Vroom switches to hurdles at Clonmel Vroum Vroum Mag will have her first run over timber for Willie Mullins in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Hurdle at Clonmel. Mullins pulled a slight surprise by declaring the six-year-old, who has been unbeaten over fences since joining the champion trainer from France. She counts two Grade Two successes and three wins in Grade Three company among her six successes and she has held several more exalted entries in recent weeks, including in Sunday's Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon. However, Mullins will keep her closer to home and she will face only five rivals, three of which are forced to concede 5lb. Mullins introduces the Gigginstown House Stud-owned Bello Conti into battle in the Clonmel Maiden Hurdle, but the owner's retained rider Bryan Cooper prefers Ball D'Arc (Gordon Elliott). Ruby Walsh is a more than able deputy on Bello Conti. The only other Mullins runner on the card is worth waiting for as Yorkhill (Patrick Mullins up) goes in the concluding Next Meeting Thursday February 4th (Q.R.) (C & G) Maiden Hurdle. This point-to-point graduate has always been held in some regard at Closutton and he's justified that reputation on the racecourse with a couple of bumper wins. The latest of these came about at the Punchestown Festival and there is every reason to think that he'll relish the step-up in trip now as he starts off over timber. Andrea and Graham Wylie should have plenty of good days ahead with Yorkhill, especially when one considers that the big chestnut comes from the family of high-profile performers such as The Listener and Offshore Account to mention just two. Many of the big names from the amateur riding ranks have mounts in this finale, including Jamie Codd on Figurative and Derek O'Connor on Coolbane West.
