Mullins looks as though he will be hard to topple in the feature Grade 1 Champion Four Year Old Hurdle on Saturday given he runs four of the eight runners, including Triumph Hurdle winner Lossiemouth (Fr) (Great Pretender {Ire}), but Andrew McNamara will be bidding to spoil the party once again with Enjoy The Dream (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}).

The aptly-named filly has already delivered a giant-killing performance for McNamara this spring when getting the better of Mullins' Blood Destiny (Fr) (No Risk At All {Fr}) in a Grade 2 at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival to cause a 33-1 shock. 

What makes Enjoy The Dream's exploits even more remarkable is that the filly was McNamara's one big bullet to fire this season after he stuck his neck out to secure the former Markus Klug-trained filly at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale for 160,000gns on behalf of owner Andrew Heffernan. 

McNamara recalls, “She's the most expensive horse we have been lucky enough to buy. When you try to buy a horse of that quality off the Flat, you are competing against the Australian market and obviously against some of the bigger jumping yards as well. 

“Over the four days at Newmarket, my list became very small and she just didn't quite tick all of the boxes for Australia given she had been running on softer ground in Germany. She wasn't due into the ring until the end of the fourth day, by which time I had sussed that Willie [Mullins] and Gordon [Elliott] weren't in for her.”

He added, “We took aim and there was just a lot to like about her profile given she had been campaigned over various different trips, handled softer ground and stayed well. She's a big filly as well and looked like she could jump. Luckily, it worked out that way. 

“I had it down to her and Ascending (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}). He's turned out to be a good horse as well and I wouldn't have been too disappointed if I had come home with him either.”

McNamara has been forced to be patient with the filly who broke her hurdling duck in that Grade 2 contest at Fairyhouse earlier this month. Now the trainer is eyeing Grade 1 company on Saturday but is realistic about the task at hand. 

He said, “Enjoy The Dream took a bit of bedding down when we got her home. We would have been hoping to get her going earlier in the season and have her ready for something like the Boodles at Cheltenham but she was very keen and a bit light. Dr Heffernan is a great man to train for and there is never any pressure and is always very patient. It just ended up that we waited a bit longer for her to come and it has worked out well.”

McNamara added, “It would be amazing if she did come out on top on Saturday. I have to say that I do love Lossiemouth and think she's a very good filly. We could be up against it with her and Gala Marceau (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) but, on the performance at Fairyhouse, there shouldn't be much between Enjoy The Dream and the rest of them.”

Enjoy The Dream had already achieved black-type on the level in Germany before joining McNamara and, while the trainer is sure that the filly will return to the level at some stage in the future, he is keen to get Saturday's race out of the way before committing to concrete plans. 

He said, “Somewhere along the line, she will definitely go back on the Flat, and we could go to France as well. She was very good at Fairyhouse but we're not getting carried away with ourselves just yet and we'll see how Saturday goes first before making any plans.”

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The first wild card is Milo Lises (Fr) (Storm The Stars) (lot 22), a 4-year-old gelding consigned by Willie Mullins's Closutton Stables, who debuted as the runner-up in Tuesday's Goffs Defender Bumper.

Also in play is Williethebuilder (Ire) (Arcadio {Ger}) (lot 23), another 4-year-old gelding, who is consigned by D. Queally of Lisroe Farm and finished second in Tuesday's 4-year-old bumper.

All horses will be available to inspect at Goffs Thursday morning from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. before they move to Punchestown where they will be available for inspection throughout the afternoon.

The full catalogue and race footage for all 23 lots can be viewed on the Goffs website.

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Goffs Arkle Sale this year will be held in partnership with Land Rover Defender, and the vendor of the horse that wins the renamed €100,000 Goffs Defender Bumper at the Punchestown Festival will also win an all-new Defender Hard Top.

“So many household names in National Hunt racing have gone under the hammer at Goffs during the past century, with Arkle the most famous of all,” Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby said. “He was sold at Goffs as a 3-year-old to trainer Tom Dreaper on behalf of his owner Anne, Duchess Of Westminster, and following a remarkable career that included three Cheltenham Gold Cups, he remains the yardstick by which all champions are measured.”

The Goffs Arkle Sale will take place from Jun. 13 through 15. Nominations are currently open on the Goffs website.

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14.00 Punchestown, Mdn, €12,500, 2yo, 7f 200yT
Tattersalls October Book 1 graduate and Aidan O'Brien trainee GULF OF MEXICO (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}), who sold for 1.1 million gns when circling the Park Paddocks ring last year, was denied by a neck in his Aug. 27 debut at the Curragh and seeks redemption in this second outing. He is a son of G2 Queen Mary S. winner and G1 Cheveley Park S. and G1 Commonwealth Cup placegetter Anthem Alexander (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and faces 11 rivals here. They include stablemate Duke Cador (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who is a 340,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 half to G3 Give Thanks S. victrix Edelmira (Ire) (Peintre Celebre).

14.10 Great Yarmouth, Nov, £11,900, 2yo, 6f 3yT
SPARTAN ARROW (IRE) (Sioux Nation), a Simon and Ed Crisford trainee representing the G1 St Leger-winning axis of KHK Racing and David Egan, is a half-brother to last term's G1 Queen Mary S. runner-up and GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint heroine Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}). The 380,000gns Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up graduate, who sold for €50,000 as a Goffs Orby yearling, faces a baker's dozen in this unveiling.

