Patrick Mullins has high hopes for Chapeau De Soleil after the Soldier Of Fortune-sired pointing recruit brought the reigning champion amateur to a comprehensive success on hurdling debut at Clonmel last week.
A Stowlin four-year-old maiden winner for Colin Bowe on his debut, since switching to Willie Mullins he finished second in a Fairyhouse bumper before being pitched in at the deep end by contesting the Grade 1 Champion Bumper at last season’s Cheltenham Festival.
Returning in testing conditions at Clonmel to kickstart his novice hurdle campaign, the now five-year-old made all en route to a nine-length success and left his pilot harbouring Grade 1 aspirations for the season.
“Last year I thought Chapeau Du Soleil was my Champion Bumper horse but he hung badly in his first race, and we could never quite get him right after that,” Mullins told Racing TV.
“We couldn't ever find anything, but he wasn't working like we knew he could. However, he's come back in this summer and looks great and has been working well.
“Hopefully he'll make up into a Grade 1 horse now.”
#GoffsGrad Chapeau De Soleil returns to the winners enclosure @ClonmelR in clear cut fashion for @WillieMullinsNH & Rich Ricci. %u2728
— Goffs (@Goffs1866) December 7, 2023
The 5YO by Soldier Of Fortune was bred by Aidan Aherne & sold by Stone Lodge Stud to Milestone Bloodstock at #GoffsArkle. pic.twitter.com/kxU0daQby9
The success followed hot on the heels of the impressive debut victory of Son Of Anarchy to continue a fine spell for his sire Soldier Of Fortune.
Bought for €85,000 by Mags O’Toole for the Crocodile Pockets Syndicate at the 2022 edition of the Derby sale, he was sent off as an even-money favourite for his competitive debut at Lingstown at the end of last month and justified that price tag when Gordon Elliott’s charge crossed the line on the bridle, some 15 lengths clear of his rivals.
His rider that day Barry O’Neill was suitable impressed, describing him as “a horse with a massive engine.”
That success was a fifth of the point-to-point season for the Beeches Stud resident, and all achieved with maiden winners, including further four-year-old success with the €115,000 Land Rover sale purchase Brave Fortune at Castletown-Geoghegan.
Winner number six this term came just last Sunday when Glendaars Fortune carried the colours of her breeder Frank Reynolds to victory at Tattersalls in the five-year-old mares’ maiden, ensuring that as the autumn season comes to a close, only one stallion has sired more winners than him in the pointing fields this term.
Last season had seen the 2007 Irish Derby winner responsible for 22 winners in the point-to-point fields, notable again for the fact that all bar three of them had come in maiden company, including five four-year-old maiden winners.
That quintet was made up of Hey Day Baby (Paurick O’Connor), De Tellers Fortune (Ellen Doyle), Oak Grove (Rob James), Fortunate Man (Mick Goff), and Chauffeur Driven (Harley Dunne).
