CHAMPAGNE West produced a brilliant front-running display to run out a wide-margin winner of the Goffs Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park.

Henry de Bromhead's charge was lumbered with a big weight on 11st 7lb, but turned what looked a fiercely competitive handicap into a procession in the hands of local jockey David Mullins.

Among the leading contenders for the race at 7/1 after impressing in a listed event at Tramore on New Year's Day, the Roger Brookhouse-owned nine-year-old jumped accurately at the head of affairs and had most of his rivals in trouble a long way from home.

Ucello Conti looked a major threat rounding the home turn, but Champagne West was in no mood to be caught and picked up again between the final two fences before pinging the last to seal a seven-and-a-half-length success. Ucello Conti was a clear second, with Bonny Kate just beating Pleasant Company to third place.

Mullins said: "When you only live two minutes over the road, it's great. I've missed plenty of days at school to come here. He's ran away with me for at least two-six and for a horse to be getting free with you five (fences) out in that ground is not normal. To win off such a high weight, he must have a serious engine."

RaceBets cut Champagne West to 40/1 from 100/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, while he is 14/1 from 25/1 for the Ryanair Chase with Paddy Power.

De Bromhead said: "I'm delighted for Roger as he's given us some really nice horses. My father happened to win it 25 years ago, so I'm delighted to win it for the first time.

"David gave him a brilliant ride, as he's not easy. He sat so quietly on him, which we hoped was the key to him. We've done a fair bit of work with his jumping, but it's there and it's just as much confidence as well. He likes to gallop and jump and bar the fifth-last he was brilliant. He just guessed at that a little bit."

He added: "Off 154 you probably need to be a Grade 1 horse and hopefully he might be. He's entered in races at Cheltenham and is entered in the Gold Cup, but that's a big step. We'll enjoy today, speak to Roger and then go from there.

"He's probably going to get a bit of a hike for that. I was going to come back here for the Red Mills if he had stopped at the third-last and we might still do that, I'm not sure yet. He'll be entered for Aintree (Grand National). He was always going to be entered in it."

GALMOY HURDLE

The ultra-consistent Shaneshill got back on the winning trail in the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle.

Since his last victory in a novice chase at Naas over a year ago, the Willie Mullins-trained eight-year-old has been placed on multiple occasions at Grade One level both over hurdles and fences. He was in the process of running another solid race when suffering a heavy fall at the final flight in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown last month and was 9/4 for his latest assignment.

Milsean took the six-strong field along during the early stages, but came to grief with over a circuit still to run, leaving Shaneshill and Dedigout at the head of affairs. Dedigout weakened rapidly before the home turn, with Shaneshill in front of stable companion Clondaw Warrior, Noel Meade's Snow Falcon and the Gordon Elliott-trained De Plotting Shed.

Snow Falcon tried to make a race of it and the patiently-ridden Clondaw Warrior was delivered with his challenge by Ruby Walsh, but Shaneshill passed the post three-quarters of a length to the good. Christmas Hurdle placings were reversed with Snow Falcon, third at Leopardstown, beating Leopardstown runner-up Clondaw Warrior to second.

MADE AMENDS

Bon Papa made amends for a Cork fall with an authoritative success in the Langton House Hotel Maiden Hurdle.

Willie Mullins' bumper winner crashed out when hotly fancied for a three-mile event on his jumping bow but that didn't stop punters piling into him again and he was sent off the 1/5 favourite, despite dropping back to the minimum trip.

He cruised to the front approaching the second-last and while still appearing a bit green, he has a big engine and didn't have to come out of second gear to see off Giant Spirit by four and a half lengths.

"He didn't have an awful lot to beat and you could say the same about his bumper. I don't mean to talk him down but he hasn't had to do anything special yet," said jockey Barry Geraghty. "He did it well obviously but he is unproven. He's a lovely sort and a nice big raw type.

"I'll talk to Willie and see what he thinks but you couldn't say he's that professional. He's good but he still has plenty to learn. Willie thought that it was an easy opportunity for him (in Cork), and it was, but he just got stuck in the mud at the back of the third-last.

"I'd say he found an easy opportunity again today. I don't think that was the strongest maiden and the proof was in the form. It was a nice performance. Coming back to two miles was fine and two and a half or three miles on that ground wouldn't be an issue."

PROGRESSING

Adreamstillalive is progressing well and made every post a winning one in the Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle as the 9/2 market leader.

Trainer Henry De Bromhead said: "She's still a novice so she might get into one of those rated novices or we could look at another handicap. We won't be rushing her - it never works for me.

"The plan this year was actually to give her a run over hurdles and then go chasing. When she had a couple of good runs over hurdles we said we'd stick with it. You'd hope she would be a way better mare over fences."

Getabird completed a Gowran Park four-timer for Willie Mullins in the P.J. Foley Memorial Flat Race but had to work harder than his odds of 1/10 suggested he might.

Already favourite for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham thanks to an impressive Fairyhouse success at the beginning of December, the five-year-old shared pacemaking duties with Kittyhawkkay until easing away from that rival at the top of the straight.

Hardline emerged as a serious threat and Patrick Mullins had to get to work on Getabird, but he found another gear and came a length and a quarter clear.

The champion trainer said: "It was a good performance considering that they went slow and it ended up a sprint finish. We know he has stamina from Fairyhouse and we know he has speed from here. He's improving all the time I think and he'll go straight now to Cheltenham.

"Patrick said he galloped the whole way to the line in Fairyhouse so it was a good performance to actually sprint like the way they sprinted there, giving away weight. The second horse got a tow the whole way and the race was run to suit him. He pulled out and Patrick was still able to go away from him from the front, which was a good sign in a bumper horse I think."

FOUR-TIMER

As noted above, Getabird's stablemates Bon Papa and Shaneshill were also on the mark, while Great Field made a successful start to his career over fences in the PMF Accountants Beginners Chase. Jody McGarvey set his own pace on the 3/1 chance, who was appearing for the first time since struggling in the County Hurdle at last year's Cheltenham Festival.

He already had nearest pursuer General Principle on the stretch when that one departed three out and although Great Field was far from fluent at the obstacles in the straight himself, he was still travelling powerfully and crossed the line with seven and a half lengths in hand of Mall Dini.

"It was a good performance," said Mullins. "He'll get better (over fences) I hope, and I'd say he'll appreciate better ground. He has a fair engine and I'll keep him at that trip. He won't go up in trip at the moment anyway."

McGarvey added: "It's great to ride a winner for Willie Mullins on a day like this. The first I knew about the ride was when I saw myself declared on it yesterday morning.

"He's normally very keen but he got his own way in front and he settled not too bad. His jumping has a bit to improve on but he's not that bad and he has a fair engine."

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