Patrick Mullins has made a blistering start to the new season in Ireland, riding 13 winners from 17 mounts, and among those who have passed the post in front are two blue-bloods with plenty to live up to.
Aurora Vega is the latest offspring of Quevega to see the track and a full-sister to Facile Vega. She looks set to do the family proud after sauntering to victory in a Sligo bumper on Tuesday.
“She’s not like her brother she’s a lot more like her mother, strong, like a barrel. She’s been doing plenty of good work and we were expecting her to win like she did. She jumped off a bit keen but twice down the back straight, four or five furlongs out, she’s completely fallen to sleep.
"Then once I’ve given her a squeeze and a tap down the shoulder she’s taken off. She pricked her ears down the home straight, where people walk into the car park down the track the grass is a different shade of colour about 100 yards out and she had a good look at that so I think there was loads more left in the tank.
"She really enjoyed herself and while I’m not sure whether she can emulate her mother or brother. she’ll win plenty of races and I love her attitude."
If anything Mystical Power, a winner at Ballinrobe in May, has even more to live up to.
He’s a son of Galileo and Annie Power and races in the silks of JP McManus who owns the four-year-old alongside Sue Magnier and Susanna Ricci.
“He’s a different type and would be bigger and blockier,” the jockey said.
“Again he’s not particularly like his mother, and I presume he’s not like his father, but he did it well. He’s not particularly flashy and got the job done although I had to push him out.
“I don’t think it was that bad a race, but we’ll probably go jumping with him now. When I won first time out on Annie Power for Jim Bolger at the Galway Festival she probably won less impressively than he did and was all out.
“I remember I had to catch Nina Carberry on one of JP’s and only got up in the last few yards but I couldn’t pull her up after the line until close to the road crossing. It will be interesting to see how far he improves on his next run and while I’m not sure he’s going to be a Cheltenham horse, again he’ll win plenty more races."
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