Patrick Mullins has full faith in Salvator Mundi

By Sporting Life

Sporting Life Plus

Mon January 13, 2025 · 5h ago

Patrick Mullins has unwavering faith in Salvator Mundi, who didn't impress everyone with his Sunday success in the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle.

The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old came into Sunday's Punchestown contest with a lofty reputation in light of a runaway maiden success at Tipperary back in May and while he ultimately got the job done, beating Kel Histoire by three lengths in a one-two for the Closutton team, his early keenness and scruffy jumping did not go unnoticed.

The sponsors reacted by cutting Salvator Mundi to 7/2 favourite (from 5/1) for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham and the trainer's son and assistant still expects the French import to take all the beating in the Festival opener on March 11.

He told Sporting Life: "My faith is definitely undiminished. When he jumped the second-last and Paul (Townend) went down to give him a squeeze I thought it had all gone up in smoke but the way he came back on the bridle and then ran by them like they were standing still, off a slow-run race, it's not easy to do that at Punchestown.

"So it was a huge performance and we're very happy coming out of the race.

"To be honest, after the first half-mile I thought to myself 'well this horse can't win'. He was running too keenly and because Paul was trying to settle him and they were going slow, he couldn't let him jump. Because if he'd let him jump, he'd have made ground in the air, landed running and ran even keener and maybe even ended up in front, with the other horses pushing him on.

"So there's no doubt the ability is there, but his efficiency in racing still needs a bit of tweaking. When he won his maiden in Tipperary, which was quite a controversial race (long way clear from start and won by 62 lengths), you can see how that happened now as if you let him onto the front, he rocks and rolls. He's going to have to learn how to be more professional in his racing in order to maximise his potential."

'His jumping is fine'

Mullins also anticipates a better round of jumping in different circumstances going forward.

He explained: "We're not worried that he's going to jump poorly (at Cheltenham). It was a slowly-run race and Paul was almost using the jumps to try and get him back, get him off the bridle and to take a breath.

"We're happy that in a stronger-run race he'll settle better. He's run around Cheltenham and he's run around Auteuil - his jumping is fine.

"As for tactics in the Supreme, I'm not sure he's the sort of horse who would settle in front. It's a great place to make the running if you can jump the first hurdle and prick your ears and race with a loop in the rein. But if you jump the first hurdle and rock down to the next two - and it's a long run to the second flight - then you could have your race finished with by the time you pass the stands. So I'm not convinced he's a horse to do that with.

"In a strong-run race he'll settle much better. You don't always get that in the Supreme Novices' - sometimes you do and sometimes you don't. He wears the hood, he wears the tongue-strap, he's not straightforward, but Paul Townend is riding out of his skin and I'm sure he'll be well able to devise a plan with him."

WATCH: Salvator Mundi overcomes early keenness to win at Punchestown

'Brown Advisory could be the plan'

The Mullins team also enjoyed weekend success in the novice chase division, Lecky Watson ultimately winning the two and a half-mile Sky Bet, For The Fans Novice Chase by eight lengths from Gordon Elliott's Down Memory Lane.

Mullins expects Lecky Watson to be seen over longer distances before the end of the season, saying: "If you drop him in he can be keen and then out in front he can look around a lot, but I think fences are making him concentrate a lot more and making him easier to ride. We'll be able to step him out in trip because of that and I can't wait to see what he's like over three miles.

"When Paul asked him he came and jumped fluently but when Paul let him alone and he got into the bottom of the fences, he wasn't making a great shape so he's going to have to sharpen his jumping in that regard.

"Again, there's huge ability there and he just needs to get a bit more professional in his racing - in the exact opposite way that Salvator Mundi does!

"I'm not sure what Willie has in mind for him just yet but I'd imagine if we could get another run in, that'd be great, but we've sent chasers to Cheltenham off the back of two runs before.

"I'd imagine the Brown Advisory could be the plan, although he could also wait and go to Fairyhouse for the Grade 1 there. But Willie's away at the moment so no plans have been made - not that they would have been if he'd been around either!"

Mistergif opened his account over fences at the first time of asking in Saturday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase at Fairyhouse, beating Tullyhill and leading home a one, two, three, four for the Mullins yard.

It was a first Mullins-trained winner for jockey JJ Slevin, who recently took up the retained rider role for Mistergif's owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

Mullins said: "It was a great result, JJ gave the horse a great ride. He was almost riding him to run well, his first run of the season and his first over fences. I'm not so sure the race fell into his lap, I wouldn't be sure that Mistergif won't be the best of these at the end of the season anyway.

"I kind of fancied him in the Supreme Novices' last year and he ran a little bit below-par. He's got a lot of speed and he jumps very well. I know a lot of people felt the race fell apart but I wouldn't be surprised if he was the best horse in the race.

"The way he jumps and the turn of foot he has, I'd imagine we'd be sticking at shorter trips rather than stepping up."

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