JESSICA Harrington had the best of both worlds at Tipperary’s Super Sunday fixture with a sparkling comeback victory for her former Champion Hurdle winner Jezki in the Grade 3 Istabraq Hurdle and a fluent success on the flat for Whirling Dervish.

Jezki (6/1) returned in style from a five and a half month absence under Mark Walsh to head the longtime leader Coquin Mans on the run to the last. The race was in the bag from that point on and Jezki went away to collect by four lengths, with Ex Patriot a further head away in third.

The Moone trainer enthused: “That was fantastic! I just thought we’d come here early in the year to see if he’d got his spark back which he didn’t really have last year. He had a good summer and now feels well in himself and did that hands and heels.

“I thought he’d probably blow up, but he’s got that class and class will come out at the end of the day. Nothing went right for him last year and I suppose I was under pressure, and so was he, to get him back after missing the whole year. He’s a pleasure to have around the place and did that really well.”

Stable-companion Whirling Dervish was the form horse in the Athassel House Stud EBF Maiden. The juvenile franked his Galway form when justifying 9/4 joint-favouritism under Colm O’Donoghue by six lengths from Tashman, with the other joint-favourite, Madrid, back in fourth.

The further he went, the better he was and Harrington said of the Wood Hall Stud-owned winner, who is a Camelot son of the Group 3 winner Synergy: “He had a lovely run in Galway and that gave him a good education. He’ll go for the Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown now.”

CARRICKMACROSS

Ger Lyons supplied the answer to the Group 3 Coolmore Stud Home Of Champions Concorde Stakes in Psychedelic Funk (6/1). He went to the front, with the season’s leading rider Colin Keane in the saddle, outside the furlong pole and picked up well to master the favourite Downforce by half a length in the colours of his Carrickmacross owner Sean Jones.

The successful handler was represented by his brother and assistant Shane who commented: “He’s a fine big, heavy horse and we’re really looking forward to his four-year-old career. When he hits the front, he needs company, but there was plenty left in the tank.

“He’ll be better over further and will be a proper miler. He’ll be entered for all the stakes races over a mile and we’ve always said he was the best two-year-old we’ve had. He was third in the Coventry in soft ground and goes in that ground, so we’ll be thinking about the Lockinge Stakes, big time.”

Michael Mulvaney’s On The Go Again lived up to his name by winning his fourth race on the bounce, and his sixth this year under Gary Carroll in the Tote.com 70-100 Handicap. Homebred by the trainer’s father Larry, the Arakan gelding looked a picture beforehand and took command in the final 100 yards for a one and a half length win over market leader World War.

“He’s definitely going on his holidays now,” said the trainer of his 5/1 chance. “But he was in such good form in the last few weeks, I was afraid he’d hurt himself, so I had to run him. He’ll come back in February time and we’ll have a little think about the County Hurdle at Cheltenham. He’s a horse who looks after himself and he might scrape in at the bottom of the handicap.”

OVERDUE

J.P. McManus doubled up later in the afternoon via 9/2 chance Persistent who proved himself to be aptly named when gaining an overdue success under Shane Shortall in the Woodlands Adare Handicap Hurdle.

There was drama at the penultimate flight where the front-running Lion In His Heart cocked his jaw and ran out, leaving the joint-favourite Timi Roli in front, only to be worn down on the rail by the one and a half-length scorer. The other well-supported joint-favourite, Oscars Den, was fourth.

“He had a little bit of help,” quipped the owner’s representative Frank Berry, “but he’s been knocking on the door a few times and that’s his sort of class. Shane said he coped with the ground and we’ll tip away with him for the winter.”

Willie Mullins is on a roll and sent out a treble through the Ruby Walsh-ridden pair Sayar and Rathvinden in the two Grade 3 events, backed up by Rich Ricci’s triple bumper winner Brahma Bull in the Kenyon Street Traders (Pro/Am) Flat Race.

The always-prominent Sayar (evens), racing in the yellow and brown quartered colours of Audrey Turley from Terenure, set the ball rolling when supplementing his Kilbeggan success with a decisive two and three-quarter-length win over Morgan in the Joe Mac Novice Hurdle.

Walsh observed: “He did it well on his second run (over hurdles) and beating experienced horses on ground that was very testing for him. He’s only going to get better.”

Rathvinden (4/5) put up a good performance in the Like A Butterfly Novice Chase, making virtually all to slam Ask Nile by 18 lengths.

“He did it well,” said the champion jockey. “It was a similar type of performance to the one he put up in Listowel and I’d say his best performances have been in softer ground. He’s been off for so long and I’d say he’s getting better.”

Patrick Mullins had the leg up on the even money favourite Brahma Bull, who responded to pressure to defy top weight in the winners of two bumper and get on top close home by half a length from Peacocks Secret.

The rider was quick to praise both Ricci and his father for the patience they have shown with the Presenting gelding, saying: “Rich had him for three years before he ran and his patience has paid off. It’s not easy to carry 12st 3lb and I very probably didn’t go fast enough for him, but I think he’s a horse who’s going to want a trip.

“Not many horses win three bumpers and he’s a staying chaser in the making.”

Acting Stewards

S. McDonogh, Mrs J.O. Onions, J.P. Barry, Ms J. Farrell, H. Hynes.

HORSE TO FOLLOW:

OSCARS DEN (T.M. Walsh): There was plenty of support for this three-time winner in Britain when runner-up to Persistent. He has disappointed since, but is open to improvement.