Dublin Racing Festival: Il Etait Temps triumphs as Facile Vega flops at Leopardstown

Il Etait Temps was a shock winner as Facile Vega finished last of all in the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Both horses are trained by Willie Mullins, but it was Facile Vega (4-9F) who was widely expected to triumph.

He faded quickly out of it after turning for home, however, whereas his stablemate was able to accelerate under Danny Mullins to stun onlookers with a nine-and-a-half-length success at 14-1.

There had been drama earlier on, too, when one-time Derby favourite High Definition parted company with JJ Slevin.

The Danny Mullins-ridden Il Etait Temps (14-1) becomes another Willie Mullins-trained runner to shock a better fancied stablemate at Leopardstown, this time in the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle. #DublinRacingFestival pic.twitter.com/kEoZBzU9jt

Mullins said: "They went a mad pace in front and it cost the favourite, I think.

We'll probably just have to ride him like a racehorse rather than a machine the next time

"Joseph’s (O’Brien) horse (High Definition) wasn’t able to jump at that pace and he paid the penalty.

"I was worried when I saw the pace going past the winning post first time, I said they can’t keep this up.

"Then they jumped the two hurdles down the side and going around by the reservoir I turned to David Casey and said 'these two are going to break each other’s heart'.

"High Definition lost his rider and I thought Paul (Townend) could get a breather into our fella but he didn’t get a breather.

"That was what I was worried about here the last day, that he took off going to that hurdle and used himself up.

"We’ll probably just have to ride him like a racehorse rather than a machine the next time because that’s what Paul did today, he rode him like a machine rather than a racehorse.

"We’ll