'He definitely could be special' - top bumper hope set for Leopardstown

Tom Mullins thwarted his all-conquering brother Willie with Fascile Mode at Leopardstown over Christmas and he will bid to disrupt the champion trainer's stranglehold on the track's Grade 2 Future Stars INH Flat Race with the exciting youngster at the Dublin Racing Festival next month.

The son of Walk In The Park was settled out the back by the trainer's son Charlie on his debut at the track last month before being unleashed on the outside rounding the home turn and striding clear to win by nearly three lengths from his brother's Lecky Watson and Special Cadeau.

Mullins was suitably impressed with the performance, noting how impressive the five-year-old was on the clock. "He'll go to the Dublin Racing Festival all being well," he said in reference to the race on February 4 his elder sibling has won four times in five years.

"The time on his debut was very good as it was six seconds faster than the Grade 1 hurdle on the card. To do that first time out was impressive and we were very happy with what we saw. He definitely could be special but he'll have to back it up in two weeks' time. We knew we had a good horse going there. He was actually meant to run on Stephen's Day but Charlie was injured so we decided to wait for the winners' race."

Fascile Mode is a homebred by the family and Mullins trained his dam, C'Est La Mode, to win a handicap hurdle at Cork back in July 2013. He said: "His dam won very easily one time at Cork but the ground was very hard that day and she wasn't right after. She was a lovely mare and well-bred."

The trainer nominated the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham as Fascile Mode's main target should he acquit himself well at Leopardstown. He is currently priced between 8-1 and 10-1 for the festival prize.

"He will likely go to Cheltenham if all goes well in Leopardstown but it is not the be-all and end-all. The Champion Bumper is a tough race but hopefully he can go there and then is well enough to finish off his season in Punchestown, that's the plan."

Hey Johnny impressed for the Goresbridge stable when winning a handicap hurdle at Thurles on Sunday and is also likely to line up at Leopardstown in the Liffey Handicap Hurdle.

Mullins said: "He will hopefully sneak into the handicap and will definitely go there if he does. He came home from Gowran sick in November but is back in form now. We had to ride him forward at Thurles because it's a sharp track but he likes to be ridden patiently."

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