Willie Mullins-trained dark horse backed into 12-1 from 33s for Triumph Hurdle as trainer bids to follow last season's 100-1 shock with Poniros

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Willie Mullins: winner of the last four Triumph HurdlesCredit: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Mon Creuset has been the subject of significant support for the JCB Triumph Hurdle, with one bookmaker already reporting a "fair liability" on the Willie Mullins-trained springer.

Available at 33-1 in places on Monday, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned contender was cut to as short as 10-1 on Tuesday with Paddy Power before settling at 12-1. He is also 12-1 with Sky Bet and 16-1 with bet365, William Hill and Ladbrokes.

Paddy Power spokesperson Paul Binfield said: "We’ve seen a lot of business for Mon Creuset in the Triumph over the past two days, following Willie Mullins putting him up as a dark horse. We've already racked up a fair liability on him."

Mon Creuset, a four-year-old who joined Mullins from Fabrice Foucher in France towards the end of 2025, created a taking impression when winning comfortably on the Flat at Nantes in October.

He was well beaten on his first start for Mullins on his hurdling debut at Naas in January but shaped better than the bare result, travelling smoothly before making a costly mistake at the second-last flight. The race was won by his stablemate Kai Lung, who is 25-1 for the Triumph.

Mon Creuset makes a critical error when hitting the front at the second-last hurdle at Naas in JanuaryCredit: Racing TV

Mullins has an outstanding record in the Triumph and notably took it with the hurdling debutant Poniros a year ago, a result that prompted a rule change requiring all runners to have had a previous start over hurdles before lining up at the meeting.

He first landed the Grade 1 with Scolardy in 2002 and, following an 18-year gap, struck again with Burning Victory in 2020. The trainer has won the race for the last four years and will be bidding to join Nicky Henderson on seven wins in the race next week.

Despite news two weeks ago that his previous ante-post favourite Narciso Has will miss the festival, Mullins still has the 7-2 joint-favourites for the race in JP McManus’s Proactif and Rich and Susannah Ricci’s Selma De Vary. 

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'25-1 each-way is a cracking price' - Tom Segal and Paul Kealy on their best bets for the handicaps at the festival

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