Willie Mullins is set to send big gun El Fabiolo to Sandown rather than Punchestown.
Following I Am Maximus' sensational Randox Grand National success at Aintree last weekend, Willie Mullins finds himself sitting pretty at the top of the table as he bids to become Britain's champion jumps trainer.
As so often is the case, the majority of Mullins' big guns would be set to contest the Punchestown Festival following their exploits at both Cheltenham and Aintree, but with the Closutton-handler out in front ahead the chasing Dan Skelton and multiple champion trainer Paul Nicholls, Mullins is keen to target the valuable Celebration Chase, staged at Sandown on the final day of the British season.
"El Fabiolo will definitely go to Sandown," said Mullins, who was speaking at a press morning at his yard to promote the Punchestown Festival.
"The Celebration Chase is an important race, and it looks like a big race that we have the winning of, which would be huge.
"A lot will depend on what happens between now and Punchestown, (but) looking at it, we're about £50,000 in front, so if we won that (Celebration Chase), one of the other guys would have to win another feature and probably another race to pass us.
"It's a three-score game at the moment, but Paul is really a master of winning the championship and he will have his tactics in his head already. He could win the Scottish National and the bet365 Gold Cup and blow us out of the water, but you need a lot of luck to do that too.
"We're just hoping that we can get one nice prize – and with a bit of luck, it will make it difficult then for Dan and Paul.
"We're getting huge goodwill, especially from a lot of people across the water. They're saying it's adding a bit of spice to the end of the season and it's a once-in-a-lifetime achievement if we can manage to pull it off, so we're going to put everything into it."
The Simon Munir and Isaac Suede-owned seven-year-old was sent off the 2/9 warm market leader to make it a perfect seven out of seven over fences in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March, but a sizeable jumping error paid to his chances and he quickly pulled-up by jockey Paul Townend.
Mullins added: "He just wasn't right when he came back from Cheltenham, so I just gave him a break and let him find his feet, so he's bucking and kicking the last few mornings.
"He just wasn't himself, but there was nothing to treat when we got home. Sometimes you just give a horse a break and let him recuperate and he's done that and seems in good form now.
"He's as fit as a flea and one or two bits of work should see him right for Sandown, I imagine."
Mullins could bolster his championship chances by saddling impressive Arkle hero Gaelic Warrior, although he also has the option of Punchestown's Barberstown Castle Novice Chase.
"Gaelic Warrior always looked very, very good but that form got a huge boost, and it would be nice going to Punchestown with that, but I think he holds an entry in Sandown, so we'll see how things go but I'd like to go to Punchestown with him," explained the Closutton maestro.
"It's sort of thrown a bit of a spanner in the works for our team but we still have an A-team I think to bring to Punchestown anyhow.
"It's not something I like doing (running a novice in open company), but maybe this year we might have to look. El Fabiolo will be there, though, maybe he'd be enough."
