Willie Mullins pays tribute to 'extraordinary' Facile Vega after death of four-time Grade 1 winner

Four-time Grade 1 winner Facile Vega has died at the age of seven after fracturing a bone in his pelvis, with Willie Mullins hailing his Weatherbys Champion Bumper success in 2022 as "extraordinary".

Facile Vega began his career with a huge reputation being the second foal of the mighty Quevega, who won the mares' hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival six times in a row between 2009 and 2014, and he went on to achieve a lot in a short space of time.

On Tuesday morning Mullins revealed the sad news, saying: "Facile Vega kicked a wall with both hind legs. He ended up fracturing a bone high up in his pelvis and, unfortunately, there was no coming back from it."

The champion trainer added: "On his day, he could do things other horses couldn't and we just never got his full potential out of him, which was a pity.

"That's why I had him back in early to go into training. He wasn't in full training yet, he was just in pre-training. You think you're doing the right thing but you just never know, do you."

Facile Vega won his first six races, including the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival and the Punchestown equivalent the following month.

He made the perfect start to his hurdling career when winning by 14 lengths at Fairyhouse and justified 2-9 favouritism in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival next time.

He suffered a shock first defeat at 4-9 in the Tattersalls Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival but bounced back to chase home Marine Nationale in last year's Supreme Novices' Hurdle and went one better in the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown, his fourth victory at the top level.

The chasing world looked to be at his feet when he made a flawless debut over fences in a red-hot beginners' chase at Navan last November when he was three and three-quarter lengths too good for Grade 1 winner Inthepocket.

It was to prove the last of his eight wins as, despite a big plunge ahead of the Turners Novices' Chase into 5-2 joint-favourite, he could only finish seventh of 11 behind Grey Dawning.

According to Racing Post ratings, the best performance of his career arrived at last year's Punchestown festival as he received a mark of 158 for a seven-and-a-half-length success over Il Etait Temps.

Mullins said Facile Vega always sparkled at home and that he was blown away by his performance under son Patrick when the pair won the Champion Bumper two years ago.

He said: "Facile Vega always did fantastic work at home. It was an extraordinary run in the Champion Bumper. Coming from where he did in those conditions on the day showed how brave he was and the ability he had."

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