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The top amateur rider shares his thoughts

Patrick Mullins on Gameofinches and the Weatherbys Champion Bumper

By Sporting Life

Sporting Life Plus

Fri February 21, 2025 · 1M ago

Gameofinches impressed jockey Patrick Mullins when making a successful start to life under Rules on Thursday.

The son of Blue Bresil, trained by the amateur rider's father Willie, was snapped up by Prof. Caroline Tisdall after winning a point-to-point at Dromahane in November and barely came off the bridle to justify cramped odds on his first bumper start at Punchestown.

His jockey, who has won the Weatherbys Champion Bumper a record four times on Cousin Vinny (2008), Champagne Fever (2012), Facile Vega (2022) and Jasmin De Vaux last March, feels the strapping six-year-old has all the tools to be highly competitive at the Cheltenham Festival just 20 days on from his introduction.

Mullins told Sporting Life: "It was (easy) for Gameofinches, it's what we thought he'd do. I was a touch worried going to the start but we ended up settling in, which was great.

"He's a fine, big horse - he's 16.3hh - and he only came here in late-November which is never easy to do as we like to give horses plenty of time to settle in. Which is why we're getting him out as late as we are.

"Obviously the meeting got put back, which isn't ideal, but Cousin Vinny won at Punchestown on the Wednesday this week and went and won the Champion Bumper 22 days on, as the Wednesday that year was put back a day so he got 22 days.

"This fella has won on the Thursday so he's got 20 days. It's not ideal but it can be done and the fact that he's a six-year-old who has had two point-to-point runs and now a bumper, is a little bit different perhaps to a horse that's had their first ever run.

"We don't think he's short of gears, normally I like to give them a squeeze and teach them to quicken but because the race was so close to Cheltenham, I was very conscious of giving him as easy a race as we could.

"So I didn't get to really open him up and perhaps that is a little negative as well. But we've done it at home and we think he's not just a galloper, he has a turn of foot, and there probably hasn't been too many horses with his size and scope that won the Champion Bumper - you're probably looking at something like Florida Pearl. Facile Vega was as tall but maybe not as wide.

"He definitely has the ability to win the Champion Bumper, we'll have to see how he comes out of the race over the next week or 10 days but that's where we'd like to get him."

Rockett the one to beat in Bobbyjo?

Looking ahead to this weekend, Mullins expects a bold bid from Thyestes Chase winner Nick Rockett as he steps back up in class to face the likes of I Am Maximus and Intense Raffles in Saturday's Follow ToteRacing On Twitter Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse.

He said: "Paul (Townend) is obviously reunited with I Am Maximus and Paul seems to get on particularly well with him. He's not an easy horse to ride and just seems to get better as the season goes on, even as a novice chaser that was the case.

"We're hoping to see a lot more from I Am Maximus and it's a big drop in class from chasing Galopin Des Champs around, but it's not going to be easy with the weight he has to give away, he has to give 12lb to Nick Rockett. That'll be difficult. With Nick Rockett and Minella Cocooner too, we want to get miles into the legs of these Grand National horses, they need to be race-ready and hardened-fit.

"The Bobbyjo is perfect timing-wise and it's been a very good race to go onto the Grand National. Nick Rockett should be hard to beat getting that weight from I Am Maximus. It's 30 days since his Thyestes win which should be enough time and as a stepping-stone towards Aintree it is perfect timing."

The Mullins also run Capodanno in the race under Mark Walsh.

Mullins said: "He's capable and heavy ground will suit him, he won the Cotswold Chase last year. He's been a little bit disappointing this year but he got sent over to England for his first run and maybe hasn't had the greatest preparation for his races.

"I'd be expecting him to show an awful lot more than he has been, we just need these horses to come out now and improve on their previous form."

Daryl Jacob, representing Intense Raffles' owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, said: "He's been running over hurdles this season with a view to going to Aintree in April and although his last run was a little bit disappointing in my eyes, it was over two and a half miles in fairness.

"Up in trip, back over fences and back at Fairyhouse where he is three from three including in last year's Irish Grand National, I'd expect to see an awful lot more and he's got everything in his favour to be honest. It's a strong race but hopefully he's able to produce his form and tee himself up for the Randox Grand National with a positive showing."

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