The big rematch: Cheltenham hero Facile Vega renews rivalry with American Mike

Wednesday: 6.30 Punchestown
Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 1) | 2m½f | 4-7yo | RTE2/RTV

Willie Mullins is chasing a record-extending 11th win in this Grade 1 as Facile Vega attempts to follow in the footsteps of Cousin Vinny (2008) and Champagne Fever (2012), who both completed the Cheltenham-Punchestown Champion Bumper double for the master of Closutton.

Sir Gerhard was unable to achieve the feat 12 months ago when only third to Kilcruit in this contest having been sent off 5-6 favourite, while 2018 Cheltenham heroine Relegate was only seventh.

Fayonagh also did the double in 2017 for Jamie Codd and Gordon Elliott, who team up with American Mike this time in what promises to be a tasty rematch between the first two home in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

Facile Vega, a son of the legendary Quevega, is three from three and his RPRs have shown steady improvement from race to race – 128 to 136 to 141 at Cheltenham. There was a degree of authority about his Cheltenham success too.

The weather was woeful on the Wednesday of the festival and the ground was heavy for the concluding race on the card. It was Facile Vega and American Mike who emerged from the darkness turning for home but the bout was over in a few strides as Patrick Mullins got across to the nearside rail and powered to the line for a decisive success.

It looked for all the world a simple case of the best horse winning, so how can American Mike exact revenge?

American Mike: Champion Bumper runner-up takes on Facile Vega once moreCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

It is a different day, at a different track, on very different ground, so anything is possible. However, Facile Vega coped with yielding ground when a 12-length winner over Sandor Clegane at the Dublin Racing Festival and these quicker conditions shouldn't pose a problem to the five-year-old. He can remain unbeaten after this.

Redemption Day will be much more at home on this surface. The heavy ground at Cheltenham blunted his speed and the wheels were spinning coming down the hill but he can mop up some place money on this good ground.

His rider Jody Townend is enjoying a cracking campaign and her 33 per cent strike-rate over the campaign is quite remarkable. She has won 19 bumpers from 56 rides.

'Facile Vega has come out of the race bucking and squealing'

Like mother, like son?

Quevega followed up four of her six Cheltenham Festival wins by scoring at Punchestown and Patrick Mullins is hoping her hugely-promising offspring can do likewise.

Facile Vega has been flawless so far. He made an instant impression at Leopardstown over Christmas when scampering clear of Joyeux Machin and backed it up with an even more emphatic victory when he returned to the same venue for a Grade 2 bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Torrential rain on the second day of the festival left the ground heavy for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper but Facile Vega coped perfectly well with the testing conditions and breezed clear of American Mike.

Facile Vega: winner in testing conditions at the Cheltenham FestivalCredit: Edward Whitaker

He is already 5-2 favourite with Paddy Power for the 2023 Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the jockey who knows him better than anybody reported Facile Vega came of his Cheltenham exertions in great shape.

Mullins, who will be crowned champion amateur for a 14th time later this week, said: "He has come out of the race bucking and squealing and [groom] David Porter is very happy with him. Better ground shouldn't inconvenience him and obviously his dam used to go from Cheltenham to Punchestown, so hopefully it won't be any problem for him."

'I'd say they are two top-class horses with big futures ahead'

Facile Vega and American Mike went into the Weatherbys Champion Bumper trying to preserve unbeaten records, so something had to give, and it was Gordon Elliott's strapping son of Mahler who had to settle for second.

There was no shame in that, though. American Mike was still best of the rest and two and a half lengths clear of James's Gate in third, so he certainly didn't become a bad horse overnight. He could still be exceptional and this is his chance to get revenge on Facile Vega.

Gordon Elliott is under no illusions about the magnitude of the task facing one of his most exciting young horses but considered him to be in great shape ahead of his final start of the season.

Elliott said: "It obviously got very heavy at Cheltenham but he still ran a big race and was beaten by a very good horse. I'd say they are two top-class horses with big futures ahead and it will be interesting to see what happens this time.

"My horse has come out of Cheltenham in great shape and he should give another really good account of himself."

What they say

Stuart Crawford, trainer of Carnfunnock
He's a real nice horse and I came home from Leopardstown the last day very downbeat. I was desperately disappointed. It was just the manner in which Facile Vega beat him that disappointed me and Facile Vega is going to have to flop for something to beat him. My horse is in great form and better ground will suit him, but he obviously has a lot of ground to make up on Facile Vega. If you're not in you can't win, though.

Paul Nolan, trainer of Sandor Clegane
It's a Grade 1 race at the end of the season and we're going to roll the dice with him. Hopefully there'll be plenty of watering to keep conditions safe. He's a lovely horse for the future who will handle soft ground. I'm not in any way criticising [jockey] Barry O'Neill because it's easy to look back at things differently with hindsight, but maybe we might have made more use of him last time at Naas if we had to do it again.

Read more Wednesday previews:

3.35 Ascot: Last year's Gold Cup second Princess Zoe takes on promising stayers in Sagaro

4.10 Ascot: Go Bears Go bids to build on superb juvenile season in Commonwealth Cup

5.20 Punchestown: The Nice Guy puts unbeaten record on the line as Albert Bartlett 1-2-3 clash

5.55 Punchestown: unmissable insight from connections on a 'red-hot' Punchestown Gold Cup

7.05 Punchestown: 'A revelation over fences' - Ciel De Neige in frame to hand Mullins a winner

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