All options open for versatile Vroum Vroum says Mullins

Where to now for Vroum Vroum Mag? The King George? Ryanair Hurdle? OLBG Mares Hurdle? Ryanair Chase? Champion Hurdle? World Hurdle? Cheltenham Gold Cup? Ascot Gold Cup? The Nunthorpe?

It was the question everyone wanted answered after she was agonisingly denied an 11th win on the trot in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle but Willie Mullins left us none the wiser and is keeping all his options open for the sublime seven-year-old.

"I don't really know where we will go now," said Mullins. "We will get home and make a plan. We will look at Christmas and then look at what might suit after Christmas. It is not all about her and there are others to think about.

He added: "Vroum Vroum Mag can go anywhere, though. She is an extraordinary mare to do what she did."

Despite her winning sequence coming to an end, Vroum Vroum Mag is still fighting it out for favouritism with her conqueror Apple's Jade for the OLBG Mares Hurdle at around the 9-4 mark. She is no bigger than 10-1 for the World Hurdle, generally an 8-1 chance for the Ryanair Chase.

She is 14-1 with Paddy Power for the King George. What a mouth-watering prospect that would be should she revert to fences for the first time since November 2015 when she was a most impressive winner of a Grade 3 mares chase at Clonmel.

Reflecting on her bruising battle with Apple's Jade, Mullins said: "She ran a cracker. We can't say much more about her. She had been doing everything right for us all along and she ran a cracker today.

"We know what Apple's Jade can do and I knew that she could keep pulling it out which she did. It was a real ding-dong battle and we lost out on the nod. They are two good mares."