Of the 14 mares initially entered, 13 stood their ground and have been declared for Wednesday’s Weatherbys General Stud Book Irish EBF Mares Flat Race.
This will be the seventh running of the Grade 3 bumper, which has been won three times by Willie Mullins, who is responsible for no fewer than five of the 13-strong field.
Fun Fun Fun is the pick of the quintet for Patrick Mullins, with the trainer’s son having bred the five-year-old daughter of Martaline, who won impressively at Sligo in October. Carrying the jockey’s own silks, she sauntered to victory and made a winning start in the double green of Simon Munir & Isaac Souede, when successful in the Grade 2 at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival in equally impressive fashion.
That form hasn’t really worked out and Fun Fun Fun was herself well-beaten when upped in grade, as she came home in 15th in last month’s Weatherbys Champion Bumper. Facing much softer ground for the first time, she was held-up and never really looked like getting involved, once coming off the bridle as the field came down the hill. Eased down inside the final furlong, she ought to appreciate reverting to a sounder surface and back against her own sex, she warrants considerable respect.
Interestingly, Mullins’ three previous winners of this race – Augusta Kate, Colreevy and Grangee – all ran in the Champion Bumper (all finished un-placed), so Fun Fun Fun is certainly following a tried-and-tested route and she, very much, sets the standard.
Stable-mate Fancy Girl was beaten 12-lengths into fourth at the DRF and has since been beaten at Naas, whilst former winning Pointer Cuta des As, is the most experienced of the Mullins-trained runners (when considering those Point-to-Point runs). The It’s Gino mare made all when winning on deep ground at Down Royal and then finished third in the Listed Total Enjoyment Mares Bumper at Fairyhouse’s Easter meeting. The ground was much quicker on that occasion and it could be that she needs more testing conditions to be seen at her best. Fancy Girl’s Point-to-Point form is more noticeable, with her having beaten Dysart Enos by 2 lengths, when trained by Cormac Doyle. The runner-up is unbeaten in three bumper runs for Fergal O’Brien and recently completed the hat-trick in Grade 2 company at Aintree.
Arctic Fly, who won at Leopardstown before finishing behind Cuta des As at Fairyhouse, and the once-raced Junta Marvel complete the Mullins quintet. The last named – a daughter of Masked Marvel who is out of a Robin des Champs mare – won on soft ground at Limerick on debut, over 2m3f. Having travelled well for a long way, she readily accounted for a wide-margin Points winner, with the pair drawing nicely clear. Given how she went through that race, coming back in trip shouldn’t trouble Junta Marvel, who will be partnered by Jody Townend.
Mi Lucky Cailin stayed on strongly to cause a 66-1 shock on debut at Galway last October, then failed to make an impact in Listed company at Navan, in a race in which Miss Agusta finished fourth (15¼ lengths ahead of the former). Lily du Berlais finished runner-up in the same race, before being beaten 9½ lengths by the aforementioned Fun Fun Fun at Leopardstown, so on a line through that mare, the pair have plenty to find with Patrick Mullins’ mount.
Miss Agusta then finished ahead of both Cuta des As and Arctic Fly, when second in another Listed race (Fairyhouse), and although she remains a maiden after four starts, Gordon Elliott’s daughter of Well Chosen boasts some useful form. Runner-up to Absolute Notions (Grade 1 placed over hurdles) in last year’s Goffs Land Rover Bumper at this meeting, she then changed hands for €235,000 and seems to handle decent ground perfectly well.
The John McConnell-trained Bold Reflection is the only other previous winner in the field and she has been absent since scoring by 7 lengths at Limerick over Christmas. Never too far from the pace, she stayed on strongly on soft-to-heavy ground and the fourth ran a similar race when fifth (beaten a little further) behind Junta Marvel last month. By Mount Nelson, she hails from a good family and represents a shrewd operator, so warrants plenty of respect. If coping with the quicker conditions, she could easily take a big step forward and Jamie Codd is a positive jockey booking.
The experienced Phils Choice (0-8 to date, including two defeats over hurdles, when she failed to complete), Florance, the once-raced Rhaenyra and the four-year-old Miss Gherkin would all need to improve considerably on all known form, whilst the field is completed by the un-raced Brucio, who represents the same owners as Fun Fun Fun. The Authorized mare is a three-parts sister to Pour Joie, who won a good-ground bumper on debut for trainer Ian Williams, and represents the stable of Stuart Crawford. The County Antrim trainer is more than capable of readying a bumper winner first time out, although this is a big ask – in this company – and the fact that she wears a hood is a minor concern.