MYSTIC THEATRE was the star of a double for Paul Townend at Kilbeggan last Saturday evening when running out a cosy winner of the Joe Cooney Memorial Mares Novice Hurdle.

The Willie Mullins-trained mare was completing her own hat-trick and repeating the success on her jumping debut at the course last month.

Townend made all again on the 1/3 shot and she picked up nicely from before the last to record a three and a half-length win over Just Janice.

The Rose Boyd-owned mare had also landed a bumper at Tipperary in May.

“She was keen enough with me today. She made a bit of a mistake at the second last but she was back on the bridle straight away and got the job done nicely in the end,” said Townend.

“Today was about keeping it as simple as we could. She made all here the last day and won a point-to-point so we knew she’d stay and she jumped well enough on the whole.

“It was a step up in class from the last day and she had to do a bit more but she did it nicely.

“It was similar ground to the last day and she handled it well enough.”

Townend completed his brace when 14/1 shot Wonderoftheworld ran out an impressive winner of the three-mile maiden hurdle on the card.

Alan Fleming’s charge travelled well into contention after the second last and hit the front before the final flight to record a comprehensive five and a half-length win in the colours of Barry Connell.

“The race fell apart. It was his first run over hurdles and he lacked experience so I said to Paul to take his time and let him find his feet,” said the winning owner afterwards.

“He was plenty keen with him but the race did fall apart and I suppose it flattered him a little bit. We’re delighted as he’s a chaser really and it’s nice to get that under his belt. We’ll see what mark he gets over hurdles but I’d say we mightn’t stay too long over hurdles.”

‘Shark’ Hanlon was delighted to get a win out of Ayelya after her all-the-way success in the opening maiden hurdle.

Brian Hayes bounced out in front on the 10/1 shot and she stuck on well in the closing stages to repel the challenge of Canny Tom by half a length.

“They let her off and when they did that she enjoyed herself in front,” said Hanlon.

“It’s not too often you’d see an 80 mare winning a maiden. She enjoyed it up there by herself as she’s not the most genuine mare in the country.

“She’s very well bred and she’s a winning mare now. For breeding she’s worth a good few quid. I bought her out of the Aga Khan’s.

“She shows plenty of ability at home but when she goes to the track she gets crowded and doesn’t want to know. It worked out well today but I’d say it was a poor race.”

ENQUIRY

Wee Small Hours, owned by Michael Rice, had to survive a stewards enquiry before claiming the Pig ‘N’ Whistle Pubs & Restaurants New York Handicap Hurdle.

Danny Hand was soon in front on the 16/1 shot and he kept on gamely when pressed on the run-in, just holding the challenge of even-money favourite The Trigger by a nose at the line.

The third-placed Authorative was was squeezed up on the rail close home but the result stood.

“He’s a grand little horse and he’s been unlucky a few times. He seems to run well fresh and that’s the key to him – we gave him a good break,” said trainer Dermot McLoughlin.

“It wasn’t the intention to go to the front but he said he jumped the first two and he was gone. He was just keen and travelling well under him so you might as well let him go.

“Before he was cutting out and I thought he was a bit trip-less at one time and ran him over different trips. He stayed at it well today.

“He jumped well. He’s a grand fun horse and hopefully the handicapper won’t be too hard on him after winning a nose. We’ll play it by ear and maybe up him in trip.”

Liam Kenny has an eye on Listowel with A Rated after he got off the mark over fences in some style in the Kieran Kelly Memorial Beginners Chase for Patrick Redmond.

Barry O’Neill was soon prominent on the six-year-old and he was in control before the final fence, going on for a four and a quarter-length win at odds of 7/1.

The winner was having his second outing over fences having unseated at the first fence on his chasing debut at Galway.

“Barry said he has lots of horse. He said if had let him off earlier he’d have won by a furlong,” said Kenny.

“He won his point-to-point on the same type of ground but he’s been running well all year on different ground. We might head for Listowel if the ground stays good. I’d say you could go any kind of distance with him and I’d say we’ll look for a novice race for him.”

Nobody Home overcame doubts about the trip and track when powering home to take the €20,000 handicap chase on the card.

Edward Cawley’s charge was sent to post a 16/1 shot but was delivered to lead at the last by Chris Timmons and stayed on strongly to post a four and a quarter-length success over A Sizing Network.

“He’s never run that well over that trip. We’ve tried him a good few times over hurdles over two and a half,” said Cawley.

“The last day he ran very well and we were happy with him coming out of Tipperary. I thought that run was nearly good enough to win.

“I didn’t know if he would handle this track as every time we ran him on a good track everyone said don’t go to a tighter track with him. All of them were wrong!

“You don’t know if you don’t try. The race sort of fell his way. He stayed on well. He won a three-mile hurdle in Punchestown and that’s a good staying track.

“I’d say there is a race or two in him. I said if he didn’t run well today I’d give him a break. I kept him during the summer hoping he’d pick up a couple of races. I’m happy enough with him there. I’ll mix him between hurdles and fences.”

Anytime Now justified his short-price in the bumper when running out an effortless winner for Alan Snow.

Gordon Elliott’s charge was sent off a 4/7 shot having been runner-up on both previous outings and made no mistake this time, hitting the front three furlongs out and striding clear for a comprehensive 27-length winning margin.

“He’s a nice honest horse and he’ll win plenty of races. Jumping is really his game and he’s not really a bumper horse,” said Elliott.

“We thought going to Downpatrick that we’d win and we were disappointed coming out of it, but then you see what Willie’s horse did down in Galway.

“He’s probably not a horse for the real depths of winter, in December, January, February, but he’ll tip away up until then over hurdles.”

ACTING STEWARDS

J.T. Hunt, W. Flood, P. Molony, S. Walford, P.D. Matthews.

HORSE TO FOLLOW:

A Rated (L. Kenny); He won with plenty in hand in the beginners chase and should be capable.