Hurdles Beckon For Debuchet Trainer Mags Mullins is excited to see what Debuchet can achieve over hurdles next season after sending her top-class bumper performer on his summer holidays. An impressive winner on his second start at Leopardstown on Irish Champion Hurdle day, the four-year-old then beat all bar the Gordon Elliott-trained mare Fayonagh in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival. Debuchet bounced back to winning ways in some style in a Listed event at Limerick at the start of last month and with Fayonagh following up at Punchestown last week, his form looks rock solid. Mullins said: "He's gone on his summer holidays now and wasn't it lovely to see him do what he did in Limerick? "He came out of that race really well and you could nearly have gone on (to Punchestown) with him, but we decided we'd give him some time off and we'll look forward to the autumn. "Fayonagh was obviously very impressive again the other day. Our lad seems to be the only one who can give her something to think about and he's still a baby really. "He's gone well in two schooling hurdles last fall, he ticks all the boxes and hopefully he'll keep improving." Debuchet carries the colours of the Force Eight Syndicate and although they have received offers from more prominent owners in recent weeks, Mullins is hopeful he will not be sold. "The owners are a great bunch a fellas. A few of them are retired and they want to keep him," said the Goresbridge-based trainer. "I've told them if they want to sell they can, I've people ringing me every day wanting to buy him, but they want to keep hold of him, which is great. "It's a very competitive game, but we'll keep trying."
