'It'd be madness not to go for it - it's worth more than the Champion Bumper'

Facile Vega has come of out Cheltenham "bucking and squealing" according to Patrick Mullins, who said it would be madness for the unbeaten son of Quevega not to contest the Grade 1 champion bumper at Punchestown next Wednesday, given it is worth more money than the Weatherbys Champion Bumper he landed at the Cheltenham Festival last month.

Mullins will be crowned Ireland's champion amateur for a record-extending 14th time next week and the most successful amateur in the history of the sport has given the lowdown on some of the leading contenders from Closutton at the Punchestown festival which kicks off on Tuesday.

Among them is County Hurdle winner State Man, whom he thinks is a Grade 1 winner in waiting, while he also believes Punchestown is the perfect track for Dysart Dynamo to do his thing.

Facile Vega is set to renew rivalry with American Mike in the Grade 1 Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion Bumper and is 8-11 with Paddy Power to make it four from four.

Patrick Mullins said of the son of Quevega, who he rode to victory at Cheltenham: "The Champion Bumper at Punchestown is worth more than the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham so it would be madness not to go for it. He has come out of the race bucking and squealing and David Porter is very happy with him.

"Better ground shouldn’t inconvenience him and obviously his dam [Quevega] used to go from Cheltenham to Punchestown so hopefully it won’t be any problem for him."

Dysart Dynamo looks for a third course victory on TuesdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

In Sir Gerhard and State Man, winners of the Ballymore and County Hurdle respectively, Willie Mullins has a typically strong team of novice hurdlers heading to Punchestown and Supreme faller Dysart Dynamo is also in the mix.

Patrick said of the three young guns: "We’ll have to see closer to the time what way Willie will split them up but Sir Gerhard came out of Cheltenham very, very good. I thought his performance at Cheltenham could be marked up hugely on account of how keen he was early on. I think he is very versatile and will be very difficult to beat over either trip.

"For me, Punchestown really plays to Dysart Dynamo’s strengths. He has won there twice. He gave me a horrendous time last year – it was like wrestling a bear around! I think hurdles helps him concentrate a little bit, and it should definitely do after Cheltenham, but I think Punchestown is a track that suits his strong running style.

"I’d be very disappointed if State Man is not a Grade 1 winner in the future. He showed plenty of speed to win the County Hurdle and it’s just about splitting up the novice hurdlers. There is a fantastic crop there going forward for next year."

State Man was an impressive winner of the County Hurdle at the festivalCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The champion amateur came in for the plum ride on Chacun Pour Soi in the Champion Chase when Paul Townend picked Energumene and, although it looked to most people like he was travelling beautifully when coming down five out, the man on top suggested otherwise.

He admitted it will be difficult for him to bounce back to beat his younger stablemate in the William Hill Champion Chase on Tuesday.

He said: "While watching the race you would say I was going well, and I probably was, but I wasn’t surprised that he put down. I just didn’t feel that he was giving me the feel that I was expecting him to. I don’t feel he was on his 'A' game on the day.

"He's ten now and Energumene is in his prime at eight, so it’s probably going to be difficult for Chacun Pour Soi but I’d be expecting him to be much more like his old self next week.

"In reality, the Champion Chase at Cheltenham turned into a Grade 2 but Engergumene travelled through the race like the good horse he is. We’ll take it, a Champion Chase, we never had one before but we will have to take on Shishkin again and settle it once and for all."

On the prospect of Allaho stepping up in trip for the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup, Patrick said: "When we probably have two good horses in the two-mile race, the Ladbrokes Gold Cup over three miles at Punchestown would look the obvious race for him to go to. It’s not like he doesn’t stay three miles, he ran Minella Indo very close over an extended three miles one furlong on better ground.

"He is just probably at his optimum over two and a half miles but he is still a very good horse over three miles. I do think he is a better horse going left handed as he does adjust to his left but I wouldn’t be surprised if he could win a Punchestown Gold Cup."

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