The Irish thoroughbred was backed at 2/1 with the majority of bookies to become the eighth Mullins horse to win the event but was beaten out for the crown by Marine Nationale, potentially ending a promising season on a low note. There is still time for Facile Vega to bounce back in races towards the end of the campaign at Aintree Festival and back on home soil in Ireland.

However, there will be natural concerns for Mullins about the future of his horse after an underwhelming second half of his novice hurdle campaign. He may opt to switch Facile Vega straight into chasing before the end of the season or give him another season over hurdles to line up other events at Cheltenham for 2024 and beyond.

Cheltenham Failure

Facile Vega was the leading contender in the Cheltenham 2023 ante-post tips ahead of the contest, especially after his first appearance at the Festival in 2022 when he won the Champion Bumper with a brilliant performance to defeat American Mike by three-and-a-half lengths. The six-year-old returned for the start of the new campaign at Fairyhouse in the Maiden Hurdle, defeating the rest of the field by a dominant margin.

As a result of his performance, he was the odds-on favourite at the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown in December and faced off against stablemate Il Etait Temps. Again, Facile Vega had the pace and skill with Paul Townend in the saddle to surge away from Il Etait Temps to notch his second victory of the season and sixth in a row. However, he endured a setback in February at the Ireland Novice Hurdle, as Facile Vega failed to find his rhythm on the track and placed well off the pace down in fifth.

Mullins’ charge was still considered the leading contender in the betting odds for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle despite the setback. He appeared to be well on his way to defying his doubters with a smooth run to victory, only to stumble slightly after the final hurdle. The mistake allowed Marine Nationale to pounce and surge away down the stretch to snatch the win. After appearing unstoppable earlier in the season, Facile Vega came back down to earth with a bump, leaving Mullins with a few questions to answer over the future of his charge.

Looking Ahead

Facile Vega is still a quality competitor, but Mullins may need to go back to the drawing board in terms of his strategy with his charge. He may need to lighten the load and spread out his races over the course of the season. He looked like the next superstar out of the Mullins yard in December, but by March is now facing an uncertain future.

The six-year-old could still be placed on the path to finish out his Novice Hurdle campaign at Punchestown or be placed in the Champion Novice Hurdle. Alternatively, Mullins could make the move to focus him as a chaser to replace El Fabiolo for the Arkle Chase next season at Cheltenham after his stablemate delivered success for the yard in the event. The next few months are vital in Facile Vega’s career and Mullins will have to get the call right to preserve one of his brightest lights.