Bambino Fever signs off another memorable Dublin Racing Festival for Mullins

Bambino Fever rounded off another memorable Dublin Racing Festival for Willie Mullins with victory in the concluding Coolmore N.H. Sires Luxembourg Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race.

The champion trainer saddled four runners in his bid for a seventh winner across the two-day fixture at Leopardstown, with son Patrick siding with the impressive Fairyhouse scorer Future Prospect, who was the 9-4 favourite for the Grade Two finale come the off.

However, while she was a spent force early in the home straight after racing keenly, Punchestown winner Bambino Fever (9-1) was just getting going in the hands of Jody Townend and the further she went the better she looked, with seven and a half lengths the winning margin.

Switch From Diesel was best of the rest in second, with Carrigmoornaspruce third.

Paddy Power cut Bambino Fever to 6-1 from 14-1 in their market for the Champion Bumper at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.

Mullins said: “That was a tremendous improvement from Bambino Fever. She surprised me the first day and she surprised me again today.

“Jody got her lovely and settled at the back and Jukebox Jury must be a fair sire. I’m absolutely delighted with her.

“To me that performance was good to go to Cheltenham anyhow.

“Future Prospect was very disappointing, she was too keen.”

Reflecting on the meeting overall, the Closutton handler added: “It’s been a great weekend because it’s always a worry coming here with the type of horses we bring here.

“Will they fire? Some of them did fire. Some of them didn’t fire, other ones did. We were disappointed with some and then we had some surprises with others.

“It’s tremendous for our owners and staff and I’m very happy with the weekend.”