A DAY that saw Classic Getaway make his anticipated debut over hurdles instead belonged to another Willie Mullins inmate in Dinoblue who made an impressive start to her career in the mares’ maiden hurdle over an extended two miles.

The J.P.McManus-owned five-year-old was based in France until earlier this year but the half-sister to her trainer/owner’s Cheltenham bumper second Blue Sari, never ran in her homeland. However, one could have been forgiven for thinking that she arrived in Ireland with a wealth of experience given how she jumped.

After going off a very well-backed evens favourite Mark Walsh’s mount turned in a superb round of jumping. It looked like there could be a race on turning for home as Dinoblue was being kept company up front by her stablemate La Prima Donna. This contest soon took on a lopsided look though as the favourite stormed clear to score by 15 lengths and lead home a one-two-three for the champion trainer. In all this represented an especially taking start to this mare’s career and she looks a novice of genuine quality.

“You’d have to be delighted with that,” said the winning rider. “She was very professional for a mare having her first run, she travelled and jumped and I was very happy with her. She was just winging hurdles down the back so I let her use her stride and she gave me a lovely feel.”

Classic Getaway, on his first appearance since dominating a Tipperary bumper in May, was sent off at 5/6 for the conditions hurdle over just short of two and a half miles. However, he had to give best to his lightly raced 10-year-old stablemate Cash Back who was defying his position as the 8/1 outsider of the four-runner field. A 156-rated Grade 1-placed chaser, Cash Back was trying hurdles for the first time in almost three years and looked quite at home as he secured a first win since January 2020.

Classic Getaway was a little keen through the first part of the race before moving to the front after the sixth flight but Cash Back was a menacing presence in his slipstream on the descent to the straight.

When Danny Mullins produced Cash Back to pounce nearing the last, he soon took charge to carry the day by a dozen lengths. The nature of the testing ground was amply exemplified by the gap back to the third-placed Uhtred who finished 85 lengths behind Classic Getaway.

“He was a good hurdler and had a nice comeback run in Cork. It’s nice to see him back winning again and hopefully he’ll get confidence from that,” stated the winning rider who carried the colours of the Watch This Space Syndicate.

Three odds-on shots turned over

THE victory of Dinoblue got the day off to a bright start for favourite backers but punters then endured a dire run as the first five races featured defeat for three odds-on shots.

The shortest priced of these was Ronan McNally’s Full Noise, a 1/3 shot in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle where he was bidding to follow up his victory at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day. He took over in front at the second last but he got the final flight all wrong and lost valuable momentum to hand the initiative to the front-running Mrs Watson (14/1) and Jack Foley who seized upon this opportunity to score by three-parts of a length. The daughter of Yeats is trained by Peter Croke for her breeder Maurice Sheehy and was also making a quick return following a fifth at Tramore on New Year’s Day.

Earlier the second of the maiden hurdles went to Hasty Brook (12/1) as the odds-on Gorky D’airy could only manage fourth. Joseph O’Brien trains the victorious son of Saddex for his sister Sarah and Hasty Brook was bouncing back to the form he showed to take third in a Punchestown bumper won by Mighty Potter last March. After racing on the pace Hasty Brook pulled out plenty for J.J. Slevin in the straight and he finished out strongly to beat Mahons Glory by eight lengths.

“The ground is probably important to him, J.J. said he was loving it on the way to the start. He will stay further too,” remarked the trainer’s representative Brendan Powell.

As well as his victory on Cash Back, Danny Mullins also struck on Sienne D’Or (8/1) in the 80-95 rated two-mile handicap hurdle. Pat Fahy’s charge had shown enough this season to suggest that a race like this could be within her grasp and she enjoyed a three-and-a-half-length triumph over Joanna Yeats. The daughter of Shirocco is owned by the Havin’-A-Mare Syndicate.

“This means a lot. A lot of work went into getting her here. You’d think I was after winning a graded race it means that much,” said a delighted Fahy.

Hunter chase kingpin Christie strikes again

DAVID Christie has no shortage of useful hunter chasers on his hands and he took the wraps off another one in Ask D’Man.

A winner of three of his last four point-to-point outings, the 7/4 favourite was making his first visit to the track in the maiden hunters chase over two and a half miles and he jumped notably well after taking up a forward position from the outset.

The Jennifer O’Kane-owned winner always gave the impression that he had matters in hand for Barry O’Neill and he eventually reached the line a length and three-quarters ahead of the 28/1 chance Three Loud Knocks. Christie was winning this race for the second time in three years.

Both jockey Liam Quinlan and Bitview Colin recorded their first success since September 2020 as they sprang a 22/1 surprise in the 0-109 rated two-mile handicap chase.

The John Ryan-trained 10-year-old didn’t look to be going at all as well as several of his rivals on the approach to the last fence but he answered his rider’s every call and, after losing the lead to Nelly’s Money on the run in, he fought back splendidly to carry the day by half a length.

The winner shifted left in the closing stages which didn’t do Hollybank King any favours, but a stewards’ enquiry made no change to the outcome, although Quinlan did pick up a two-day careless riding ban.

Bitview Colin carries the colours of Imelda O’Riordan.