Sport

RACING SHORTS

WILLIE Mullins has revealed Supreme Novices' Hurdle hero Vautour is set to embark on a career over fences this season.

The five-year-old was a stunning winner of the Cheltenham Festival curtain-raiser in March and made it five from five for Ireland's champion trainer when stepped up in trip at Punchestown in early May.

Owner Rich Ricci reported at the start of the month another of his prized assets, Faugheen, would remain over hurdles this term and now his trainer has confirmed the intention is for Vautour to go over the larger obstacles.

Mullins (above) said: "Vautour will probably go over fences. The ground has been so fast that you wouldn't really want to school horses at the moment. The horses are still heavy and you want to keep them sound. They came back in very heavy this year and I would say it's the best summer grass we've ever had. There was such great growth."