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- Fugi Mountain bookends week for Mullins
Michael Graham
Fugi Mountain bookends week for Mullins
Fugi Mountain in charge at Galway
© Photo Healy Racing
Willie Mullins got the Galway Festival under way with a winner (Bachasson) and he closed it by landing the concluding winners' bumper with 5/4 favourite Fugi Mountain
Patrick Mullins was content to let his charge race towards the rear of the seven runners in this two mile contest.
With seven furlongs left to travel, Fugi Mountain sat sixth with only Hunters Call behind him. However, he was only five lengths off front-running Little Mitch
The five-year-old gelding travelled nicely into third at the two pole and had Captain Barbossa and Fu's Island well within his sights.
He was shaken up by Mullins at the furlong marker to go on and win his race and he soon moved on from Captain Barbossa. Mullins kept him up to his work to take the race by two and a quarter lengths from the staying on Thumb Stone Blues (5/1) in second.
Captain Barbossa (9/4) was three parts of a length away in third.
Willie Mullins said: "He's always showed plenty at home, and I was disappointed when he was beaten on debut at Leopardstown. He shows plenty of speed.
"He'll probably go for another bumper and then go novice hurdling. He's not a middle of winter horse. He's a nice prospect and showed nice gears.
"I'm delighted with the way the week has gone."
This gave Willie Mullins eight winners on the week.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee