The Facile Vega profile: 'real deal' bumper star entered for hurdling debut

The Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan is the feature race in Ireland this weekend but there could be a big treat on Saturday with Facile Vega, one of the most impressive bumper horses in recent years, entered for his hurdling debut at Gowran Park. Here we look back on his exploits so far . . .

The back story

Facile Vega races in the familiar colours of the Hammer & Trowel Syndicate, whose silks were made famous by six-time Mares’ Hurdle winner Quevega – the dam of this bumper star.

Quevega: star mare for the Hammer & Trowel SyndicateCredit: Edward Whitaker

The owners decided not to sell Quevega following her remarkable racing career, including four top-level wins in the Champion Stayers Hurdle at the Punchestown festival, and put her in foal to Walk In The Park with the dream of producing another champion jump racing star. The dream is still alive.

The profile

A perfect 4-4 is how Facile Vega’s profile reads following a stellar bumper campaign. The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old made a winning debut at Leopardstown on December 26, easing to a six-length success, before scoring by twice that margin in a Grade 2 event at the Dublin Racing Festival at the same track.

Persistent rain and gruelling conditions failed to stop him powering to victory in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, beating American Mike by almost four lengths.

Facile Vega: ploughed through attritional conditions to win the Champion BumperCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Facile Vega gained a second Grade 1 win at the Punchestown festival, showing plenty of grit to beat stablemate Redemption Day and emulate Cousin Vinny, Fayonagh and Champagne Fever by completing the Cheltenham-Punchestown bumper double.

He recorded a Racing Post Rating of 141 in those top-level triumphs – a figure only matched by Briar Hill and Ferny Hollow in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in the last ten years and surpassed by Champagne Fever (142), Tornado Flyer (143) and Blackbow (142) in the Punchestown race since 2012.

What the trainer said

After the Champion Bumper win at Cheltenham

“He looks the real deal as we always thought. These conditions weren’t conducive for him to produce his best, but he still did the business. I’ve compared him to Florida Pearl, who was a very good bumper horse, and that’s how highly we regard him. He’d be in the top percentage of our winners of this race. He could stay at this trip or go over further, but we’ll think about that once he's won a maiden hurdle. I don’t know how good he is – he covers an awful lot of ground when he’s galloping and he has plenty of speed.”

After the Punchestown bumper win

“He had to pull it out there. Jody [Townend, rider of Redemption Day] nearly stole it. She just said to me there, 'We didn't beat him, but we frightened the shite out of him.' That was Jody's explanation of what happened. The horse had to dig deep when Jody passed him and that's the sign of a good horse.”

Willie Mullins: Closutton trainer is excited by sending Facile Vega hurdlingCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

When previewing this season

"Over the past few years I haven't seen a horse I'm looking forward to as much as Facile Vega. With the turn of foot he showed in bumpers he'd be a Supreme horse, and with his pedigree he could turn out to be a Ballymore horse. His jumping is very good. Like his mother, he's a natural."

Ante-post watch

Saturday’s maiden hurdle at Gowran Park is over 2m and it’s a race Mullins has won five times since 2014, including with Invitation Only and Ferny Hollow.

Even if Facile Vega returns over this trip, there is every chance he could step up in distance as the season goes on and he features in the ante-post markets for the three Grade 1 novice hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival.

He is the general 2-1 favourite for the Supreme, a best-priced 9-2 joint favourite with American Mike for the Ballymore with Sky Bet and 20-1 with the same firm for the Albert Bartlett. We may not learn too much on Saturday regarding his festival credentials but it will be exciting to see him back.

Saturday entries: 2.15 Gowran Park

Read more . . .

Mullins adamant stamina will be no issue for 'Gold Cup horse' Galopin Des Champs

Facile Vega digs deep to maintain unbeaten record at Punchestown

Emphatic Facile Vega seals Willie Mullins treble in rain-threatened bumper

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