Mullins reflects on historic Cheltenham week Willie Mullins has revealed that his team escaped relatively injury free from Cheltenham as he reflected on his festival runners. Speaking to Gary O'Brien of Racing TV at Clonmel yesterday the champion trainer said that Asterion Forlonge picked up an injury but shouldn't be on the sidelines for too long. He also spoke about some of the stand out performers on a week that produced ten winners for the Closutton trainer. “Asterion Forlonge picked up an injury to his sacroiliac or something like that and that's the only real damage out of the week so that's a good result I think. “There are bits of nicks and bruises there but they are going to be ten days, a fortnight or three weeks max. “Asterion will be fine too, it's a common enough injury in racehorses. The Nice Guy, who won the Albert Bartlett had it last year and it didn't seem to effect him, they get through it alright. “He jumped well and enjoyed being up there. When he comes back racing it could be the way to go. “We all know he has an engine if he gets his jumping right. When you see that sort of a run with that sort of an injury after the race you think 'wow this guy really does have an engine'. “I was so disappointed with Chacun Pour Soi and so disappointed for Patrick as he seemed to be getting a great tune out of him. He was galloping and jumping up front and then it was bang. “It was disappointing but then Paul's win on Energumene was just fantastic. “I loved Facile Vega coming through in the manner he came through with the conditions of the race and where Patrick found himself. “I thought he was going to have to be brave to get out of that position and he did. “Vauban was great and State Man looks one for the future. There were a couple of really nice performances there." When asked it he thought he had a chance to turn the tables on Shishkin with Energumene he added:- “When the rain started coming we thought it was going to be a game changer. Apart from Shishkin maybe not liking the ground I don't think he liked the rain. There are some horses like that, they just do not want to go out on a wet day. “You could see from flag fall he wasn't enjoying the weather, never mind the ground. “We had a different plan, I don't know whether it would have worked and we'll have to wait for another day. “I'd imagine that sort of ground will suit us and the other sort of ground will suit Shishkin. We'll see what happens down the road in the future.” Looking ahead to the upcoming festivals Mullins said:- “We were half thinking of mounting a challenge over in Aintree but it's only two-and-a-half weeks and it wasn't our game plan. “You often find when you do things that isn't your game plan they don't work out. I think we'll stick to the tried and tested with Fairyhouse and Punchestown and there will be a few horses going to Aintree.”
