32RED TOLWORTH HURDLE (Grade 1)

WILLIE Mullins often stays closer to home on Saturdays but he was at Sandown last week to see 4/9 favourite Yorkhill run out a very comfortable winner of the Grade 1 32Red Tolworth Hurdle.

Handling the heavy ground well enough, the six-year-old was merely cantering for most of the way but finally needed to be driven out by Ruby Walsh to beat Nicky Henderson’s O O Seven by just over two lengths with Agrapart back in third.

Agrapart led from Cyrius Moriviere for much of the two-mile journey but O O Seven took it up at the penultimate flight. Walsh was almost motionless at this stage but asked for an effort approaching the last. Soon in front, Yorkhill was always holding on and extended his advantage on the punishing climb to the line.

He is unbeaten in two hurdles and two bumpers and will need to be taken very seriously in the Supreme Novices’ at Cheltenham if his trainer selects the opening race at the festival. The position is complicated because he also has Min and comfortable Naas winner Bellshill (owned, like Yorkhill, by Graham and Andrea Wylie) to consider.

Impressed

“Even my friends at home know I don’t know yet where they’ll all be running,” Walsh smiled. “But I was impressed with Yorkhill because the second is no slouch and they were all winners last time. I’m taking that at Grade 1 value and to do what he did on that ground was impressive.

“We know he stays three miles from his point form but he’s always shown us plenty of speed at home and the Supreme is certainly not out of the equation at this stage.”

Mullins had brought his horses over in search of better ground but it rained for most of last week (and this week as well), resulting in a Tolworth run in a time 26.40 seconds slower than average.

In this instance, however, the form is undoubtedly smart and underlined the very powerful hand the trainer will hold in a few weeks’ time.