Mullins planning Christmas return for Noble Yeats

Noble Yeats is on course for a Christmas reappearance, as Emmet Mullins once again has his sights set on Aintree for his Grand National hero.

The nine-year-old campaigned exclusively over hurdles prior to the Grand National last season, returning at Limerick over the Christmas period before winning the Cleeve Hurdle and going on to run in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

A fourth shot at the Liverpool showpiece is the ultimate aim for the season and there is a possibility he could follow a similar path this term, with Leopardstown’s Grade One Christmas Hurdle just one of the options mentioned by Mullins as a possible starting point for his long-time stable star.

Mullins said: “He’s back in full work and we have no immediate plans, but I’m sure he will be out over Christmas.

“There are a couple of options. He could go to the three-mile Grade One over hurdles at Leopardstown at Christmas, or he could take in a chase race, there’s a couple of conditions chases around at that time.

“I know he was beat last year at Christmas over hurdles, but it seemed to work well enough and we’ll be hopefully going back to Aintree for another crack at the Grand National.

“It’s horses for courses and he’s been round there three times in the National, won one and completed all three times – so with a bit of luck on his side, hopefully he can do it again.”