TRAINERS’ championship rivals Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott each teamed up with their respective stable jockey to record doubles at Thurles on Thursday.

Mullins and Paul Townend began by winning the opening Horse & Jockey Beginners Chase with Grade 1-winning hurdler Salvador Mundi (1/7 favourite), who made all and scored very easily from stablemates Fishery Lane and Dr Eggman.

Salvator Mundi had disappointed on two recent starts and today Townend reported: “He got turned over at short odds here previously on his first run over fences and while I didn’t ride him when he was in deeper waters at Leopardstown afterwards, I thought he was a bit disappointing.

“He had a straightforward task today and I thought he jumped really well and enjoyed himself. He took on his fences really nicely and stayed going well on testing ground. You couldn’t knock him today.”

Smart type

Mullins and Townend combined to win with another smart type, Laurets D’estruval (30/100 favourite), in the Holycross Maiden Hurdle, as the Rich Ricci-owned French import stretched clear of nearest pursuer Jet To Monte Carlo from the second-last, to beat that rival by 13 lengths.

Townend, who is giving chase to Jack Kennedy in this year’s jockeys championship, reported: “That was smashing. He had a run in France and he improved plenty from his first run in Ireland. He jumped impeccably, quickened up when I wanted him to and he hit the line strong. He jig-jogged back in, so I’m delighted with him.

“He is a smashing horse and, like most of ours, he has stepped forward hugely from his first run this season. That was still a decent run, when he got tired, and built on that. He’ll definitely be on the boat for Cheltenham.”

JOCKEY Jack Kennedy extended his lead in the championship to eight with his own double for trainer Gordon Elliott, beginning with Puma’s Dream (6/1) in the www.thurlesraces.ie Maiden Hurdle.

Racing prominently, the five-year-old led from the second last and scored by two and three-quarter lengths from Powerful Paddy.

Elliott’s assistant Lisa O’Neill reported: “The Rabbitt’s, from Athenry, bred him themselves and are all here today. It is special to see your homebred win. He is a much bigger horse than his half-brother Maxxum.

“It is great that he has built on every run and while we thought he was well capable of doing that today, it is was nice to see him do it. He is a novice for the rest of the season now (until December 1st) and hopefully he can now go on.”

Kennedy and Elliott completed their double in the Thurles Rated Novice Hurdle with impressive winner Timeless Treaty (100/30), who showed improvement in scoring by 24 lengths, eased down, from Sunny South West.

Regarding the Sierra Pacific Syndicate and Ruairi Digby-owned winner, Lisa O’Neill reported: “He had been running relatively well in handicaps without finishing too close so it was nice to see him recapture his form and he was really good. Jack said he wasn’t in love with the ground but got through it.

“The way he won today, I don’t see why he couldn’t go to Cheltenham for a handicap but Gordon will find an option for him. We’ll see how he comes out of today and go from there.”

Wide margin winner

The Thomas Roddy-owned Aine’s Lad (5/1) was another wide-margin winner, landing the William Hill Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle for father-and-son, trainer-and-jockey combination Matthew and James Smith.

Racing behind the leaders, Aine’s Lad asserted at the second last and went clear on the run-in to score by nine lengths from Milanaway.

The winning rider commented: “He ran a cracker the last day when he was unlucky to just bump into one. He loves the heavy ground and won nicely today.

“He has had a few little problems and it has taken a while for the penny to drop but they are straightened out now and today’s race went to plan.”

THE biggest-priced winner on the card was 22/1 chance Quornofamonday in the Racing Again On The 19th February Handicap Chase, who scored for trainer Philip Dempsey, jockey Donagh Meyler and the L S M Syndicate.

Successful on his identical 102-rating on this day 12 months ago, Quornofamonday was produced from midfield to lead before the final fence, going on to scoreby two and three-quarter lengths from Tell Us This.

Dempsey commented: “He isn’t the easiest one so it is unfortunate the owners aren’t here today.

“He is owned by the Lynch family, from Clogherhead, who had Harbour Pilot with Noel Meade previously and they’ve been very patient with this lad.

“He has been very hard to get right and he is what he is, although he was back down to his own grade today and maybe the cheekpieces helped. He works well but is awkward and just needs to get his jumping together, although he got into a rhythm today.”

Back to form

The concluding John Thomas McNamara Series Bumper was won by the Terence O’Brien-trained Leonard Vallis (10/1), who confirmed the promise of his October debut when scoring today for owner William Horgan and jockey Darragh Allen.

Runner-up in a maiden hurdle at Gowran, the son of Doctor Dino had disappointed on his second start at Navan in November. Held up in rear today, he made gradual progress to lead inside the final furlong and went on to beat Thinkitdontjinxit by a length and a half.

Trainer O’Brien stated: “I can’t say I was overly confident, as while his first run was better that I had expected of him, he then ran terribly at Navan. I had a very lean spell with horses for two months around that time as they were scoping wrong but things have turned around in the past few weeks.

“I wasn’t sure of today’s extreme ground but he delivered on the potential of his first run, and he’ll be a smashing horse going forward.”