Patrick Mullins provides the latest from Willie Mullins' yard on exciting novice hurdler Ballyburn.
Speaking on this week's Get Stuck In, assistant trainer and leading amateur rider Mullins revealed he felt Ballyburn appreciated the step up to two and a half miles when opening his account over hurdles during the Christmas period.
The 25-length maiden winner is the 4/1 favourite for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and was this week also backed in the Sky Bet Supreme market, the sponsors of the Festival opener going 7/1 from 12/1 on Tuesday.
Mullins said: "Ballyburn was very good (at Leopardstown). I don't think he's a horse with a huge turn of foot. Both times I won on him in his bumpers he looked in trouble on the home bend before the turbo kicked in.
"But stepping up to two and a half (miles) he just blew them away and that's the kind of horse we thing he is.
"I wouldn't mind taking on Firefox (horse who beat him in a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse again."