WILLIE MULLINS is to finally take the wraps off a ‘stunning’ £180,000 future superstar – who’s already fancied for next year’s Cheltenham Festival.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary moved quickly to snap up the hugely promising Leader Des Bordes last June.
GettyWillie Mullins has already trained Leader Des Bordes’ half-bro Kopek Des Bordes to Cheltenham Festival glory – how good will his sibling be?[/caption]
His half-brother Kopek Des Bordes is one of Mullins’ top horses and won this year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Kopek Des Bordes is unbeaten in four and will return at slim odds of 4-9 on the same day his sibling makes his debut.
Both horses are out of the dam Miss Berry, with Leader Des Bordes being by Tunis, who counts Group 3 winner Knoxville among his progeny.
Grand National-winning jockey and Willie’s son Patrick will take the ride on Leader Des Bordes.
They will run in the prestigious Goffs Defender Bumper (5.25pm) on day one of the star-studded Punchestown Festival.
It will be no surprise to see all Mullins’ bumper horses near the head of the market for next year’s Supreme.
Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever is the current 14-1 favourite and she will put her unbeaten record on the line on Wednesday.
But it’s testament to the high regard in which Leader Des Bordes is held that he can be backed now at odds of 25-1 for the same race.
His pedigree suggests his future could lie over further, though.
Among Miss Berry’s progeny is the Group 1-winning former Nicky Henderson mare Utopie Des Bordes.
She won the G1 2m6f Prix Maurice Gillois Grand Steeple-Chase by six lengths in 2012 when trained by Francis-Marie Cottin before moving to Seven Barrows.
There’s also a Grade 2 and Listed winners in the impressive family.
Harold Kirk, who buys Mullins’ horses, confirmed almost a year ago when they bought Leader Des Bordes the Goffs Defender Bumper would be the plan.
Eleven months on it looks like it could come to fruition, with Kirk saying at the time: “I always knew he was going to be very popular.
“He’s a stunning horse with a huge pedigree. He’s for an existing owner in the yard.
“We’ll be hoping this one can win the Goffs Defender Bumper next year. That’ll be the first plan anyway.”
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