18.00 Wolverhampton, Mdn, £6,800, 2yo, 8f 142y (AWT)
The hitherto untried FAIRBANKS (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), a George Strawbridge homebred from the Andrew Balding stable, is a son of Group-winning G1 Fillies' Mile, G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and GI Just A Game S. placegetter Fantasia (GB) (Sadler's Wells). The February-foaled bay's 10 rivals include Deva Racing's Dreams Adozen (Fr) (Kingman {GB}), who is out of G3 Prix Penelope victrix and G1 Prix Saint-Alary third Ferevia (GB) (Motivator {GB}), from the Charlie and Mark Johnston yard.

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• Champion Owner: JP McManus (19th win)
• Champion Trainer: Willie Mullins (16th win)
• Champion Jockey: Paul Townend (fifth win)
• Champion Conditional: Jack Foley
• Champion Amateur: Patrick Mullins (14th win)
• Champion Lady Amateur Rider: Jody Townend (second win)

Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive, Suzanne Eade, said, “This is the first time since May 2019 that we have been able to crown our National Hunt champions before a raceday crowd and my congratulations go to JP, Willie, Paul, Jody, Jack, Patrick and the many thousands across the country who have worked to make the season the success that it was.

“The wonderful achievements of so many within our industry show Irish racing in the best possible light and high-profile wins on the biggest of the world's racing stages are reflected in the terrific crowds that we have seen here this week and at Fairyhouse over Easter. It augurs well for the summer ahead and I wish all involved the very best of luck as the new jumps' season begins at Down Royal on Monday.”

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13.30 Punchestown, Mdn, €14,000, 2yo, f, 7fT
Coolmore and Westerberg's WEST COAST (IRE) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is a daughter of G2 Rockfel S. victrix Wading (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and thus kin to two black-type performers headed by G2 Rockfel S. winner and GI Belmont Oaks Invitational and G1 Matron S. placegetter Just Wonderful (Dansili {GB}). Opposition to the Aidan O'Brien trainee includes the twice-raced Radiyka (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who is a daughter of G2 Debutante S. winner and G1 Matron S. fourth Raydara (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), from the Dermot Weld stable.

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The sale saw five of 15 offered sold, and the other to reach six figures was the bumper-placed Top Dog (Ire) (Leading Light {Ire}) (lot 5), who was the selection of Gerry Hogan at €130,000.

Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said, “Nobody is suggesting that today's backdrop was ideal for a sale and we salute those participants who engaged with the concept.  Normally we would be selling to a packed winners enclosure at the iconic Punchestown Festival but that was obviously not possible this year. That said, our superb Goffs Online platform allowed us to comply with all government directives and return a satisfactory trade in some instances. As things stand, our next sale will be back to near normal in June and we look forward to welcoming vendors, purchasers and hopefully spectators to Kildare Paddocks for what is shaping up to be a superb Land Rover Sale as we are about to publish the best catalogue yet.”

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1.20 Punchestown, Mdn, €15,500, 2yo, 7fT
MONDAY (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is the first foal out of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner and G1 1000 Guineas runner-up Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is in turn a full-sister to another Aidan O’Brien-trained luminary in Misty For Me (Ire). The February-foaled bay is up against 10 in the race that relaunches flat racing at this track for the first time in nearly 18 years.

 1.55 Punchestown, Cond, €13,500, 3yo/up, 7fT
ELDAMA (IRE) (Siyouni {Fr}) earned ‘TDN Rising Star’ status on her winning debut at Leopardstown in June and reappears in this seven-runner conditions event. The Aga Khan’s relative of the G1 Ascot Gold Cup winners Enzeli (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) and Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) and the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Ebadiyla (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) drops in trip, having won over a mile that day with Dermot Weld looking to restart her campaign.

2.25 Punchestown, Mdn, €11,000, 2yo, 8fT
LIFFEY RIVER (FR) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) was a short-head second to TDN Rising Star Wuqood (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) over this trip on debut at Gowran Park last month and looks to get off the mark for owner Sun Bloodstock and trainer Joseph O’Brien. A full-brother to the group winners Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) and a half to Dark Vision (Ire) (Dream Ahead), the €380,000 Arqana Deauville August purchase encounters nine rivals on an informative card.

 2.10 Salisbury, Novice, £6,900, 2yo, 8fT
MAHOMES (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was one of 11 seven-figure lots to sell at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, with David Redvers securing the son of The Fugue (GB) (Dansili {GB}) for Qatar Racing for 1million gns. Like the high-class dam, who was successful four times at the highest level including in the G1 Irish Champion S. and G1 Prince of Wales’s S., the January-foaled bay is in the hands of John Gosden as he faces nine here.

2.40 Salisbury, Mdn, £24,000, 2yo f, 6f 213yT
NOON STAR (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) is the sixth foal out of the prolific Group 1 winner Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and a full-sister to the dual Group 3 scorer Midterm (GB) and a half to the G2 Ribblesdale S. runner-up Mori (GB) by Galileo’s Frankel (GB). Both were trained by Sir Michael Stoute and the master of Freemason Lodge again has charge of this April-foaled bay as she debuts in this valuable “Quidhampton” Maiden Fillies’ S.

 4.45 ParisLongchamp, Debutantes, €22,000, 2yo, f, 8fT
PHILOMENE (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) at €1.625 million was the 2019 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale topper, which was no surprise given that her dam Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) had produced the star distaffers Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). Andre Fabre introduces the May-foaled bay, who races for a partnership between her purchasers Godolphin and her breeders Ecurie des Monceaux and Ecurie Skymarc Farm. She faces eight rivals.

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