In a commanding display, Cantico emerged victorious in the bumper event held at Navan racecourse.
This talented gelding, sired by Diamond Boy, previously triumphed in a point-to-point race under the guidance of Andy Slattery. Later, Cantico made an impressive debut for Willie Mullins, securing a third-place finish in a Leopardstown bumper during the Christmas period.
Starting as the hot favourite at odds of 4/11, Cantico's jockey, Patrick Mullins, took charge from the outset. Only Olympy De Cerisy managed to keep pace in the final quarter-mile of the race. However, as Mullins urged Cantico for an extra burst of speed at the furlong pole, the talented gelding asserted his dominance, cruising to victory with a comfortable six-length lead.
Olympy De Cerisy secured the runner-up position as a 13/2 outsider. Reflecting on the race, jockey Mullins expressed his satisfaction, saying, "We were disappointed with our performance during Christmas, but I believe Cantico has shown improvement since then. He seems to thrive on better ground conditions, displaying more agility during training than he has demonstrated on the track. Perhaps the soft ground has been dulling his speed."
Mullins continued, "We have high hopes for Cantico, and we believe he has even more potential than what we witnessed today, despite his impressive performance. He has raw talent and has shown consistent progress since his early days. I expect him to continue improving with each race."
Following the victory, Cantico's odds for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham were shortened from 11/1 to 10/1 by Paddy Power. Furthermore, this triumph completed a successful day for trainer Willie Mullins, as his other entrant, Fun Fun Fun, guided by jockey Daryl Jacob, clinched victory in a Listed novices' hurdle at Exeter.