Spring festivals looming large for The Shunter In-form Emmet Mullins sends out just the one runner today, Blackstair Rocco (1.25 Limerick), for owner Shane McGuckin, an All-Ireland winning hurler with Offaly and now County Wexford-based vet. Mullins is on a roll at the minute after the success of Tashkhan at Navan yesterday. His headline horse of course has been the hugely progressive Stowaway gelding, The Shunter, last seen out when landing a 100,000 pound bonus in the Grade Three Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. There are plenty of options for the eight-year-old now and Mullins revealed: “The Shunter has come out of the race very well. Every time I look at him he keeps surprising me and that was his best performance the last day. “We won’t stop while he’s enjoying it and there are loads of options. He’s a novice in both codes (hurdles and fences) for the rest of the season and we might go to Fairyhouse or Aintree. “I had a quick look at Punchestown and I dotted down 11 races he could possibly go for. There are lots of options and it’s exciting — we still don’t know how good he is.”
