cheltenham Festival, whether we should be looking for a two-and-a-half-mile novice chase. We could just be crying out for it.

'A lot of people don't like running in the SunAlliance and run in the Arkle even though two miles is too short, so there is a good case there.'

(C) PA Sport