By Daithi Harvey
Irish champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins is planning a return trip to Nashville this month in an attempt to land a $500,000 bonus should his Nichols Canyon (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) win the G1 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle S. at Percy Warner Park May 13. The Graham & Andrea Wylie owned eight-time Grade 1 winner put himself in pole position for the bonus by winning the G1 Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and already advertised his suitability for the race with a third place finish to Rawnaq (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) in the 2016 renewal. He showed his current well-being with a tenacious second to Unowhatimeanharry (GB) (Sir Harry Lewis) at Punchestown last week with Mullins commenting, “He seems fine after his run at Punchestown on Thursday and plans are fairly advanced for taking him out to America – we'll just give him a quiet few days at home. I imagine Ruby [Walsh] would ride.”
Mullins is no stranger to international jumps success and became the only European trainer to win Japan's G1 Nakayama Grand Jump with Blackstairmountain (Ire) (Imperial Ballet {Ire}) in 2013. His father Paddy sent out Grabel to win the valuable Dueling Grounds International at Kentucky Downs in 1990 and Mullins is keen to add America to his list of racing conquests. “It was a good experience last year and they had a lot of water on the track so we are happy enough to travel back again. The prize money is good but we are in line for the bonus so it would make the trip even better if we could win that!” he added.
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