Willie Mullins tagged Yorkhill as a future Champion Hurdle horse after he gave the trainer his fourth winner of the Cheltenham Festival with a silky success in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle on Wednesday.
Yorkhill (3/1) skated home on the turn to take the honours under Ruby Walsh, and Mullins was unsurprised by his display.
"He got the break turning for home and Ruby shot him through," the trainer told RTÉ Sport. "He probably got to the front a bit sooner than he liked but at least he took it when it came and the horse showed what impressive speed he has. He could go Champion Hurdling next year.
"I thought Yorkhill was going to be strong in this race. Even though he has enough speed to go for two miles, he showed he has plenty of stamina winning at Tolworth Hurdle, winning a point to point, he's plenty of stamina in his pedigree so I said, 'let's go for this race'.
"I thought Barry (Geraghty, aboard More Of That) was getting back to him, I thought the gap was closing. Maybe he was idling a bit."
