Facile Vega, blue sleeves, toughs it out to beat Redemption Day© Photo Healy Racing
Facile Vega added the Punchestown Grade 1 bumper to his Cheltenham Champion Bumper but only after being given an almighty fright by stablemate Redemption Day
Patrick Mullins was on unbeaten Facile Vega and later reported that his mount was flat.
The 8/15 favourite was headed by Redemption Day with a furlong and a half to race and the whip was soon drawn on him.
He dug deep for Mullins and worked his way back into the lead inside the final furlong.
The Walk In The Park gelding toughed it out by a length and a quarter from the 10/1 runner-up. American Mike (9/4) was a remote third, some 14 lengths further away.
Patrick Mullins said: "He was quite worked up in the parade ring and down at the start which wouldn't be like him, so I think the season was probably starting to get to him a bit.
"I said it before Cheltenham that there wasn't much between this fella and Redemption Day on homework. Redemption Day is a very good horse as well.
"Turning out of the back straight, I'm thinking to myself 'you're a bit flat' and I wanted to hold onto him as long as I could.
"I'd love it if I'd had the balls to let Jody (Townend on Redemption Day) to go past me. I didn't even want to get involved as early as we did.
"I was happy I would beat American Mike for gears but I thought that Redemption Day might be a little bit quicker than me.
"He was flat today and he still won, he got headed and he battled back.
"He's the full package, he can do it tough if he needs to."
On Allaho in the Punchestown Gold Cup, he said: "He was a monster because this doesn't play to his strengths - going this direction and that trip. That's not even him at his best I think, that says it all."
Willie Mullins said of Facile Vega: “He had to pull it out there because Jody nearly stole it. She said ‘we didn’t beat him but we frightened him!’
“The horse had to dig deep and it’s the sign of a good horse.
“I don’t work them hard at home but he’s getting stronger all the time.
“The owners didn’t sell the mare and they put her in foal to the most expensive stallion in the country in Walk In The Park and they have got a fantastic horse out of it.
“There was big offers for this horse but they decided they are not going to sell him. They are getting a reward and hopefully he will serve them for the next couple of years.
“He has huge potential and fingers crossed he stays right.”
This gave Willie Mullins a Grade 1 treble on the day having also saddled The Nice Guy and Allaho to victory.
Paddy Power kept Facile Vega as 5/2 favourite for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and halved Redemption Day from 16/1 to 8/1 for that race.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
