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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Eamon Doggett

First foal of legendary mare Annie Power to make racecourse debut for JP McManus

The first foal of legendary mare Annie Power is set to make his racecourse debut at Ballinrobe on Monday evening.

A national hunt racehorse might never have had more famous parents than Mystical Power, whose father is the great flat stallion Galileo.

The four-year-old gelding will make his debut in the green and gold silks of JP McManus, who owns the horse in an ownership group along with Sue Magnier and the Riccis (Rich and Susannah), who raced his dam, Annie Power.

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The latter-named was one of the best national hunt mares of all time, whose successes included the 2016 Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

So there will be much anticipation to see what her first offspring will be able to do on a racetrack.

Like his mother, Mystical Power will be trained by Willie Mullins and will be ridden on his debut by Patrick Mullins, who was in the saddle when Annie Power began her racing career in August 2012.

Patrick told the Racing Post: "Physically he [Mystical Power] doesn't resemble her much but she was a unique mare.

"He has been improving all winter and he is ready to go now, I think he should be capable of winning races."

He added: "It's fantastic to have the progeny of Quevega and now Annie Power in the yard.

"It's very exciting to have him here and to have a Galileo in the yard too, there are a few more coming down the pipeline as well and that's exciting. Hopefully he can get her broodmare career going."

At the time of writing, bookmakers are taking no chances with the level of ability that Mystical Power could possess and go odds-on about him making a winning debut in the McHale Orbital INH Flat Race (7.30pm).

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