Mystical Power utilised all the genetic prowess instilled in him by his sire and dam when digging deep to overhaul perennial bridesmaid Firefox in the first Grade 1 of the Punchstown Festival, the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle.
A product of the celestial union of record-breaking stallion Galileo and former Punchestown Festival and Cheltenham Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power, the well-backed JP McManus-owned five-year-old carried on the stellar form of champion trainer, Willie Mullins with a supremely battling performance.
Stablemate Ile Atlantique cut out the early running and though Firefox took it up turning for home, the eye was drawn to the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Slade Steel and Rachael Blackmore, with Mark Walsh showing distress signals on the eventual winner.
Blackmore was unable to get away from Firefox, who was third behind Slade Steel and Mystical Power at Cheltenham and got closer to the latter at Aintree subsequently, and as they approached the last, Gordon Elliott’s charge had hit the front.
Walsh began to get a tune out of the rallying Mystical Power however and after the last, they galloped to the line to justify 2/1 favouritism. Firefox was a gallant runner-up once more with Slade Steel finishing a tired looking third.
Willie Mullins speaks with jockey Mark Walsh after Mystical Power’s win at Punchestown today
Photo: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Mystical Power won at Aintree having finished second behind Slade Steel in The Supreme at Cheltenham and Mullins feels the horse is improving as the season progresses.
“They were flat out but he outstayed them with a good jump at the last. This horse is just progressing as the season goes on. I think Annie Power is coming out in him.
“Just that he is improving and he has shown plenty of ability early. In his three-year old career, he didn’t show me any. At the end of his four-year old career he began to show a little bit. He is just improving.
“I think he has done enough. He has had hard races all season and he has answered the call. Especially today.
“What has impressed me is how he has improved from The Supreme and has come on. He didn’t think he could. I thought he was at his best there. He has improved again. That is what he has showed all his life. When we had him as a two-year old, he didn’t show me anything. As a three-year old, a little bit. As a four-year old he was good enough to go to the West of Ireland to win a bumper. He just keeps improving,” he said.
Asked where he might target the horse next year, Mullins said the Champion Hurdle might be a possibility.
“We would have to look at that. There is a lot of thinking to do between now and then. I doubt if he will go novice chasing. He is more a hurdler than a chaser. Watching that performance today, he could easily step up. Mark was saying he found it tough in the amount of speed in the early part of the race. It looked a real staying race there which would mean he is a two and a half-mile hurdler. That is the sort of horse you need to win a champion hurdle.”
The win was the highlight of the first day of the Festival for Mullins and comes hot on the heels of him the British Trainers title for the first time last weekend.
“The more time I think about it, the more I appreciate it,” said Mullins.
“It took a lot of things going right for us. The ball bounced our way especially in the last two weeks. You need that sort of luck to win that sort of thing. I am very happy for everyone. All our owners who backed us and staff who put in all the hard work,” he said.
Mullins also had joy on the first day with Daddy Long Legs as Paul Townend cut the deficit in the race for the jockeys’ championship to six and he hasn’t had too many easier winners as Daddy Long Legs sauntered to victory in the Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle to give trainer to give Willie Mullins a double on the card.
The Almanzor five-year-old hadn’t had to expend much energy when scoring under Patrick Mullins in Ludlow six days ago as Mullins moved towards his British champion trainers’ title.
He showed no ill-effects from the travels either, when pulling Townend to the front, before the turn for home in this Listed contest.
The 16/5 favourite’s wellbeing was evidenced by a spring-heeled leap at the last and he had five lengths to spare at the last from the staying on Brentford Hope, who justified the decision of British trainer Harry Derham and The Optimists Syndicate to travel.
