Mystical Power finished with success and reversed his form at the Cheltenham Festival with Slade Steel in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
Henry de Bromhead’s Slade Steel had proved too strong for the Willie Mullins-trained Mystical Power in the latter stages of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in mid-March, but the latter had since gone one better in the Grade 1 Company at Aintree.
There was little to choose between the two in betting for the rematch on home soil, but Mystical Power was the narrow favorite at 2/1 and took revenge in the end.
The extended two-mile contest was run at a strong gallop after the flag dropped thanks to Ile Atlantique ridden by Danny Mullins, but the race quickly changed heading down the back straight as both he and his nearest pursuer Tullyhill quickly backed off .
Slade Steel arrived on the scene and appeared to get through the final corner best, but he found disappointingly little, with Rachael Blackmore coming under pressure at one point, while Mystical Power – a son of Galileo out of the great racemare Annie Power – came home from further back came hands from Mark Walsh to score by a length and three quarters.
Firefox, third in the Supreme and second to Mystical Power at Aintree, ran a good race again in defeat and shared the market leaders in second place.
“He showed resilience and toughness today, he has improved all season,” Mullins said of the winner. “I didn’t think we had much of a chance in the second to last race and Mark said he was going to go as fast as he could in the last corner.”
“The race developed into an endurance race in which the other two protagonists played their cards until the end, they gave full throttle and he left them just behind them with a good jump at the end.”
“It’s fantastic that he’s progressed over the season and I think Annie Power is coming out in him.”
Asked whether Mystical Power would run a Champion Hurdle campaign next season, he added: “There is a lot to think about before then but it would definitely be something to look at. I don’t think he’ll go.” Beginner hunter, as he looks more like a hurdler than a chaser.
“Looking at this performance today, he could easily improve. Mark said he found it difficult with the high speed at the start of the race.”
“It looked like a real endurance race there today, which would mean he’s a two-and-a-half mile hurdler and they’re the kind of horses you probably need to win a champion hurdler, so that suggests maybe everything in this direction.” .”