Mulholland may make Transmission switch to smaller obstacles

Neil Mulholland’s smart stayer Transmission may make his next start over hurdles en route to the National Hunt Chase later in the season.

The seven-year-old enjoyed a productive spell in handicap hurdles last term, winning twice and proving himself over an extended distance, with both victories coming over three miles and a furlong at Plumpton.

He returned to action with a switch to jumping fences, though he already had one chasing start on his CV from his spell when based with Colm Murphy in Ireland.

His first run of the current campaign came in a Cheltenham novice in October, where he was the runner-up behind a promising sort in Nicky Henderson’s Hyland, after which he returned to the same track to win under Patrick Mullins in an amateur chase.

On Saturday, he made his third consecutive start at Prestbury Park, lining up for the Josh Wyke Birthday Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase over a distance slightly in excess of three miles and a furlong.

At 6-1 under James Bowen, he had work to do at the foot of the hill, but did not relent and chased home the winner Haiti Couleurs to go down by two and three-quarter lengths in another solid performance.

The National Hunt Chase, run at the Cheltenham Festival over three miles and six furlongs, is the main aim for this season, but the bay may well revert to hurdling in the meantime, with a few potential targets identified.

“He’s come out of the race very well, it was a really good run and we were very pleased with him,” said Mulholland.

“He was probably in top gear all the way and that’s why he had plenty to do, but there are longer races around there coming up in the future, so he did all he could do on Saturday and we were very happy.

“That National Hunt Chase would be his prime target, he’s had three runs around Cheltenham now and he’s been second, first and second.

“We couldn’t have been happier with him, it was a great run and he did his best work at the end, so we’re well aware that he wants stepping up in trip.

“He might have a run in the Cleeve Hurdle but we’ll take it as it comes, we could also have a look at the race he won last year at Plumpton, a valuable race over hurdles, but that may come too soon, as he had a hard enough race at Cheltenham and we’d like to keep him as fresh as possible.”