Patrick Mullins is looking forward to seeing Salvator Mundi back in action in Sunday's Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novices' Hurdle but has a worry over the ground for the five-year-old.
Second in his sole start in France, the son of No Risk At All has raced twice for the Closutton team, finishing sixth in last year's JCB Triumph Hurdle before outclassing his rivals in a Tipperary maiden hurdle in May.
He finds himself as favourite for the Sky Bet Supreme at Cheltenham ahead of his reappearance and the assistant trainer told Sporting Life: “He’s a horse we’ve always thought an awful lot of, his work has always been very good. His first run was obviously behind Sir Gino where he headed him before the last and then didn’t quite last it home.
“We then asked him a big question by running him in the Triumph first-time-out last year but we couldn’t get him right early enough in the season. Willie has done something similar in the past with the likes of Il Etait Temps, if they can win that’s great, if they don’t they then have their novice season.
“He won his novice in Tipperary where he blew his opposition away. Look I do think he’s a horse suited to better ground, and it’s probably not going to be very nice ground at Punchestown after the frost, and that’s a little concern but he’s fit, he’s ready to rock and to be honest if he gets beaten we’ll be disappointed. But I do put a little Asterix onto that, as the better the ground, the better he’ll be.”
The Mullins team have an interesting second string to their bow, JP McManus' Kel Histoire. He made an impressive winning start for the stable last month.
“He won very well down in Cork and is a nice Masked Marvel horse. He’s not overly big or strong but quite pacey and racy. If Salvator Mundi, on his first start of the season and on ground that might not suit him ideally, doesn’t perform to his best, then Kel Histoire should be there to pick up the pieces.
“He’s not a horse I’d underestimate and is a great second string to have going into the race.”
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