WILLIE MULLINS is preparing a ‘serious’ horse for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – after his scintillating Royal Ascot win.
Belloccio was a game winner of the Copper Horse Handicap at last month’s feature Flat meeting.
He followed in the footsteps of Vauban, who won that before going on to start off favourite for the Melbourne Cup only to flop and finish midfield.
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A similar path was considered for Belloccio, but now it appears he is set to go hurdling.
And his potential path to Cheltenham could start at the upcoming Galway Festival in Ireland where he is primed to race in the Listed contest over hurdles.
The six-year-old grey gelding has already won over hurdles.
He took a Punchestown maiden by nine lengths in May and looks every inch the potential superstar.
Racing TV host Jess Stafford, who is part of owners Thurloe Thoroughbred syndicate, revealed the future plans.
She told Irish Racing: “We had a couple of thoughts immediately after Ascot, we were thinking about the Ebor and there were murmurs about the Melbourne Cup, but I think you can get carried away.
“Willie thinks he could be a serious horse for the jumps and that he could be a Supreme horse.
“We’ll run him at Galway and we’ll see how he is after that, I think we’ll have to give him a break and then go to a jumps campaign, taking it race by race.
“I’m not sure that will be the last ever time he runs on the Flat, but I think for now, with the stage he’s at in his jumping career, we may as well make the most of it because it gets harder after the novice hurdling career.
“He’s only six and Willie has the confidence that he could be a Supreme horse and basically, we do what he says!
“We bought him and then Willie wanted to give him a bit of time off over the winter months.
“We didn’t really know what he would become and this has turned out to be a bit of a whirlwind.
“Having an Ascot winner was just brilliant, everybody wants to be at Cheltenham and Ascot, and Galway is like the cherry on the top.”
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