Bumper star Facile Vega makes Fairyhouse hurdles bow

Mullins’ runner was unbeaten last term.

All eyes will be on the brilliant Facile Vega as he makes his debut over hurdles at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

Four runs in bumpers last season saw four wins for the Willie Mullins-trained gelding – including at the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals.

And in a recent rundown of his hopes for the year ahead, Mullins left little doubt as to the regard in which he holds his five-year-old, who is a son of the Closutton stable’s superstar mare Quevega.

Facile Vega in front of packed stands at Cheltenham
Facile Vega in front of packed stands at Cheltenham (Steven Paston/PA)

“Over the years I haven’t seen a horse I am looking forward to as much as Facile Vega,” said Mullins, adding: “With the turn of foot he showed in bumpers he would be a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle horse and with his pedigree he would be a Ballymore horse.”

He starts off in division two of the Fingal Ravens Raceday Maiden Hurdle over two miles, in which he is one of 18 declared in the hands of Paul Townend.

Among the opposition, Gordon Elliott appears to have two live candidates in An Mhi (Davy Russell) and Smooth Player (Jack Kennedy), with Arctic Bresil representing Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore.

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