Mullins keen to keep Kopek cool in what will be an emotionally-charged Supreme test

Emotions will be running high ahead of the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, but Willie Mullins is looking to keep a lid on Kopek Des Bordes for the Cheltenham Festival curtain-raiser.

In a race run this year in memory of O’Sullivan, who died last month at the age of 24 following injuries suffered in a fall at Thurles, the hot favourite will be fitted with a hood after taking a keen hold under Paul Townend at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown last time out.

The fact that Kopek Des Bordes still had enough energy to eventually power clear for a spectacular 13-length Grade One success is an ominous sign for his rivals, but Mullins clearly wants to curb his enthusiasm at Prestbury Park.

Mullins said: “Paul got off the horse after the race and said he ran away with him three times in the race. Most normal horses, if you run away with a jockey once, that’s enough, their winning chance has gone.

“But he was running away with him through the race, then when a loose horse came up, I was watching it unfold and thought ‘this is going to drive this fellow mad’ – which it did.

“He went on two or three lengths around the second-last bend coming to the second-last hurdle and then Paul got a grip on him again before he went away up the straight.

“It was a huge performance; we’d never ask a horse that question at home, and it blew my mind what he did at Leopardstown, against a field of top-class horses.”

The Closutton handler will field half of the 12 runners as he goes in search of a record-extending eighth victory in a race he has previously won with Tourist Attraction, Ebaziyan, Champagne Fever, Vautour, Douvan, Klassical Dream and Appreciate It.

While Townend sticks with Kopek Des Bordes, Patrick Mullins will partner Salvator Mundi, who was sixth in last year’s Triumph but returns to Prestbury Park with a Grade Two strike at Punchestown in January on his CV.

“He has a very tender mouth, as we saw in Punchestown, and I think he has a lot of tactical speed when he wants it, but he didn’t jump so well because they were going so slow the other day,” said Mullins. “He’s going to need it I think, with Kopek Des Bordes in the race.

“The race the other day was inconclusive, but the thing I liked about it was after looking like he had blown up at the second-last, once he got his second wind, he came through and won convincingly. For me, it takes a good horse to do that.”

Gordon Elliott’s Romeo Coolio was a £420,000 purchase two years ago but has gone some way towards justifying that price tag, finishing second in last season’s Champion Bumper and this term landing a Grade Two novice hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas by nine lengths.

Elliott said: “He was very good at Christmas; obviously Willie’s horse was very good at the Dublin Racing Festival and you’d have to be impressed with him, but our lad has been to Cheltenham and run a good race.

“I think we learnt a lot from him getting beat in Fairyhouse (at the start of December). We were riding him for speed and a bit like Brighterdaysahead, he’s got a good cruising speed, so we rode a no nonsense race with him in Leopardstown and it really suited him.

“I think that will suit in the Supreme as well, as if you can get out handy and they can jump and travel, it can suit.

“We’ve been placed with horses that hadn’t as high a profile as him going into the Supreme, so I think he’s got a good chance, but I was very impressed with Willie’s horse.”

Workahead is another who has been given a break since making all to win a Boxing Day maiden by seven lengths. Henry de Bromhead said: “He certainly looked really exciting at Christmas, we were delighted with him.

“He ran nicely at Navan when he hadn’t run for a long time, but he looked different gravy at Leopardstown and you’d have to be very excited about him. Obviously, it looks a very good Supreme again, but I think we’re bang there.

“We’ve Sky Lord in that as well. He was good the first day in Cork and he didn’t really act around that inside track at Punchestown the last day, but he was beaten less than four lengths by Salvator Mundi, so he’s not far off it as well.”

There will not be a dry eye in the house if William Munny were to prevail in the colours of owner-trainer Barry Connell carried to victory by O’Sullivan and Marine Nationale two years ago.

This seven-year-old had to settle for second best behind Workahead at Leopardstown and then Kawaboomga at Fairyhouse, but made it third time lucky over timber in fine style at Punchestown last month.

Connell commented: “It wasn’t much of a race, but he won easily last time and it might be luck that we didn’t win the first two times over hurdles and we managed to get a third run into him – a lot of the horses who go for the Supreme are usually going on the back of two runs, so he has that added experience.

“Some of the time experts were talking to me after he finished second to Kawaboomga at Fairyhouse and they were saying the sectionals were really good and the times from that race from the first two would have been good enough to win eight out of the last 10 Supremes.

“That was him doing things completely upside down and you can imagine in Cheltenham and in a Grade One Supreme, they are going to go a reasonable gallop and I think it will suit him. I think he has the ability to be right there at the last and in contention – and after that, the best horse will win.”