Carefully Selected the one for Mullins as jockey eyes National Hunt Chase treble

No jockey has won the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham three times and Patrick Mullins believes his best chance of creating history in March would be on Carefully Selected.

The 11-time champion amateur won the race on Back In Focus in 2013 and five years later on Rathvinden, equalling his father Willie's record in the race, but he thinks he could earn family bragging rights if Carefully Selected is allowed to take his chance in March.

Carefully Selected was made 4-1 favourite with BoyleSports, and is no bigger than 6-1, following his 24-length victory over last year's Ballymore winner City Island in the Grade 3 Killiney Novice Chase at Punchestown on Sunday, and Mullins was impressed with what he saw.

Watch Carefully Selected win Killiney Novice Chase at Punchestown

"I would love to ride Carefully Selected in it," replied the 30-year-old when asked who he had his eye on for marathon event on day one of the festival.

"I thought he was very impressive at Punchestown. He's not slow and he has a turn of foot, which you often need in the race.

"My only real concern would be that if it was like your normal National Hunt Chase and it turned into a big-field handicap-style race. He doesn't have a whole lot of experience so it would be a big ask, but I would love to ride him in it."

There are a whole host of changes to the National Hunt Chase, which is now run over three and three-quarter miles rather than four miles, and one of the new qualifying necessities is to have finished in the first four in a chase over two miles seven furlongs or further. That is something Carefully Selected has not yet done.

"Carefully Selected still has to qualify for the race but he has options at Naas or Navan coming up, that's if he doesn't turn up at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown," Mullins added.

Mullins knows Carefully Selected well too – he won two bumpers on the son of Well Chosen the season before last.

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