Yorkhill targets Festival hat-trick Yorkhill bids to complete a hat-trick of Grade One Festival victories when he lines up for the Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Tuesday. Winner of the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree, the six-year-old is reported in fine form by trainer Willie Mullins. "Yorkhill would look to be my best chance in this race," said Mullins. "He seems fine after what might have appeared to have been a hard race at Aintree, and he'll head my team." Mullins also saddles Petit Mouchoir, who outran his odds of 40-1 when finishing eight lengths ahead of stablemate Limini when only beaten a neck when by Buveur D'Air at Aintree earlier this month. Jockey Barry Geraghty rides Don't Touch It, but expects Yorkhill to be a tough nut to crack - especially if his mount does not step up on his latest effort, when third to Ball D'Arc at Naas. "You'd hope he'd do better than he did at Naas," Geraghty told At The Races. "He'd won reasonably well at Leopardstown the previous day, but Yorkhill was so impressive at Cheltenham and then at Aintree. "He's coming back in trip, but he looks a high-class horse and will be very hard to beat." Gordon Elliott relies upon Ball D'Arc, who was well behind Petit Mouchoir in seventh place at Aintree. The field is completed by two British challengers - Nicky Henderson's Brain Power and Charbel from Kim Bailey's stable. The latter made the journey across to Punchestown last year, when fourth to Bellshill in the Grade One bumper, and has had a successful first campaign over hurdles. "It's been the plan for a while to go to Punchestown," said Bailey. "He ran well at Cheltenham (fifth to Altior in the Supreme) and has had a good season. "It's the end of the season so you can never be sure how they'll run, but I'm happy with the way he is at home."
