'He looks the real deal' - new Champion Bumper favourite dazzles Willie Mullins

Ger O'Brien on Facile Vega: 'When Patrick [Mullins] hit the giddy up button the response was fairly instant.'

Facile Vega: comes well clear to land the bumper under Patrick MullinsCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Saturday: Leopardstown

The field assembled for the concluding Grade 2 Goffs Future Stars bumper looked potentially as strong as any seen in Ireland for years. Seven runners, seven previous winners, five of them unbeaten.

Step forward Facile Vega, who put up a performance of pure quality to make mincemeat of his rivals, and hardened to a best-priced 6-4 favourite with BoyleSports for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

In a race run at a decent clip, several horses seemed to be travelling as well as the eventual winner, but once Patrick Mullins asked for an effort his mount seemed to do little more than a half speed to get to the front. Then, when asked for a bit more, he careered away to beat Sandor Clegane by a dozen lengths.

Watch Facile Vega's impressive Grade 2 bumper win

The runner-up is clearly no back number as he finished eight lengths clear of the remainder, but this was like putting up a Dinky helicopter against Concorde.

Trainer Willie Mullins had earlier landed three Grade 1s, but this performance is the one that is likely to be most remembered, and it whets the appetite for a meeting with American Mike at Cheltenham, potentially one of the clashes of the week.

Mullins said: "He showed me one day last year that he was good. He just got a bit sore after it and we put him away after that.

"He has been working towards this and I would say that's the fastest he has gone all year. This was the day to find out if he was as good as I hoped he could be.

"Looking at the other horses in the race, they all deserved huge respect for what they had done and what they had won, but the way my fellow won shows me that he is even better than I thought he was. He looks the real deal."

Martin on song

Tony Martin has his string in fantastic form and it was like old times as Good Time Jonny came from behind to land the Grade B handicap hurdle under Kevin Sexton.

The son of Shirocco carried the colours of some of Martin's most enthusiastic owners, Aidan Shiels, Niall Reilly and Donal Gavigan, colours carried by their best horse Benefficient to a pair of Grade 1 wins at this venue as well as the Jewson Novices' Chase at Cheltenham.

A Wave Of The Sea landed the Grade B handicap chase for the second straight year for Joseph O'Brien and owner JP McManus. Kerry National-winning rider Shane Fitzgerald was in the saddle.

Results, replays and analysis

Read more Saturday reports:

Irish Gold Cup: 'I said he'd win or pull up' - Elliott joy as Conflated shocks Gold Cup rivals

Expert jury: 'He was wildly impressive and is one of the most fluent jumpers around'

Irish Arkle: Blue Lord survives stewards' inquiry to continue Willie Mullins hot streak

Spring Juvenile Hurdle: Vauban vying for Triumph Hurdle favouritism after awesome Spring Juvenile win

Leopardstown: 'It was a fantastic performance' - Minella Cocooner slashed for Albert Bartlett

Scilly Isles: 'I gave it a Superman' - Deutsch delight at first Grade 1 with L'Homme Presse

Sandown: Josh Moore enjoys first success of comeback and rewards punter's £75,000 bet