In this week’s Sporting Life Racing Podcast, Patrick Mullins reflects on a hugely successful Dublin Racing Festival for the Willie Mullins yard.
Six of the eight Grade One races at the DRF went to Team Mullins, with Minella Cocooner, Vauban, Blue Lord, Galopin Des Champs, Chacun Pour Soi and Sir Gerhard the Closutton heroes.
One of the highlights of the meeting was Galopin Des Champs’ dismissive victory in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase, a nine-length romp under Paul Townend.
A short price for both the Turners Novices’ Chase, where he could face Bob Olinger, and the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, over half a mile further, at the Cheltenham Festival, his confirmed target will be one of the big talking points in the lead-up to the March extravaganza.
And Mullins believes stepping up to three might be playing against his strengths.
He said: “If you’re going to go three miles… is he more of an Allaho, Black Hercules type that likes to travel and jump and get on with it? If you’re trying to restrain him over three miles would you be working against his strengths perhaps?
“That’s something we’ll have to consider. He won the three-mile novice at Punchestown but there’s nothing really to say he needs three miles.
“Looking at him, he looks to like to go forward and looks to like attacking his fences. He came out of Paul’s hands at a few of his fences where he could’ve popped, he could’ve taken the easier option.
“To me, he has everything he needs to do two and a half miles, the way he jumps and travels. We’ll have to see what Willie decides, but he’s definitely equipped for the Turners if he wants to.”
While Mullins watched Galopin Des Champs from the sidelines, he was on board another of his father’s big winners when Facile Vega cruised home by 12 lengths in the Grade 2 Goffs Future Stars I.N.H Flat Race.
Envoi Allen, Appreciate It and Kilcruit have been the last three winners of the race, but Facile Vega was as impressive as any of them thanks to displaying a stunning turn of foot in the straight.
A son of Quevega, there’s some buzz about this horse who is now the 10/11 favourite at Sky Bet for the Champion Bumper.
“It was an extraordinary performance,” Mullins beamed. “Kilcruit was good in that race and so was Appreciate It, so you don’t know the strength of the form but what he did was incredible.
“He settled so well, I loved the way he settled very easily, I don’t have to look for cover or drop them in. I love being able to that on a horse it makes life very simple as a jockey.
“All the way down the side I was thinking I want to get a lead into the straight, it’s a long straight at Leopardstown, we’re out further than Christmas at the DRF.
“It was visually very very impressive.
“Quevega was the original Queen of Closutton, so it’s very cool. She’s remembered for winning six Cheltenham Festivals in a row, but she won four stayers’ hurdles at the Punchestown Festival, where she did beat the boys, too.
“This fellow’s very different to her. He’s tall, chilled out and relaxed. But it’s a nice connection to the recent past.”
To listen to the podcast in full, where you can hear Patrick’s thoughts on Chacun Pour Soi, Vauban, Sir Gerhard, Blue Lord and one for a mares’ bumper in the spring, just hit the play button via any of the platforms below.
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