Impressive Gameofinches makes it a treble for Mullins

Gameofinches put himself firmly in the Cheltenham Bumper picture with a very taking debut win at Punchestown.

There was plenty of confidence behind him in what looked an above-average bumper and his supporters didn't have a moment of concern.

The 8/15 favourite tanked along into second on the approach to the straight with his sights fixed on Casterly Rock

The leader attempted to assert racing past the '2' pole, however, Patrick Mullins was confident aboard Gameofinches, who was on a tight rein, and breezed past Casterly Rock over a furlong out.

Mullins didn't have to change his hands as his mount strode away with the race by an easy four and a-quarter lengths. Begorra Man (9/4) stayed on for second without laying a glove on the winner, with Rojuco Mac (14/1) another four and a-half lengths back in third.

Willie Mullins said: "He did what I was hoping he could do. His homework has been nice, he showed on the track what he had been showing me at home.

“I was very happy with the outcome and I’d imagine, if he recovers nicely from that race, he’ll go to the Cheltenham bumper.

“He’s a big horse and you never know how much it takes out of them until a week or ten days after the race.

“He seems to have a nice temperament, in the parade ring before the race and in the winner’s enclosure afterwards, so that all helps when you are travelling across the water.

“He looks a real chasing type. We’ll see what happens him next year, whether we’ll go over hurdles.

“He’s six now so we might go straight chasing with him, I’m not sure hurdling would do anything for his career, but they are discussions for another day with his connections.”

This was Gameofinches' racecourse debut on the back of a point-to-point success at Dromhane in November for Paul Cashman.

From 12/1 for the Champion Bumper, Paddy Power slashed his odds to 4/1 joint favourite with another Mullins representative in Copacabana who was impressive in scoring at Navan earlier in the month.

Mullins saddled a treble at Punchestown with his other winners coming courtesy of High Class Hero and Jade De Grugy

Additional reporting by Gary Carson