Cantico seals across-the-card double for Mullins

Cantico was far from troubled in taking the honours in the bumper at Navan.

This Diamond Boy gelding won his point-to-point for Andy Slattery before finishing third on racecourse bow for Willie Mullins in a Leopardstown bumper over Christmas.

He was a warm order at 4/11 today and Patrick Mullins set out to make all on him.

The only horse that was able to go with him in the final quarter of a mile was Olympy De Cerisy but, once Mullins asked for more at the furlong pole, Cantico went on and asserted to sweep in by six lengths.

Runner-up Olympy De Cerisy went off a 13/2 chance.

Jockey Mullins said: "We were disappointed to get beaten at Christmas and I think he improved from it.

“He could be a horse for nicer ground, he shows more gears at home than he has on the track and maybe that's just the soft ground blunting his speed.

“We hope that he's even better than the bare result there, even though he was very good.

“He was on his own there as well and he is a raw horse, he has been that way since we started, and I think he'll improve for racing.”

Paddy Power shortened Cantico from 11/1 to 10/1 for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham

Cantico brought up an across-the-card double for trainer Mullins as his Fun Fun Fun was successful under Daryl Jacob in a Listed novices' hurdle at Exeter today.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson