Paul Townend’s only ride of the evening, You Oughta Know impressed when justifying 11-10 favouritism for Willie Mullins in the featured Pat Farrell Memorial Rated Novice Chase in Wexford.
The seven-year-old made all, jumped fluently and, in control turning for home, romped home 23 lengths clear of stablemate Fine Margin with Intellotto third.
“This track is a stiffer test of stamina since the made the switch and that trip is far as he wants to go,” commented Willie Mullins. “He jumped better today and likes that ground.
“We’ll keep him to flat, summer tracks, over shorter trips — he’ll probably go to Listowel, if the ground stays as it is.”
In the colours of Kieran Ryan, favourite Kool One opened his hurdling account in the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle, under the owner’s son Ivan, twin-brother of champion apprentice James, who has already won twice on this gelding.
Trainer Conor Maxwell stated: “On paper, he was entitled to do that, but he had to go and do it. The Lartigue (in Listowel) has been on the cards since Cheltenham and it’s all systems go for that.”
Cork rider John Shinnick notched a fine 59-1 double in the 0-100 handicap hurdle action, kicking off on the Tony Mullins-trained Paul’s Dream in the Visitwexford.ie Handicap Hurdle.
“It was very simple — I sat in the box seat and when the gap came at the third last, I took it,” explained Shinnick, who followed up on board the Eoin Doyle-trained Stone Forest, a gutsy winner over Corkbeg in the Wexford Heritage Trails Handicap Hurdle.
Rider Liam McKenna, successful on narrow winner Battle Of Ridgeway in the 0-110 handicap chase, received a 12-day careless riding ban.
In Down Royal, the lion-hearted Happy Jacky, the apple of trainer Mark Fahey’s eye, registered his 10th career success with a typically gutsy display in the three-mile Denny Hurdle.
Having made the running, the remarkable 11-year-old was headed by Tullybeg at the second last, but fought back tenaciously for 7lb claimer Peter Smithers on the run-in to prevail by a neck, with favourite Reverend Hubert back in third.
“He’s getting on in age, but he doesn’t know it and it’s hard to get to the bottom of him,” said a delighted trainer. “He’s never beaten and has been a great servant. He’ll probably go back to the Flat, either in the Ulster Cesarewitch here (which he won last year) or go to Clonmel.”
Charles Byrnes doubled-up with well-backed 4-1 favourite Eastmore, ridden by Philip, in the Dale Farm Dromona Handicap Hurdle and Run For Mahler in the mares bumper.
Run For Mahler was ridden to a battling victory by Alan O’Sullivan, whose first cousin Maxine was on runner-up Good Girl Kathleen.
Danny Mullins said: “It was a nice performance — he used his experience and jumped sharp,” after the Joseph O’Brien-trained Cinammon Coco made it third time lucky over hurdles in the Golden Cow 3-Y-0 Hurdle, slamming Combs by nine and a half lengths.
And Mullins completed a double on board Sam Curling’s recent Downpatrick scorer Fire Coral in the Tayto Group Ltd Handicap Hurdle.