One of the most exciting stars in national hunt racing, Monkfish for trainer Willie Mullins will not be seen at all during the upcoming jumps season due to suffering a tendon injury that will rule him out for some time.
The Willie Mullins trained gelding was bought by Rich Ricci at Cheltenham in 2018 for £235,000 off the back of winning a point to point and since then they have not looked back with this horse.
In 2019 he was ran twice, once in a bumper and once over hurdles finishing second on both occasions behind smart horses in Diol Ker and Longhouse Poet.
Since then he has gone on to be a superstar being unbeaten in three hurdle event and on both his chase starts showing clear staying ability and this term a superb jumping temperament.
Having won at Fairyhouse and at Thurles last term over large distances, he went to the Cheltenham festival and managed to stay three miles the best of the runners to just get up in the Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.
A fascinating clash in the Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase...
— The Winners Enclosure (@TWEnclosure) April 27, 2021
Three-time Grade 1 scorer over fences MONKFISH faces easily his toughest assignment yet up against the ever so reliable ENVOI ALLEN today! ☘️
😍 The El Classico of racing!
🎬 @RacingTVpic.twitter.com/IazWa8a747
Sent chasing by Mullins this term he landed his debut at Fairyhouse with ease and used that run to improve further when managing to see off Latest Exhibition in a Grade One Novice Chase at Leopardstown.
Although dropping slightly in trip when time in the Grade One Flogas Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival he gave his best performance of the season to land the event by 11 lengths.
It was all systems go for the Cheltenham festival and although the race fell apart the seven year old landed the event by close to seven lengths, not being overly impressive but getting the job done.
Monkfish was seen once more last term at the Punchestown festival when taking on superstar Envoi Allen and Cheltenham festival winner Colreevy and in a shock turn of events it was his stablemate Colreevy landed the race by eight lengths.
Having suffered the first defeat of his career over fences, Mullins was still preparing him for a tilt at the Gold Cup this term but now that plan will have to be put on hold for another year.
Mullins told www.sportinglife.com: “Unfortunately he has an issue with a tendon and it requires the season off.”