A HUGELY exciting Willie Mullins novice hurdler has been obliterated in the betting for Cheltenham after smashing his sorry rivals on debut.
Bookies slashed Kiss Will’s odds from 40-1 to just 16-1 for the wide-open Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on the back of this showing.
Owned by connections of last year’s County Hurdle winner and Melbourne Cup seventh Absurde, Kiss Will had raced just once before.
After finishing third in a bumper in France in September 2023, he moved from trainer Francois Nicolle to Mullins for a staggering £235,000 later month.
Mullins has been patient with the son of Tunis until now – where he unleashed him in a Fairyhouse maiden hurdle over two miles.
Sent off 4-11 fav, Kiss Will got in a match with Gordon Elliott’s Hello Jack before he waved the white flag approaching two out.
Jockey Paul Townend barely moved as Kiss Will showed a rapid turn of foot to power home by 13 lengths from runner-up Costacurta.
The rider, who yesterday steered the exciting Funiculi Funicula to an eye-catching win for Mullins, was full of praise for the new Closutton recruit.
He said: “It was a match (with chasing Hello Jack finished third) from the time we jumped off and I had the better of that turning in.
“He lengthened well up the straight, handled the nicer ground well and showed a little bit more of a turn of foot than I thought.
“Although other people at home had different opinions of him.
“I liked what he did: it was ‘out and get experience’’as much as anything today, and he’ll be an exciting horse with a future.”
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”‘She looks top drawer’ purrs Willie Mullins after Rich Ricci’s ‘special’ new horse bolts up on debut” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6366575067112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]David Casey, Mullins right-hand man, put forward Kiss Will as one to watch at the start of the season.
The tight-lipped lieutenant said: “We have a few more young French horses coming through.
“I like the look of Kiss Will, he looks a nice horse.”
Punters were a bit stronger in their praise, though, with one commenting on the performance: “Now that is a rocket.”