Mullins speaks of his bumper hopes

Willie Mullins feels he has an excellent chance of winning next week's Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham for the seventh time.

The champion trainer could saddle up to four runners in the Grade One contest with Day Of A Lifetime, Bishopsfurze and Up Ou That all on target and the returning Lios A Choill also a possible traveller.

"Day of A Lifetime did it very well and had been working very well at home," said Mullins.

"He won like he was working as he had been showing lots of ability at home, so we were happy with that.

"Bishopsfurze has worked well at home and I thought he put in a very good performance at Fairyhouse.

"He hated the sticky ground and is really a good ground horse and a lovely mover.

"Patrick (Mullins) said he wasn't moving at all so he just banked on getting him balanced and galloping in the straight and once he got him going he devoured the ground, he must have made up 20 lengths.

"It was reminiscent of what Cousin Vinny did at Punchestown, so he's fairly good.

"Up Ou That did it very well on bad ground in Fairyhouse after the big freeze.

"He won by 16 lengths and his pedigree suggests he's going to be a better horse on better ground.

"He's a big galloper who has won a point-to-point, so I would give him a chance as well as he will improve.

"Lios A Choill won his one bumper at Fairyhouse last year and had an injury but we're going to try and get him ready for Cheltenham as well.

"By coincidence they are all Fairyhouse winners, but they are all fine horses.

"I'd say most of them are up to standard and may be better than one or two of the winners I've had."

Mullins has also been keeping an eye on the potential opposition for next week's contest and believes Edward O'Grady's recent Leopardstown winner Shot From The Hip could well prove the one to beat.

"I thought Shot From The Hip was very good as he went a good gallop the whole way and anything that tried to go with him, he just bumped them off," Mullins told At The Races.

"To me that was a hell of a performance and anything that finishes in front of him will take all the beating.

"Forty Foot Tom won his bumper very well in Navan and he'll improve and Al Ferof's bumper in Fairyhouse has worked out well."