Bumper star Facile Vega makes Fairyhouse hurdles bow

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.

“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.

It will be the first time Townend has ridden Facile Vega on the racecourse, as Patrick Mullins has done the steering in his bumpers.

Like his father, Mullins junior is excited to see what he can do.

“I can’t wait to see him out and get him going,” he said. “He’s done well in his schooling and we’re very happy with him at home, so it’s exciting times.”

For his part, Townend is delighted to finally get his turn in the saddle.

He told his Ladbrokes blog: “He is obviously the horse I am really looking forward to riding this weekend. What can I say about him that he hasn’t said about himself already? Probably not a lot. Hopefully he keeps going!

“I am just really excited to get him on the track. His schooling has been good and this looks a nice opportunity for him. To see him declared and my name alongside him for his first run this year is very exciting.”