THE Willie Mullins-trained Melon got his second season over hurdles off to the perfect start when landing the featured Grade 2 WKD Hurdle at Down Royal on Friday afternoon.

Second in the Grade 1 Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival and, before that, in the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, the five-year-old Medicean gelding was sent off at odds of 2/5 in the six-runner field.

Much of the running in this two-mile contest was made by the winner’s stable-companion Coquin Mans (Paul Townend) but he was challenged by the favourite on the approach to the final flight. A slight mistake there did little to halt Melon’s progress and he went away under Ruby Walsh to score by four and a half lengths.

“He was a big, raw horse last year and he did exceptionally well to do what he did,” said Walsh on unsaddling the winner. “He has strengthened up considerably; he’s a bigger, stronger horse.

“He was only a frame of a horse last year. He looks a more robust, stronger horse now who is improving with age. It was a good performance to beat race-fit horses Coquin Mans and Wakea.

“He has to keep improving but it is a good starting point. He quickened up well. Paul kind of stretched me at the top of the hill. I had a couple of lengths to make up on him and he closed it down quick.”

RUSSELL DOUBLE

Davy Russell won the first two races on the card, bringing up his double in the Grade 3 Lough Construction Irish EBF Mares Novice Hurdle on the John Kiely-trained Just Janice, who was also on the mark at Galway on Monday.

The complexion of this two-mile contest changed at the second last where the long-time leader, and favourite, Mystic Theatre took a heavy fall. Challenging on the outer, Just Janice hit the front before the final flight and stayed on well to score by four and a half lengths from Creation (20/1).

Kiely was an absentee but the successful King’s Theatre mare was welcomed back to the winner’s enclosure by owner Clare Flynn, her husband Niall, who bred the five-year-old, and his brother John.

Asked about the decision to turn Just Janice out again so soon, Russell replied: “The Flynns are sporting people. I mitched school to see this mare’s grandmother win the Stayers’ Hurdle.

“My middle name is Niall and I got that off the boys’ father as their dad and my dad were very close friends. It’s great to repay them with a success like this because it is so valuable for the filly and for the pedigree so it’s a great day for all around.”

In winning the opening Eventsec Maiden Hurdle, Poli Roi provided Russell with the first leg of his double and also gave owner Gigginstown House Stud and trainer Gordon Elliott the first leg of a treble.

Asbury Boss made most of the running in this two-mile, six-furlong contest with Whispering Affair disputing the lead as they passed the post with a circuit to race. Held up just off the pace, the odds-on Poli Roi was brought to the outside of that pair before three out and had cruised to the front before the next.

The favourite gave his supporters, and Russell, a bit of a fight when ‘missing’ the final flight and pecking on landing but he was well in command at that stage and, despite running around, was never going to be caught by Asbury Boss. At the line, the longtime leader was three and a quarter lengths behind the winner who returned to the parade-ring without his near fore shoe which he probably lost at the last flight.

In the absence of Elliott, who is at the Breeders’ Cup meeting, assistant trainer Davy Condon commented: “Davy was delighted with that and said the horse jumped those hurdles better the Easyfix ones (used at Galway where Poli Roi was second on his jumping debut). The last day he got a bit tired but he was spot-on today.

“Davy said he had loads of horse at the last but he got a bit of a fright with that mistake. He will a lovely staying horse for the year over hurdles but his future will obviously be over fences. He’s a lovely big horse and will have no bother with three miles.”

Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud their second winner in the Porter & Co Beginners Chase where Tombstone justified 11/8 favouritism under Jack Kennedy. However, there was little between the winner, on the inner, and Gilt Shadow when the latter took a fatal fall at the final fence.

“He obviously learned a lot from his first run in Fairyhouse and Jack said he jumped great bar the second last,” reported Condon. “They were racing down to it and he just kind of hurdled it a bit. Jack was delighted with him. He’s a real hurdler and he likes to get on with things. Two and a half miles would probably be his ideal trip and the softer the ground the better.”

GIGGINSTOWN TREBLE

The Elliott/Gigginstown House Stud treble came up in the Killyhevlin Hotel Flat Race where Felix Desjy was another odds-on favourite to oblige on the day.

The 4/9 shot was ridden by Patrick Mullins who had the four-year-old up front throughout. The chesnut by Maresca Sorrento was headed briefly by main market-rival Cask Mate over a furlong down but fought back to win by one and a half lengths. Felix Desjy won a point-to-point in March and a Punchestown bumper last month.

“He’s a proper horse and I probably could have gone faster on him,” said Mullins. “I couldn’t pull him up after the line which is always the sign of a good horses. It’s great to get a winner for Gordon – but don’t let Willie know that, he’s out in Melbourne!”

Megara made a brave bid to make all in the Allianz Handicap Hurdle but was coming back to his field from four out and was collared before the penultimate flight. The Liam Gilligan-partnered Alaliya took up the running at this stage and, in spite of a slight mistake at the last, kept on well to hold off Pack Your Bags (the first reserve) by one and three-quarter lengths.

The winning Iffraaj filly was loudly cheered home by Lisnaskea’s Sean Hannigan, whose wife Margaret owns the chesnut, and her Craughwell trainer Gerry Lynch. Heading to the winner’s enclosure there was a bit of banter between the pair. “What a horse!” said Hannigan to Lynch, who replied with “What a trainer!”

“She stays well,” said Gilligan of Alaliya. “She won well at Ballinrobe and probably wasn’t herself in her two runs since. That’s my fourth winner, I ride out around Galway – for Gerry and Martin Cullinane – and this week I got to ride out with Willie Mullins.”

“I couldn’t believe the price she was,” said Lynch of the winner. “The favourite was 11/4 and she was 16/1 – they just ignored her. Three miles on a galloping track really suited her. She was the only four-year-old in the field.”

There was a welcome change of luck for Co Clare trainer Michael McDonagh in the Toals Bookmakers Handicap Chase where Crazywork De Vassy, who was the youngest horse in the field, outbattled the oldest runner, The Shepherd King (13) on whom Danny Mullins put up 2lbs overweight.

Second in this race last year, The Shepherd King tried to make all the running. Mark Enright sent Crazywork de Vassy to the front before the second last fence but, on the inner, the veteran wouldn’t throw in the towel and there was only half a length between them at the line.

Speaking on behalf of his father, Mark McDonagh commented: “The horses have been healthy and hitting the crossbar but I thought the ground had gone against up today. He’s only a five-year-old and has a big frame which hopefully he will grow into. It took us five hours to get here but it might become four and a half on the way home.”

ACTING STEWARDS

R.S. Martin, L. McFerran, R.W. Steele, J.F. Gillespie and M.F. O’Donoghue.

HORSE TO FOLLOW

ASBURY BOSS (T. Cooper): Jumping well in front, this Dalakani gelding was unlucky to run into Polo Roi in the opener here and shouldn’t be long getting his jumping career off the mark.