Willie Mullins was all smiles after Facile Vega ran out a spectacular winner of the Goffs Future Stars (C & G) I.N.H. Flat Race at Leopardstown.
A son of the trainer's brilliant racemare Quevega, he looked exciting when winning on debut at this track over Christmas and was brilliant here in a field packed full of previous winners.
Patrick Mullins was motionless on the 8/11 favourite as he went to the front approaching the final furlong and he sauntered 12 lengths clear of runner-up Sandor Clegane with the minimum of fuss.
"He showed me one day last year he was good and he got sore after it so I put him away for this year. Today was the day to find out if he was as good as I hoped he could be," said Mullins senior.
“That was a good field of horses and everyone that came up there today would have refused a lot of money for their horses before the race.
“I had huge respect for them and I was lining up in the race thinking I had a good horse, but looking at the other horses in the race and what they had done and what they had won. I thought am I sort of half-mad, but he’s even better than I thought he was.
“He looks like the real deal.”
Asked if he would go to Cheltenham, where he is odds-on with a number of firms, the Clossuton handler added: “That’s where we’ll go with him. I’ll just keep him right now, that’s the whole thing.”
"He looks the real deal."
Patrick Mullins said: “That was pretty ‘wow!’ We went a good gallop and when I turned in and gave him a bit of rein, he lengthened his stride. He is a bit special, I’d say.
“It’s very unusual for good racemares to have very good progeny, but Quevega was always a bit different.”
Sky Bet Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "The most impressive winner of the day, with Facile Vega bolting in. He’ll be one of the shortest priced favourites at the Festival and we now go 11/10 non-runner/no bet for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper."
Betfair and Paddy Power are the same price from 3/1.
