Penhill primed for an early start to his season Willie Mullins is ready to unleash a strong challenge for the Grade 1 Baroneracing.com Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday where he hopes a change in strategy with Penhill will reap dividends. Willie Mullins said: "All are going well. Bacardys has recent form, Penhill is coming back after a long break but he went very well the other day in a schooling gallop. Killultagh Vic is probably the one who is going to find it hardest on the day. "I've just changed tack with Penhill this year. Hopefully he stays sound. Other years I've been keeping him until after Christmas and even Cheltenham but I just felt at his age now we need to get him to the racetrack and get racing into him. If he stays sound, well and good go on to Cheltenham otherwise we'll just pull stumps and probably end up retiring him I'd say." The Mullins trio are set to clash with Henry de Bromhead's unbeaten mare Honeysuckle in addition to Gordon Elliott's star mare Apple's Jade who has won the last three renewals of this race. Apple's Jade was beaten at odds on by Bacardys in her seasonal reappearance in the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle at Navan earlier in the month. Mullins was last successful in this contest in 2015 with Arctic Fire.
