WILLIE MULLINS splashed £300,000 on a ‘perfect’ Cheltenham winner – as his epic squad rebuild picked up pace.
The all-conquering Irish and British jumps champion trainer won the bidding for the hugely promising Poetisa.
Formerly trained by Toby Bulgin, Poetisa won a mares’ bumper at the home of jumps in April.
Sent off 20-1 under former champion jockey Brian Hughes, she stayed on well up the hill after meeting trouble to win by a neck.
Poetisa commanded a price tag of £42,000 as a three-year-old but her value soared after the Cheltenham victory.
And Mullins clearly liked what he saw, with her pedigree suggesting big things lie in store in the future.
Poetisa is from the same family as multiple Grade 1-winning superstar Macs Joy.
The Jessica Harrington-trained hurdler won over half a million quid from 31 career races, which included nine victories.
Famed for his battles with the legendary Brave Inca, Mac’s Joy got the better of the former Champion Hurdler several times.
Notably a ‘tour de force’ performance saw the Barry Geraghty-ridden gelding smash his big rival by four lengths in the 2006 Punchestown Champion Hurdle.
The Racing Post analysis of Poetisa’s debut said: “She made the perfect start she did well to do so too, having not always had the clearest run through.
“There’s plenty in her pedigree that points to a good future over obstacles.”
Mullins landed the 1-2-3 in the Grand National last season en route to breaking Dan Skelton’s heart in the trainer battle.
But the Closutton conveyor belt never stops and his aim will be to bring through the best young talent for the new season.
Mullins has already welcomed the ‘most exciting’ horse to come over from France so far this transfer season.
While he and Rich Ricci have snapped up a hugely promising filly who looks just like the next Lossiemouth.
While a historic agreement with King Charles means Mullins will have the first horse owned by a reigning monarch to be trained in Ireland.
FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
