Mullins kicks off Punchestown week with four-timer

Willie Mullins once again made most of the headlines on the opening afternoon of the Punchestown Festival as the champion trainer kicked off the week with a four-timer.

The champion trainer invariably dominates the traditional end-of-season meeting and headed back to County Kildare with a formidable team for day one.

Mullins was out of luck in the curtain-raising Howden Insurance Brokers Mares Novice Hurdle, with Shecouldbeanything justifying 7-2 favouritism for Gordon Elliott, but was soon off the mark as Facile Vega (4-6) readily saw off stablemate Il Etait Temps in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle.

Bialystok (14-1) then led home a Mullins one-two-three in the Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle before Energumene (2-7) lifted the William Hill Champion Chase, followed home by three other Mullins runners.

The onslaught continued in the Goffs Defender Bumper, with Patrick Mullins steering the previously-unraced Predators Gold (4-1) to victory and Milo Lises, another Mullins-trained newcomer, filling the runner-up spot just for good measure.

The 66-year-old did, however, suffer a surprise reverse in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase, with his nephew Emmet Mullins securing his first Grade One success through Feronily.

Mullins was not represented in the following cross-country race, while in the concluding Oak Lodge Landscapes Flat Race his runner Ninth Loch finished only fourth.

There is every chance of further success for the all-conquering team on Wednesday, with Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs, who bids to follow up in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup, and Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle favourite Gaelic Warrior leading the Closutton squad into battle.